So you’ve written a book. Congrats! If you don’t already have an established relationship with an editor, hiring one can feel very overwhelming. How do you know who is right for you? And what should the process be like? Let's break it down.

1. Determine what type of edit you need and your timeline.

Do you want comments on story-level issues like character development and pacing? You’re looking for a developmental edit (also referred to as a content or substantive edit). Want someone to clean up your prose, taking out all those pesky repetitions and awkward phrases? That’s a line edit (also sometimes called a copy edit). Just looking for someone to do a final check? That’s a proofread.

Not all editors offer all services, and some have different definitions of each edit, so be sure the edit you need is the one you are going to get.

Also decide whether you’d like the editor’s next available slot, or if you have a specific time frame. Many editors book weeks or months in advance, so you’ll need to make sure your prospective editors can meet your deadline.

2. Determine your budget, and be realistic about who you can hire.

Look, I know ideally you’d get an editor who had worked on hundreds of NYT bestsellers. But that sort of experience isn’t cheap. And it isn’t particularly fair to ask an editor to work for much lower rates just because you can’t afford them or want a deal. (Exception: if you are planning a series, it is not uncommon for editors to offer a discount in such situations.)

Reedsy recently posted a blog about the costs of self-publishing, with a handy table of average costs and a calculator: https://blog.reedsy.com/cost-to-self-publish-a-book/ It’s a good place to start to get an idea of what professional editing costs.

If your budget is similar to the average, great! You can probably hire someone with a decent amount of experience. If it’s much lower, understand that you probably will be looking at editors with less experience. (If it’s higher, lucky you! You can go after that editor with hundreds of NYT bestsellers!)

The “good, fast, cheap” triangle applies here: you can only pick two. If you want it good and fast, it isn’t going to be cheap. If you get it cheap and fast, it probably isn’t going to be good.

3. Find some prospects.

There are lots of places to find editors. Try:

• Asking for recommendations at your local writers’ group.
• Asking on the forums of your genre’s industry group. (For instance, RWA is a national organization for romance.)
• Searching on publishing-centric sites like Booklife (by Publishers Weekly), Mediabistro, or Reedsy.
• Searching on more general freelance sites like Upwork

What should you be looking for? At minimum, look for someone who has experience in your genre at a publisher or agency, or who has professional writing credentials. How much experience and what type of publishers (big NYC one, or small indie) is going to depend on your budget.

4. Do your due diligence.

Run a check on a site like Writer Beware and a general Google search just to make sure nothing egregious comes up. A good editor will generally have an online footprint—LinkedIn, personal website, Twitter/Instagram, etc.

What counts as egregious? Any complaints about work not being done, or possibly if the editor is making disparaging remarks about clients on social media. (This is rare. Editors are professionals. But anyone can call themselves an editor, so you have to weed out those who aren’t professional.)

5. Get quotes and samples.

Some editors list their rates on their websites, others you need to contact for a quote. Ask for quotes and a small sample (5 pages is fair) so you can get a feeling for their work.

From here, it’s going to be about how the sample edit “feels” to you. Do you think the editor’s comments were helpful? Do you feel the editor “gets” your style? Do you like how the editor comes across in your email communications? You need to feel comfortable with your editor in order to get the most out of your collaboration.
 
Now make your choice and get to work!

Want a pro to take a look at your manuscript? Click here for a list of the services I offer, or contact me at megan@meganrecords.com.


Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

“Freelance editor” is a pretty broad term, and there are so many types of freelance editors these days. Some edit videos, some create content for websites, some help shape books. For now, I’ll focus on a developmental book editor (also sometimes called a content editor or substantive editor).

My motto as an editor is "be a coach, not a critic." Editors should cheer you on when you do something good and gently guide you when you get off track.

So here is what a freelance editor does—and a few things they won’t do.

They’ll point out issues with your characters/plot/worldbuilding.
When you are knee deep in a manuscript, it can be really hard for you to see bigger issues. Maybe you know your hero is likeable, but have you made sure the reader sees this on the page?  If you are writing paranormal/fantasy, the magical elements may all make sense to you, but do they make sense to a reader who is picking up your book for the first time? A good editor will point out plot holes, character issues, and other structural elements.

They’ll give you suggestions for fixing these issues.
What good is it if the editor just points out a problem? If it’s a problem you already knew about, then you’ve just wasted a lot of money. A good editor should give suggestions that solve these issues.

They’ll tell you what you are doing right.
A good editor should be able to make encouraging comments about what’s going right with your manuscript. After all, how are you supposed to continue the good things if you don’t know what they are? Also, it can be rough having someone point out problems in your manuscript. Knowing what’s working can give you the motivation to sort out what’s gone wonky.

They’ll respect your voice and intentions.
If you wrote a sweet romance, a good editor will not be trying to get you to add lots of sex scenes (or vice versa). They’ll understand what you are trying to do and help you do it. 

So what doesn’t a freelance editor do?

A freelance editor won’t write/rewrite substantial parts of the book.
Sometimes I get queries that are clearly confusing editors with ghostwriters. When I am doing a line edit, of course I fix errors and smooth out the writing, but I do not (and should not) rewrite entire pages, add scenes, etc.

A freelance editor should never guarantee you will be a bestseller/get an agent/get a book deal.
There are so many factors that influence this—having a good book is a great place to start, but there are no guarantees. If an editor is telling you it’s a certainty, I would be very cautious.
​
Now that you know what a freelance editor does, next week I'll discuss what you should look for when hiring one.
 
Want a pro to take a look at your manuscript? Click here for a list of the services I offer, or contact me at megan@meganrecords.com.

Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash