How to Make Your First $1,000 as an Editor

One thing that may be holding you back from making your first $1,000 as an editor is not knowing what to do.

You know you want to make a switch, but at the same time, you don’t know how to make it happen.

It’s a hell of a place to be in.

The thing is, you are not alone. Every beginner goes through this phase—some make it through, and some give up on the journey.

I made it through because of a bit of luck and a lot of experience from the past.

In the early days of my editing, I found people who could mentor me and show me what to do.

But that may not be the case for you.

You might be new to the space and don’t know where to start—so today, I want to give you the guidance that I have.

This guidance saved me from quitting video editing and turned me into a full-time video editor.

This is the exact path I would take if I wanted to make my first $1,000 as an editor:

In this email, you will learn the exact roadmap.

A roadmap to go from broke to making your first $1,000 as a video editor in the next 30 days.

But before I tell you the steps,

I want to break 3 big myths that people have that stop them from getting into video editing.

1. You Need to Be an Expert

No, you don't—you just need to be better than the average market.

I have made thousands of dollars by cutting basic clips.

2. You Need an Expensive PC

A big no—many great editors started with their 4GB RAM laptops with an HDD.

And even if you don't have a laptop, just start with a phone.

I have friends who made it here with a phone.

Fu**, I made it here with a phone.

3. Only Hollywood Editors Make Money

This is the biggest misconception I see nowadays.

You don’t need to become a Hollywood editor—you can edit for the internet.

• VSLs

• Reels

• UGC Ads

• Interviews

• YouTube videos

and much more.

So if you had one of these myths, it should be broken by now.

Now, let's see how you can learn video editing and make your first $1,000 in the next 30 days.

I have divided it into 4 weeks.

Each week, you need to do 3 big tasks:

Week 1 — Learning the Basics

Your first week will be all about the basics of editing.

If you lack the basics, it will always hold you back from growing.

Make sure you have a tight grip on your basics.

Here's how you can do this:

1.1 Picking an Editing Software

• DaVinci - Free for laptop/PC.

• Premiere Pro - Best if you have some money. (It is just $10 a month for all Adobe apps)

• CapCut - If you have a low-end PC

• Kinemaster, VN, CapCut — If you only have a phone.

1.2 Get Familiar with the Software

Learn the ins and outs of your editing software.

Open the software and click everywhere.

The goal is to get familiar, not to conquer.

1.3 Basics of Editing

Search and learn every single step of editing.

How to add:

• Cuts

• Text

• Music

• B-rolls

• Subtitles

• Transitions

• Zoom-ins/outs

• Small animations

Learn everything, and try it yourself.

Week 2 — Practice

This week, you need to edit 3 videos.

If you don’t implement what you have learned—you will just procrastinate by watching videos.

Practice >>> Learning more

Here's how to do it:

2.1 Download Raw Video

Go on YouTube and search for a term that you know about.

It can be gym, electronics, or anything.

Then download:

• A short

• A long-form video

• An interview/podcast

(Only download videos around your interest, so you have an easier time editing)

2.2 Work on All Three Videos

Edit and improve with whatever you learned last week.

It doesn’t need to be perfect.

It will take you a lot of time to edit, and that’s okay.

You just need more practice.

Week 3 — Post Your Work

To make money, you need to improve.

To improve, you need feedback from clients.

To get clients, you need to show your work online.

Here's how to do it:

3.1 Set Up Your Twitter

Put your photo on PFP and write a compelling bio on what you do—make sure you show you are an editor.

Finally, post your last week's edits.

Don’t be ashamed.

Don’t compare someone’s day 1,000 with your day 1.

Just post it.

3.2 Build Your Tribe

All the money I made is because of the people I know.

One thing my mentor said when I was new here:

"To grow in your niche, you have to get accepted by the market."

So be active and comment on others' posts.

Make friends.

3.3 Post More

Watch tutorials, practice, and post.

• Post your progress

• Share before and after

• Teach what you have learned

So people can interact with you.

And from there, you will get inbound leads.

Week 4 — Closing Clients

To make $1,000, you only need:

• 4 long-form videos at $250 each

• or 30 short-form videos at $30-$40 each

Here's how to get work:

4.1 Respond to Your DMs

By this time, you’ll have started to get some inbound leads.

Respond to their questions.

Hop on a call, figure out what they are looking for.

Offer a solution to their problem.

4.2 Apply for Every Job Post

Many people are hiring on Twitter.

Look for agency owners, YouTubers, and Automation guys.

Work even if the pay is low.

You're still learning and building your portfolio.

4.3 Do More Free Work

If you are having a hard time closing them,

• Offer a free trial

• Edit a short for free

• Edit the first minute for free

Provide your best work, and you will close them with ease.

Charlie Munger said,

“Your first $100k is a bitch, but you gotta do it.”

In video editing, your first $1,000 is a bitch.

You will:

• Lack belief

• Have self-doubts

• Not see any progress

But despite that, you have to follow the process.

Your first $1,000 will change everything.

You’ve just read the roadmap to making your first $1,000 as a video editor. But reading alone won’t make it happen—you need to take action.

This is your chance to shortcut the struggle, avoid the overwhelm, and finally start making real progress.

I’ve packaged everything you need into a 30-day program designed to help you master video editing, build a killer portfolio, and land your first paying clients.

The pre-sell is now open. If you’re ready to take the first step, check it out here and start your journey toward a successful editing career.

Click here to access the 30-Days to $1,000 Roadmap and start your journey now.

Hope this helps,

Mantu