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.
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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

I've been looking forward to this one for a while. Tessa Dare is an auto buy, and even if she wasn't, look at this description:

They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he's just the beast next door.

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.

Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.

When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .

Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.

Not if he ruins her first.

It sounds AMAZING. I am personally a sucker for both wagers and wallflowers, but then to throw in a goat and a hedgehog? Take my money.

What book are you looking forward to reading this week?

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Rejections can feel very personal. You’ve spent months—maybe years—writing this story, and in one word, your hopes are dashed. Writers always look to the manuscript for reasons why. Was it too long? Did she find your heroine annoying? What if she didn’t even get past the first page? Why are you even bothering to write at all?

But getting a book contract isn’t as simple as an editor liking your book. Here are 7 reasons why your manuscript might get rejected, even if it’s good.

1. They’ve got something similar in the queue

There’s a fine line between a book being similar enough to fit an editor’s tastes and so similar that she already has several just like it on her list. Writing a series about hot California firefighters, for example? She might already have one under contract.

2. They don’t have any spots for your genre

Maybe she likes your book. Maybe it’s original enough to fit on her list. Except . . . she doesn’t have room for another contemporary author. Lists aren’t unlimited—there are a certain number of spots each month, and they can also be broken down by genre. When they’re filled, that’s it.

3. They don’t see a clear way to market it

Publishing is, after all, a business. If an editor doesn’t think she knows how to sell your book, she can’t contract it, no matter how much she loves it. This happens more often with cross-genre books.

4. The editor is having a bad day

Yes, editors are people too. Sometimes we need to read submissions, even though we really aren’t in the mood to read. So a book that might catch our eye on a good day may slip through because we are tired or cranky. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

5. Your book just doesn’t match the editor

Sometimes editors come across books that we know will sell, and will get offers from other publishers, but for some reason or another, it just doesn’t tickle our fancy. Maybe it’s a trope that just tends to annoy that editor.  Sometimes, the editor might pass the manuscript to another editor at her house, but sometimes she’ll reject it, knowing she’s not a good fit.

6. You are nagging for an answer

I don’t say this to scare you. You are allowed to follow up with a manuscript after a reasonable amount of time has passed. But if you are being unnecessarily pushy and breathing down an editor’s neck, her standards for accepting that manuscript are going to be REALLY high. Saying “yes” takes time and effort. Saying “no” is quick and easy.

7. The book might be decent but we’ve heard through the grapevine that you are difficult to work with

Sometimes a book comes across an editor’s desk, and she recognizes the author’s name for all the wrong reasons.  Maybe an editor friend told her the author was months late on her last couple of books (for no real reason). Or perhaps an agent friend told her the author is on her 6th agent this year (which could mean the author is a bit flaky).  The offense has to be pretty egregious to stop an editor from making an offer, but it does happen occasionally.

So before you go deleting half your book after a rejection, remember that it’s not all about the manuscript. Take a deep breath, and then Google “famous rejection stories” for inspiration to keep going.  
 
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 Alice Donovan Rouse on Unsplash

When an editor says the pacing is too slow, what does that mean? New authors often interpret this as “you need to add more plot.” But that’s not always the answer! It can lead to a convoluted plot line and scenes that feel crammed in. It’s better to think of this as “you need more tension.” And there are plenty of ways to add tension without adding plot points.

1.  Adding context details

Have you given the reader enough context about what’s happening in the scene? Specific details can make a mundane action much more interesting.

For instance, say you have a scene where your character is walking from the subway station to her office. In and of itself, that action is rather boring. But maybe throw in that it’s raining, and she couldn’t find her umbrella this morning, so she’s desperately trying to cover her head with her tote bag. Now all of the sudden there is tension, and the plot has stayed exactly the same.

2.  Adding motivations to hook the reader

Making sure the character’s motivation is clear to the reader can keep the tension up. Make sure you communicate why the reader should care.

