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FINDING YOUR EDITOR
by Elizabeth Cole
No matter how you
publish, you should make your book the very best it can be. If you work with a
traditional publisher, you’ll be assigned to one of the editors on staff. Easy
peasy. What if you’re going indie? There are several ways to go about finding an
editor.
You can Google
“freelance editor.” I don’t recommend that route, just because it’s like buying
a lottery ticket. Could be great. Probably not, though.
You can ask other
writers who they use, which is a better option! RWA and other writers’ groups
have discussion groups on this topic. In addition, ask indie authors whose
books you admire who they use. You’ll know when you hit on a likely prospect,
because authors happy with their editors won’t shut up about how great they
are.
Or, you can tap into
a professional network—it doesn’t have to be a fiction writers network! I
happen to know plenty of people who work on publishing games and tie-in
material (including novels). So most editors I’ve worked with started out
editing in the RPG world, for both indie games and “big” game companies. One
benefit: everyone knew everyone else’s reputation—I had a good sense going in
which editors were reliable. Depending on the type of writing you do, one
editorial style might be better for you, but remember that lots of editors
cross over and work in multiple fields.
So, once you do that research, you should have a few
names. What’s next?
Professional editors
know that you need to shop around. A quality editor will be willing to do a
sample pass on a small piece of writing—usually a few pages—at no charge or a
very small fee. This is good for them because they can see the quality of your
writing, and it’s good for you because you’ll see what sort things the editor
reads for. Study these samples carefully. The feedback should be critical, yet
honest, and above all helpful.
And keep in mind:
send the same (or a very similar) sample to all your potential editors. Not
only is this the most scientific way to evaluate their work, it’s fairest to
the editors.
A few years ago, I
was a newbie, and I auditioned editors. Here’s how it went down:
·
Editor
A gave me a fantastic bird’s eye view of the sample’s arc and how to improve
it, but had virtually zero comments on things like word choice,
characterization, or plot consistency issues. She also used phrases like falling
action, which I barely remembered from college English. So I knew that she
was not a good fit for me. She remains a smart, careful reader who clearly
knows her stuff, but our working styles were too different. Red flag.
·
Editor
B would have been an amazing proofreader. Every typo was caught—even one I must
have overlooked 20 times. Yet he didn’t seem to care very much about the
grander plan. He didn’t ask questions about what I was going for in terms of
mood or tone, and he didn’t appear too interested in my writing in general.
That’s a red flag.
·
Editor
C returned the sample to me with a “this looks OK.” Red flag.
I knew that it
wouldn’t be easy to find someone who I could work with, but this was harder
than I thought.
Going to my circle of
gamer contacts, I got the name of another editor. She returned my sample with
amazing feedback and notes. She was interested in my future writing as well as
the current project, asked smart questions about my new publishing company, and
understood that this would (ideally) be a long-term gig.
So I hired her. I was
lucky. She was a freelance RPG editor just transitioning into editing fiction
as well. I was one of her first fiction clients. And that’s another lesson.
Experience is great, but skills are skills. If you find a great editor, don’t
worry if they don’t necessarily have the credentials you might expect.
Now, some crass money
talk.
Professional means
paid. The rates that different editors charge will vary a lot. It’s based on
their location, their experience, and their workload. In general, expect to pay
more for more complex editing. A proofreader may cost as little as 1 cent/word.
A developmental editor may start at 3 or 5 cents/word or go much higher,
depending on who they are and what the project is.
The good news is that
many editors are flexible. They may negotiate a flat fee that works for both of
you, many will let you pay in installments, and some may even work for a
percentage of the sales. No matter what, remember that you get what you pay
for.
Now, I leave you with
these thoughts:
·
Be
patient in your search and don’t settle for a mediocre job.
·
An
editor can be great while not being a great fit for you.
·
Editors
are professionals. Be prepared to pay professional rates.
An editor is neither
a slave nor a genie. They’re part of your team, ready to make your work the
best it can be!♥
Elizabeth Cole is a romance
author with a penchant for history, which is why she lives in an old house in
an old city. She can be found hanging around libraries and archives, or curled
in a corner reading, cat on lap. She believes in love at first sight. Then
again, she also believes that mac 'n' cheese is a healthy breakfast, so don't
trust her judgment on everything. Find about her new medieval romance, Honor
& Roses, and more at
elizabethcole.co.
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