ACES VCON: The Sessions I’m Looking Forward to Most

ACES vCon will be the first editing conference I attend! I was so excited to see the many wonderful sessions that will be presented. Here are a few I’m particularly looking forward to:

Confident Querying, Without the Ego led by Christine Steele and Lourdes Venard

Querying is one of those skills that I either feel ridiculously confident about or not confident at all. I usually worry that I’m querying too much, but I figure it’s better to query too much than not enough. I’, looking forward to finding my footing in querying, starting with this session.

I took The Business of Copyediting with Christine through the UCSD Copyediting Program, and she is not only one of the wisest editors I know but also an editor who is committed to lifting up others in the field. So, I know this session will be filled with valuable information!

Beyond the Gender Binary: Editing for More Inclusive Fiction led by Eliot West and Tanya Gold

As many of you know, I am just starting out in my freelance editing career. However, I hope to work with many authors from marginalized communities, so I can’t imagine a better place to start than with this session. I have wanted to be more involved with the LGBTQIA+ community, and I think expanding my knowledge about various identities is vital.

I can’t wait to see what West and Gold have to share! I’ve e-met Tanya once, and they are so kind and encouraging! I am very excited to have the chance to learn more about nonbinary representation from editors who are nonbinary themselves!

Through the Looking Glass: A Different Lens from Disabled, Chronically Ill, and Neurodivergent Editors

I am so excited about this session because the topic really resonates with me! As a disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent editor, I love that other editors are encouraging people to adopt a different attitude toward these communities. Since receiving my diagnosis of autism earlier this year, I have struggled with understanding why it is a diagnosis when it’s just who I am. Similarly, I frequently feel like my disabilities and chronic illnesses give me a unique perspective, especially within editing.

I had the chance to e-meet Vee once, and they are so knowledgeable and caring! I can’t wait to learn from them and the other speakers in this session!

Balancing a New Career with a Chronic Illness: Part 2

Another obstacle that many people with chronic illnesses face is the repercussions of the stereotype that we have a ton of free time on our hands. For a while, I was too sick to work, and when I told people this, I was almost always met with something like, “Oh, that must be nice having so much extra free time!” Because of this, I’ve run into quite a few people who seem to think that I will be available 24/7 because I don’t have a “real” job.

This situation can be tricky to navigate. On the one hand, people who say these things are partially correct but only partially. I don’t have a 9-5 job that restricts my time. However, I do have an illness that sometimes takes up the same amount of time that a full-time job would. I try to balance this by working when I’m feeling well and recognizing when I need rest. One major benefit of being a freelance editor is that I create my own hours. So yes, most days I don’t wake up until after noon, but I also tend to work until 1-2 in the morning.

Finally, a new challenge that I’ve faced recently is feeling too good. I know what you’re thinking: “How is feeling too good a problem?” Well, let me tell you. I have had multiple days where I’ve been able to work more than 8 hours, something that was unheard of for me for many years. Unfortunately, I tend to get carried away when I’m feeling well, and I have a harder time of recognizing when I need to take a break. Just because I can work multiple 10+ hour days in a row, doesn’t mean I should. Mostly because, even though I am physically capable of doing this, it usually ends up taking a toll, which ultimately wipes out an entire day of potential work.

To manage this, I have been trying to find balance within my work. I try not to spend hours on end working, even if I just take small breaks to scroll through Instagram or crochet. This helps me feel like any work I do isn’t really work. I have a ton of fun with my job, and when I focus on the joy it brings me, it is less taxing physically and emotionally.

I’m also trying to self-impose a weekend. Truthfully, I haven’t been very successful with this strategy yet. When you don’t have a job with set hours where you need to be present, it can be difficult to set time aside for relaxation, nonetheless a whole day for relaxation. I’m not quite sure yet if this goal is attainable, or even necessary.

Whether you find yourself struggling with issues stemming from chronic illness, or you’re just trying to find balance in your life, I hope some of what I said resonates with you. Let me know some of your favorite strategies for balancing work and life in the comments!