In our example above, why should the reader care that our MC is getting wet? Maybe our MC has an important meeting that morning and wanted to look polished, but now she’s going to arrive a sopping mess. So now the reader knows her motivation for wanting to arrive at the office dry and tidy, and is a bit more emotionally invested in the outcome of this scene.

3.  Deleting unimportant details

Sometimes the problem isn’t the lack of information, but that you've given the reader too much of it and have overwhelmed them. What comes to mind is long, drawn out descriptions of food. Don’t get me wrong, detailed descriptions are great and really help the reader see a scene, but at a certain point, the details aren’t helping and weigh down the scene instead. Consider snipping any particularly long descriptions.

4.  Deleting unnecessary words

Are you one of those writers who tends to be verbose? Some people naturally use more words to say what they need to say. Sometimes this leisurely sort of writing can be very useful, but other times it's hurting the story. This is probably one of the hardest changes to make yourself, because it involves going in sentence by sentence and deleting words.  But it can yield great results.

5.  Condensing dialogue

Dialogue is one of those things that’s boring if it’s true to life. Shortening dialogue can make your scene move along much more smoothly.
For instance, note this exchange between Adam and Lisa:
“Hi.”
“Hello,” said Lisa.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. You?”                        
“Pretty good. That weather is crazy, huh?” Adam said.

Boring, but probably true to life. In fiction, you want to make the dialogue purposeful. So the exchange should go something like this:

“Hey, Lisa! How are you? This weather is bonkers, isn’t it?” said Adam.
“I’m good, thanks. Try to stay dry out there!” Lisa replied.

The second exchange actually has more words than the first, and yet it feels like it is moving much more quickly, doesn’t it? Keeping exchanges shorter and more concise can help your pacing without adding any action.

So there you go, 5 ways you can fix slow pacing in your manuscript without trying to shoehorn in more action. Happy editing!

Want a pro to take a look at your manuscript? Click here for a list of the editorial services I offer, or contact me at megan@meganrecords.com.
 
 Photo by Pascal van de Vendel on Unsplash
 
 
 
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You need to read your genre before you start writing. Yes, really. This is true whether you plan to publish traditionally or go indie. If you don’t read books in your genre, you are going to have a hard time marketing effectively. You won’t know the general parameters of the genre, and therefore you won’t know when you are stepping outside of the genre. (I am all for risk-taking, but you need to understand that it IS a risk, and not just be making a choice out of ignorance.)

Let’s say you’ve written a contemporary romance, but haven’t ever read one. How do you determine if your book is long enough? How do you know if your story is marketable to romance readers? You might waste a lot of time querying agents and editors who aren’t right for your book, because while you call it a contemporary romance, it might actually be chick lit, or a cozy mystery. If you don’t read, you can’t properly classify it. And since agents and acquiring editors usually specialize, you should make sure you are targeting ones that are right for your book.

“But I’m planning on self-publishing,” you say. “So labels don’t matter.” Okay, how do you know what type of cover you’d like? If you don’t read your genre, you don’t know your market, and are going to have a tough time attempting to reach that market.

If someone said to you, “I’ve never eaten cake before. But I knew it couldn’t be that hard, so I made one. Now I’m going to make tons of money selling them on the internet.” Sound crazy? That’s because it is.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Best to assume you aren’t one of them.

Congrats to all the RITA and Golden Heart nominees! For those not familiar with the contest, the RITAs are like the Oscars of romance publishing. The RITA awards are for published books, and the Golden Hearts are for unpublished manuscripts. It's a real honor and achievement to be nominated.

My TBR pile just got a bit bigger...

For the full list, click here.

I just finished the latest Lisa Kleypas novel, Hello Stranger. Lisa's historicals are auto-buys for me, and this one did not disappoint! Garrett is a fascinating heroine and Ethan is a good match for her. I'm impatiently waiting for West's story--hopefully that one is next.

So what are you reading?