I’ve been freelancing for almost thirteen years now, and I feel like I am at another juncture at which I am reassessing my business and contemplating how best to move forward. I periodically find myself here.
This is partly driven by external factors, often the need to earn a little more due to changing financial needs. I’m no longer the twenty-something kid I was when I first began freelancing, renting a small room in a dilapidated former convent and cruising around Vancouver on my secondhand touring bike. Those were the days, with no money and no responsibilities.
Partly, I’ve also realized, I don’t enjoy doing the same thing over and over again. I find it gets repetitive and boring. In a way, indexing is perfect for this because projects are usually finished within a few weeks and I can move onto the next book. On the other hand, constantly cycling through projects can itself become repetitive. I don’t need to completely change my business to inject a sense of freshness and excitement, but I do need some change, some outlet for experimentation and growth.
While contemplating change, though, I also want to look back on what I’ve done. Today, I want to reflect on my decision to double-down on indexing, which may be of interest to some of you as you also work on building your own businesses.
It’s common for indexers to offer multiple services, usually other tasks within the book production process, such as copyediting or proofreading. I did this too when I began freelancing. This strategy has a lot of value. Offering more services may appeal to a wider clientele, which can lead to more projects and a fuller schedule. More services may also mean working with individual clients longer, contributing more to their books. Switching between tasks can also be a mental break and help prevent boredom and burnout.
And yet, offering too many services may also lead to certain problems. Such as,
- Feeling spread too thin
- Not having enough time and opportunity to deepen skills
- Offering a service that you don’t actually enjoy
- Offering a service that doesn’t pay well
- Lacking a clear brand or reputation
If any of these issues feel true for you, you may want to consider narrowing your focus and leaning into a niche.
This is what I’ve done as a freelance indexer. Indexing has always been my main focus, but when I first began freelancing, I also offered proofreading and image research services. Image research quickly dropped off, as that was only really for one former employer, but I continued proofreading until three or four years ago, when I finally told my last proofreading client that I was no longer available.
I decided to double-down on indexing for a few reasons:
- To do more of what I enjoy. While proofreading wasn’t bad, I enjoy indexing more. It was getting to the point where I often had to pass on indexing opportunities because I was already committed to a proofreading project, and that bugged me.
- A clearer focus. I’m not an effective multitasker. I find I’m able to get more done when my focus is narrow, and that includes focusing my business on a single service.
- More income. I realized that I was earning more per hour indexing than I was proofreading. Financially, it made sense to focus on my more lucrative skill. That said, I am not saying that indexing inherently pays better. I know editors who have come to the opposite conclusion, dropping indexing to build their editing business. What I am saying is to pay attention to the services you offer, to how you charge for each, and to how much you are able to earn. Some services may be earning more than others, which may mean that you need to adjust your pricing or that the lower paying service should be retired.
- Develop my skills. Since I enjoyed indexing more, I decided that this was the area where I wanted to develop my skills as much as possible. Having a single focus meant I had more time and opportunity to practice and grow.
- Build my reputation. When authors and publishers hear my name, I want them to think indexing. I think that is easier to accomplish when indexing is all I do.
Leaning into indexing took time. I did not stop proofreading overnight. I first stopped accepting new proofreading clients, grandfathering in existing clients. Over the next few years I gradually accepted more indexing projects and eventually told my proofreading clients that I was no longer available. I think I could have stopped proofreading sooner, but I have to admit it was hard to say no to editors I had worked with for years. (Though thankfully, a couple of them still hire me to index!)
All that said, while I do consider indexing to be my niche, can I really say that I am solely focused on indexing? I do have this newsletter, after all, and have written and published Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide. Maybe I’ve simply replaced proofreading with writing and haven’t really doubled-down on a niche after all.
I think the answer is yes and no. Yes, I also write and I want to continue writing. As I wrote at the beginning, I need a creative outlet. I don’t want to index a hundred percent of the time. And yet indexing is where I earn my income, and most of my writing, for now, is about indexing. Indexing remains my niche and I am happy to be here.
Perhaps another way to put this is to say that now that I am more established as an indexer, I am in a more solid position to branch out again. Leaning into this niche used to be the new thing that I pursued to grow my business. That has worked to bring me to where I am now, and now I am ready for the next new thing (though I expect to remain an indexer for a long time to come). And so I circle back to this question of change.
Perhaps what I am really trying to say is that there is no single way to grow a freelance business. And that the strategies we use can change over time. What matters is being mindful. Pay attention to what kind of business you want to have. Pay attention to the services you offer. Pay attention to your clients and whether or not they are a good fit with your goals and services.
As a one-person business, I know that I can’t do everything myself and that I can’t serve every potential client out there. And so who do I serve and what do I do? Whether you offer one service or multiple, consider finding a niche and leaning in. Create a space for yourself and become the best that you can be.