TEA Case Studies

Curious about how other freelance editors use The Editor's Affairs to take control of their business admin? In these case studies, I've asked TEA users to share their experiences of bringing TEA into their working life. I hope you enjoy reading their stories!

If you're a TEA user and would like to be featured in an upcoming case study, get in touch.

If you'd like to know more about using TEA in your own business, check out the TEA website.

TEA Case Study:
Richelle Braswell

A bit about yourself

Richelle Braswell

What's your name and the name of your business?

My name is Richelle Braswell, owner of Richelle Braswell Comprehensive Editing.

How long have you been an editor and a freelancer?

I’ve been an editor since 2017 and I established my freelance business in August 2020.

Which editorial services do you provide?

Brainstorm session, outline critique, manuscript evaluation, developmental edit, line edit, copyedit, and proofread.

What are your niches?

I edit fiction only with specialties in fantasy and cozy mystery, though I’m open to other mysteries and other genres. Some of my clients self-publish while others seek traditional publishing.

A bit about your TEA package

How long have you been using TEA?

Since July 2020.

Do you have any customizations for your TEA?

Yes, based on the rate-per-1,000-words Standard TEA package:

Payment by Installments. I always charge a deposit and love being able to track each payment due date and when that installment was paid.

Discount %. This customization helps me when I offer giveaway discounts or package discounts. It shows the pre-discount amount to quote, the discount percentage, and the discounted amount to quote. I love being able to add discounts into TEA and see what the different prices are easily.

Own-column customization. At one point, Maya updated the TEA to allow me to add my own columns. I added one for my contract number so I can see both invoice and contract numbers within the Invoice tab.

Your quest for TEA

What made you get TEA in the first place?

When I was prepping to launch my business, I knew I needed some system to track my expenses and income. I wanted something simple that also allowed me to track my editing data. I stumbled upon TEA and immediately liked the idea. It helps me figure out what to charge, track my data, see income percentage per client, and see a total summary. It’s amazing.

Were there gaps in your admin processes that TEA helped you address?

I bought TEA when I was setting up my business, so I established some admin processes based on TEA.

What is your TEAtime routine?

Do you keep your TEA Income and Expenses spreadsheet open so that you can record your project details, income, and expenses as they come up?

I open the TEA Income and Expenses within a few days of needing to record income and expenses. I input the project details as soon as possible and update it at various relevant intervals throughout a project.

Do you use the TEA Project Timesheet template to start a new timesheet for each project?

Yes. If one project has several services, I create a new tab within the same timesheet so I can easily compare time spent for each service for the project. The Project Timesheet is truly amazing and gives me an accurate idea of my editing speed in real life. It lets me know if I ever need to speed up.

What’s the current state of your business affairs now that you use TEA?

Are you more organized?

Yes, I am more organized with TEA.

Do your rates reflect your expertise and hours of work on each project?

As I continue building my business, TEA shows me how or where to adjust rates so they better reflect my expertise and hours of work on each project.

Is your quoting quicker, easier, and more standardized?

While I also have another spreadsheet to calculate rates, I use TEA to create data lists for projects based on editing time and on admin time so I can see the difference. TEA makes quoting easier because I can see my notes about the type of project as well as my final editing speeds.

Is tax time less taxing?

Tax time is relatively easy because I can simply share my TEA spreadsheet with my accountants. It provides the information in a clear manner with summaries.

Any final remarks?

Whenever someone asks about financial software for editors, I always mention TEA. It truly guided me as I began my freelance business and as I continue to learn and grow. I’m grateful I discovered this product.