Writer Wednesday: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming (Guest Post by A.E. Williams)

When J.D. asked me to write a piece about where I came from and how I became a freelance book editor, I first thought back to my days at Full Sail University, where I earned a BFA in Creative Writing. They told us something that is probably unpopular to hear at other schools: The “cavalry isn’t coming.” It’s a sentiment to mean that if you want success in the arts, you can’t wait around for other people to come and find you. You gotta make them come to you or become the cavalry itself.

 

Torn Between Two Worlds

 

Believe it or not, before I became a freelance book editor and started editing books for a living, I was a restaurant manager for the second largest chicken-based, fast-food chain in the United States (Eat Mor Chikin). Anyhow, I started there in 2006 when I was sixteen. It was my first ever job.

I found a love for writing in 2005. From there I wrote an essay for a contest and won. I started writing my first book, The Knight in Shining Armor, and even planned on pursuing a career as an author. But I soon became torn between the writer and the Chicken Manager.

Due to economics (being a broke twenty-something), I decided to further my career by becoming a trainer, then supervisor, then grand opening trainer, then restaurant training director, and finally manager. All my time and energy went into a corporation and its profits and its brand. Eventually, I started to realized that I had forgotten about writing.

 

A Change of Heart

Fortunately for me, I had become sort of a local celebrity. Having written and published three books and sold them in the community around my job, customers oftentimes asked about my writing prospects and what my next moves were. Back then I didn’t have the confidence or drive to seriously pursue my passion. And then, one day, I decided to go back to school to study writing. I had already been burned by college before with a $5,000 bill for tuition that I had paid off by that time.

            I also realized too late that my passions no longer lay in the company. I had become complacent, comfortable, and didn’t truly put in all the effort that I once had. So, I told my boss that I would be going back to school to study writing and he was ecstatic to hear it. But that decision would come with a sacrifice of my financial stability, energy, patience, and other things. Of course, looking back, it was all worth it.

 

Full Sail University

 

            I started attending Full Sail University in February of 2018, almost a full decade since I had previously attended college. I was nervous, but at my advanced age of 29, I knew I had to take this expensive journey serious and get everything I needed out of it. In high school, I had been a fairly good student, but I fell short when the end was nigh. I did not want to have that happen again.

            Each new course was an incredible opportunity to flex my writing muscles, test my skills, and find out if writing was truly the path for me. So, I made my best efforts and began receiving great feedback from my professors. During my time at Full Sail it was substantiated that I was a strong writer and that I had the skill to make a career crafting stories.

            There was one course where I was introduced to the concept of being a freelance editor, something I had never considered before. I had always been an avid reader and believed that I could help other writers with their craft. And with that, A.E. Williams Writer & Editor was born.

 

A Career Change

My professor made things seem easy and simple to start up. I didn’t need a fancy certification or crazy equipment to start my business. All I needed was a laptop, some knowledge of writing and editing, and an ability to use resources. So, in November 2019, I began transitioning into this field. However, I was still working at the restaurant part-time and still completing my degree.

In February of 2020, a friend of mine paid me to write some website copy for him. Despite the website never coming to fruition, I can say that this friend was my first-ever paying client who was ultimately happy with my work. Also, I had begun an internship for a social media marketing position with a startup company (which I can say does still exist to this day). And then, well, the pandemic.

With those changes in life and my degree program coming to an end, I resigned from the internship and began focusing on a strong finish to my degree program. In August of 2020, I graduated #1 in my class. High on the heels of that success, I began earning other clients from friends I had made who were working as editors. A.E. Williams Writer & Editor had become a profitable business just before graduation. I found the summer of 2020 to be very busy and determined that a demand was there. I could do this full-time if I really wanted to.

 

Growth and Success

 

No, editors didn’t come to mentor me Yoda-style. I had to talk to the editors I knew, join the right Facebook groups, and finally join the Editorial Freelancers Association, an organization made specifically to help freelance editorial professionals (editors, proofreaders, illustrators, etc.). I got my EIN, made the right charts, created a plan, and in May of 2021, I retired from the company.

The clients didn’t come running and I grew nervous as things seemed hopeless, but I educated myself. I surrounded myself with pro editors, took some courses, read some books. And with all the effort I had been making, I started to find clients and make a living.

Now, the clients come to me. After solid brand building and consistency, I’ve made a name for myself. I was also able to gain a major publishing house as a client and find even higher paying clients than I had at my start. In 2022, I’m set to double my gross from the previous year.

 

The Cavalry Isn’t Coming

            You can become it. Using my managerial experiences, I prepared all my administrative necessities: profit and loss charts, payment collection software, website, domain email address, and future plans. Within the first few months, I contracted two individuals to help with administrative tasks (preparing contracts and invoicing) and branding (social media marketing and email marketing). Having those two assets has really made life easier and then I realized that I had become the cavalry. No sweat.

            Join professional organizations and talk to pros who are doing what you want to do. And then, execute. That’s how you create a cavalry for yourself. Don’t listen to the naysayers, do your research, and be resourceful in all things that you do. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way for opportunity. Also, wait for no one. You got this. Go for it.

 

A.E. Williams, founder of A.E. Williams Editorial, is a Book Editor who has worked with writers and publishing houses such as Hachette Book Group to release outstanding books in a variety of genres. He reads scripts for the Desertscape International Festival.  Also, a writer himself, A.E. has released his own writings on Amazon. You can find him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.