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| from indiepublications.com |
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of speaking with a
group of emerging and published writers at an event hosted by Adventures by the Book in San Diego. Among the many smart questions posed by the authors in
attendance was one about how authors can make sure they’re working with a
top-notch editor.
Here, several items to consider before signing on with an editor:
Check credentials:
Editors on staff with reputable publishing companies have been vetted, but if
you’re hiring a freelance editor or paying an author services company for
editorial services, be sure to ask about the qualifications of the person who’ll
be editing your work. In emails received from people soliciting editorial work,
I’ve found punctuation mistakes and grammatical errors. Among freelance editors
hired by small publishers, I’ve come across those who don’t know the difference
between proofreading and line editing. A degree in English isn’t enough to
qualify someone as a freelance editor. A good editor should have experience in
all types of editing—developmental, line edits, and proofreading. Ideally, she
should also have publishing experience, and she should provide client
references. She should use a stylebook appropriate for the type of writing you’re
doing (Chicago Manual of Style for most
trade publications) and she should be able to explain the reason for every
suggested change. “A comma sounds right” isn’t a reason—there are grammatical
rules that apply in every situation.
Make sure the editor
works in stages: If you’re working with a legacy publisher, editorial work
will progress in phases. If you’re hiring editorial assistance before
submitting or publishing, there’s no sense spending a lot of money on
proofreading when the big parts of the book—plot, character, structure,
pacing—aren’t yet what they need to be. Likewise, when it’s time for
proofreading, you don’t want a bunch of line edits that change the style of
your narrative. Developmental editing should come first, followed by line
edits, and then proofreading. If you’re considering an editor who doesn’t seem
to understand these distinctions, keep looking.
Beware editors who change
your style: A good editor understands that it’s always your project. She
asks about—and pays attention to—the specific area in which you’d like help,
and she works to refine your style without changing it into her own. If you’re
hiring an editor, ask for a brief sample edit to make sure the editor’s work is
done to your standards and expectations. To prospective clients, I offer a
ten-minute sample.
Budget realistically:
With legacy publishing, the percentage that goes to your agent and
publisher helps to offset the cost of their editorial assistance. If you’re
paying for editorial assistance on your own, you’ll need to budget at least 2.5
cents per word, or $50 per hour, for developmental editing and line edits. For proofreading
(also called copyediting), expect to pay 2 cents a word, or $35 per hour. For
my clients, I offer to bill either by the hour or by the word—whichever is cheaper.
From my sample edits, I extrapolate the cost of projects if billed by the
hour—because I’ve been editing for years, my hourly rate is usually
substantially cheaper than the per-word rate.
Get it in writing:
Regardless of how they’re paid, good editors will explain clearly, in writing,
how their work will proceed. In either an email exchange or a formal agreement,
they’ll cover the scope of the project, timelines, and any costs that will be
incurred.