Dear Geist,

Is it a good idea to finance a writing career by doing freelance editing? I mentioned it in my writers' group and they were all No way, you can't do both.

Dear Ines,

In a word: maybe. You do need a dependable income until your writing can provide for you. Editing can be that source—if you are skilled and experienced, if you enjoy the work and if you can maintain a client mix that brings in a steady living wage. Literary editing is more appealing to some editors than, for instance, government or institutional work, but it doesn't pay as well, which translates into less time for you at the writing desk. Either way, you must have the stamina and discipline to hold down two jobs of any kind, week after week. The up side is that working with language is bound to complement your writing in interesting ways. If your writing cohort's “No way” means no way can you be good at both writing and editing, we disagree, on the basis of about 140 person-years of experience.