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Editors need good intuition to carry out their work, whether they’re an employee or running their own business.

Freelance editing consultants need good intuition, not only to do their work  as editors, but also to stay safe when meeting clients. Editors also need enough life experience to be good judges of character.

Trust your intuition and stay safe

Regardless of whether you are male or female, if you’re a freelance editor, you shouldn’t meet a client alone, anywhere, unless you (a) have good intuition and (b) know that you are a good judge of character. If you’re a woman, you also need to have a back-up plan or person, in case you end up with a client who may not be ‘safe’. (See: How to stay safe.)

If you’re alone with a client and intuitively feel they may not be ‘safe’, or something just doesn’t feel ‘right’, take appropriate action, as follows:

• If you’re in your own office, ask your back-up person (or dog) to hover nearby. Make sure the client is aware they’re there. If you feel comfortable and safe, continue your meeting. If you don’t, then ask the client to leave, knowing you have your back-up plan in place, in case they become nasty or refuse to leave.
• If you’re in the client’s home or office, make an excuse and leave immediately. Make sure next time you meet the client in a public place such as a library or cafe.
• If you’re in a public place and you feel sure you are safe because you’re in public view, use your own judgement about whether to stay or leave. If you feel something is not ‘right’ about working with the client, don’t offer to work with them. If your intuition tells you you’re in danger, even in the public place, leave immediately.

Note: intuition is not fail safe. It can occasionally be wrong. You might intuitively not trust a client who turns out to be as safe as houses. But having good intuition and trusting in it will keep you safer than not using your intuition at all. 

This article has been proofread by Dee Sansom from On Time Typing, Editing and Proofreading.

Image: Pixabay – Creative Commons licence.