By the time you read this, my husband and son will have cycled 400km from Essex to York for a medal. They have a hobby called long-distance cycling. Each event is called an audax.
In this blog post I compare editing and audaxing, though you could substitute any other endurance sport.
Audaxes are arranged by an organisation called Audax UK which is affiliated to the world-wide organisation. Here is their website: audax.uk
2025 will be a big cycling year for Tom and Dan. As they prepare and train, they aim to participate in one of the longest cycling journeys in the UK in August called London-Edinburgh-London (LEL) – 1,500km over 5 days and 5 hours. Tom is a veteran; Dan is his apprentice.
Finding common features
As I have watched them prepare it dawns on me that both editing and sport have the following in common:
- Choosing equipment
- Preparing for the job ahead
- Training
- Building friendships and trust
- Sustaining a physical / mental mindset
- Experiencing highs
- Experiencing lows
- Feeling the joy of a job well done.
Choosing equipment
The basic need of editors is a laptop or desktop, word-processing software (Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Reader are the publishing industry standards), access to broadband, and furniture that helps avoid RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).
Cyclists can choose from a range of equipment, including bike designs (not all want or can afford titanium frames), types of tyres, saddles, lights, and GPS software.
Preparing for the job ahead
Editors do sample quotes with a part of the text to get an idea of what the text looks like before accepting a job. Once a job is agreed, an editor carries out ‘preflight’ checks to note style choices before delving deep into the text.
Cyclists need to maintain their bikes and tools. They don’t have to be mechanically minded, but it helps to know how to pump up a tyre or mend a puncture to ensure the bike runs efficiently. My husband’s strength is bike fettling and bodging repairs to bike and kit with gaffer tape and cable-ties.
Training for confidence and endurance
It is advisable that editors do training in proofreading and copyediting. They don’t know what they don’t know. I advise any editor to display their training on their website and / or LinkedIn profile to build trust. Clients will feel safer with a trained editor, even if they are more expensive. Trust and confidence are key.
The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP, ciep.uk) and other editing organisations provide a high standard in editorial training. The biggest thing I learned from my training was to spot inconsistencies in styles of punctuation and spelling, not just typos.
Also, editors may be overwhelmed by the high standards of training. It can seem hard and confusing, but it will make you a better professional.
Cycling over long distances can’t be done without training. The strategy is to build up to them. Don’t cycle 600km without doing smaller distances first, e.g. 50km > 100km > 200km > 300km > 400km. You don’t know how your body is going to react after cycling 100km or cycling overnight … The mind plays different tricks altogether.
Building friendships and trust
The editors I know in my networking groups have been there for support and motivation, and for venting and cheering. It is vital to be able to discuss facets of your business with people who know what you are talking about. Do you need advice? Someone will know the answer or seen it somewhere and can point to it.
The cyclists in my husband’s network (ACME cycling club) have been there for each other to support, motivate, for venting and cheering. It is vital to be able to discuss every facet of audaxing with people who know what you are talking about. Need advice? Someone will know the answer or seen it somewhere and can point to it. My husband ran a pubinar (a webinar in a pub) in February to discuss how to survive LEL … and have fun. Many newbies came to marvel at the experience of the veterans.
Sustaining a physical / mental mindset
To sustain and endure the challenge of a long job and substantial books, an editor needs to build a schedule of how much text they will cover in one hour, one day, one week, etc. Having an overview of what the project looks like will assist in how to tackle each part of the job. It is important to stop regularly for breaks to look away from the screen, to stretch, to breathe fresh air, to eat and drink.
Cyclists, to avoid overwhelm, need to establish a flow or pattern of pedal-pushing which can be maintained. It’s not about speed or being the fastest – an audax is a marathon not a sprint. It is important to get off the bike regularly, to stretch, eat and drink. Sleep before you get the snoozies and fall off.
Experiencing highs
The kinds of highs that an editor feels:
- When a quote is accepted by the client that is worth the value of the project.
- When an editing job is interesting and enjoyable, we learn a lot from what we read!
- When a testimonial is received from a very happy client.
- When a client turns into a repeat client.
The kinds of highs that a cyclist feels:
- A ride is completed in good weather. They especially love a good sunrise anticipated during the dark wee hours.
- There are no mechanicals.
- There is good company and good conversation.
Experiencing lows
The kinds of lows that an editor feels when things go wrong:
- With I.T. when software goes wrong; saved work disappears.
- A client is not happy.
- Late payment or non-payment.
The kinds of lows that a cyclist feels when things go wrong:
- Experiencing punctures and mechanical failures, especially if there has been rain.
- Strong headwinds or crosswinds.
- Forgetting vital clothing meaning that, when the cold hits at 2am, borrowing items from fellow audaxers may be inevitable.
- Grumpiness is often caused by low blood sugar – take a break and eat!
Feeling the joy of a job well done
There is nothing like the highs of an editor’s job just as there is nothing like the fun that a cyclist gets from an audax. I am told that the cyclists’ highs make up for any lows which can become Type II (2) fun.
Even better … getting to a Wetherspoons pub for an 8am opening after a cycling overnighter when a Full English Breakfast and tea, coffee and beer are on tap. Chapeau to all the teams!
To see Dan’s photos of each stage of the event, see his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dandeakins93/
Disclaimer: These experiences have been told to me by those that cycle. I am not a cyclist, merely a supporter, reader of WhatsApp Group posts, and a good listener.
Sprinkling publishing confidence,
Annie
Further reading
If you a cycling fan, here is a blog post written by an audaxer about the same event on the Carradice website: Easter Fleché to York
Emailing
Email me to check my availability for proofreading non-fiction and children’s books.
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