Today’s guest post is from fellow writer and editor Jeremy Menefee.
So, how do you pick an editor? There are so many options, and we’re all (rightfully) afraid of getting ripped off. I know quite a few writers who have wasted their time and money, sometimes crippling their ability to properly publish their baby.
Remember that most authors end up having an ongoing business relationship with their editor, or even may have a list of editors they use regularly—usually the choice for editor on a given manuscript will depend on the editorial voice they want for it. (Yes, editors have a “voice,” just like writers do.) I had one editor I used for two decades…
This means that you need to be careful and deliberate when finding a new editor. Here’s a checklist you can use to ensure an editor is the right choice for you:
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Are they familiar with the novel’s genre? How many books in the genre have they edited? There are things a genre’s readers will expect to see, and you want an editor who is familiar enough with your genre that they can identify those things, to ensure they get left in (or identify if something vital is missing).
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How long have they been an editor? How long, in fiction? Just because they spent most of their career editing marketing materials doesn’t mean they can’t do a damn fine job editing a novel, but most other writing categories use AP style, while novels don’t. You want some experience with fiction and with your genre.
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Do they have a professional-looking website? Do they have other social media channels? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker if they don’t, but reviewing their web site, Facebook Page, LinkedIn profile, and so on can tell you a lot about whether they’re being honest with you about their experience level, and if those are riddled with typos, you know you don’t want to work with them. (One typo is okay, they happen, but any more than that is a huge red flag against using their services.) You can also see what other real people are saying about them, including clients — and you can contact them, which leads us to…
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Can they provide prior clients willing to be a professional reference? Are any of them in your genre? You want an editor who can provide at least a couple people, real human beings, who have used their services. These people can tell you what the editor’s process is like, whether they were timely, and how happy they were with the editor’s services. And of course, at least one of those should be someone who writes in your genre, as a confirmation that the editor has experience with it.
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What rates do they charge? Are they comparable to other professional editors’ rates? Believe me, you do not want to hire a cut-rate editor. If they have to charge a really low rate, it’s because they can’t get more, not because they have hearts of gold. At the same time, one who charges more than market rates could be a scammer—they’re greedy, so scammers are far more likely to overcharge than undercharge. Of course, this means you’ll need to research what the going rates are for editors in your genre. Don’t just use Facebook groups — you’ll get a lot of amateurs talking about ridiculously low rates, either because they are fly-by-night editors trying to get your business or because they’re authors who have no idea what actual professional editors charge.
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Can they provide editing samples? This one is really important, not just to confirm they’re legit. Those samples will also reveal a lot about the editor’s process, such as whether they use “track changes” properly, and whether they add comments explaining the kinds of changes they’re making and whether a change is a correction or just a suggestion.
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Do you like their editorial voice? If you don’t like the changes they’ve made in the sample, they may not be a good editor for you, even if they’re good. Like I said above, this is likely to be a long-term professional relationship, maybe even a friendship, and if you don’t like their style, why hire them?
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Is their tone the right one for you? Same as above, you want to make sure the two of you are compatible. For example, my style is very clinical, and while many people love that, some people prefer an editor who handles their golden words and their egos gently. Others want their editor to point out what they liked or disliked, and want a judgmental editor. Make sure their style is a good fit for you!
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Will they edit a random chapter as a sample? Keep in mind that most real professionals know their web site and other platforms, and their existing editing samples, are plenty of proof. This sample is not really about proving their skill. Rather, it gives you a chance to work with them for a small investment, to make sure they’re timely and to test whether you’ll like working with them—before you invest even more money on editing the entire novel.
I understand this sounds like a lot of effort on your part—and it is!—but all that time and effort is an investment. Your book is your baby, your heart and soul, and it’s worth the effort to make sure they’ll handle your book properly and that you can get along well with them.
I hope this helps!
To visit Jeremy’s FB page CLICK HERE
or his website CLICK HERE
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