I’ve been editing full-time for nearly ten years now, and in that time I’ve developed a solid set of tools I rely on to do my work and keep my business running smoothly. I’m a very visual person and attractive design is important to me, so I’m sometimes willing to pay for a tool that works well and looks beautiful if it will make my workday more pleasant. That said, software costs add up quickly and can eat into your bottom line. I evaluate tools annually, when I gather up my expenses for tax time, and downgrade or replace any that aren’t pulling their weight.

* A few of these links are affiliate links, which means I may get some kind of discount or remuneration. I only recommend services I use myself!

Website, courses, newsletter, appointment scheduling + shop

I use Squarespace for all of these important aspects of my business, and I love how well they all work together. It’s not the cheapest option, but it’s extremely reliable and there are always fun new tools being added.

Email

I spend a lot of time in my email, and I pay more for my email software, Superhuman*, than I do for any other bit of tech I use, other than my website. Their computer and phone apps work seamlessly together, look beautiful, and have all kinds of built-in tools and options that make my work faster and better: I can save templates for emails I send repeatedly or schedule an email to be delivered later. The handy sidebar automatically displays my calendar when I type a day or date (so great for scheduling or responding to meeting requests!) and brings up the subject lines of previous messages to or from the person I’m emailing with. I can snooze, move, delete, or label an email with a single keystroke or swipe on the app.

Editing

Microsoft Word is, of course, the industry-standard tool for editing, and as much as we editors love to complain about its flaws, it remains the most powerful tool we have. Advanced features such as custom key commands, macros, and styles let us work faster and better. The absence of these features is the answer to why most editors don’t like to work in Google docs.

TextExpander

Repetitive stress injuries are a real hazard in this profession, so any tool that can save you keystrokes or mouse clicks is important. I use TextExpander to save any kind of snippet of text I type frequently, from my email address to paragraph-long comments about editing issues like semicolons. I even save emojis there, like my favorites: ✅ and ⭐️.

Invoicing + accounting

When I first started out, I created invoices in Word and accepted payment via a PayPal link—and that can work just fine when you don’t have a lot of projects or clients. I moved to Wave a few years ago because I wanted better invoicing and payment options, and I wanted a tool that would help me see my business finances at a glance. A side benefit: using Wave has turned tax time from an agony to a breeze because all of my expenses are already categorized. I download a spreadsheet, send it to my CPA, and check it off ✅

Browser

One of my favorite new tools is the Arc browser, which allows me to organize all of my many, many bookmarks into separate spaces. It automatically archives open tabs once a day (or according to a schedule you set), so your working space stays clean and tidy.

Project management

I use Trello* to keep track of almost everything in my life. As I’ve said, I’ve learned that I’m a very visual person, and so having every project and task represented by a card (which I can customize with photos, colors, labels and much more) helps me understand at a glance what I need to get done every day. I’m usually working on just one or two editing projects at a time, but many other projects need tiny touches every week: a sample edit for a potential new client, a congratulations post for a client’s just-published book, a check-in with a client who is currently revising. Trello allows me to create checklists for all of my projects and set reminders for everything that needs to get done, so I know nothing will fall through the cracks. And checking things off or moving cards around through the editing process gives me a visceral sense of accomplishment.

Writing

Interestingly, even though I do most of my editing work in Word, I do most of my writing in Google docs. I like that I can access documents from my phone wherever I am and that I can easily share and collaborate with others when I need to. For book-length writing, however, I prefer Scrivener* because it helps me see the overall structure of my work and easily move scenes and sections.

Note-taking + knowledge database

I learned in grad school how important it is to have a system for collecting and organizing information about a topic. I use Notion* to store full articles and PDFs, as well as notes from reading and presentations. For my most important topics—like editing resources and research for my historical novel—I layer on top what is essentially a table of contents, so I can quickly get to the topic I want. A lot of people also use Notion for project management, so if you want one tool that can do a lot of things, this one might be worth checking out.

If you want to learn more about how to run a streamlined, organized editing business with systems that will reduce your stress and help you enjoy your work, check out my course on Business Systems for Editors.

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