Once you’re done writing your book it’s time to do what most, if not all of us hate to do. Rewrite it, edit it, then rewrite it again.
Your manuscript won’t be “ready” to submit to agents or publishers until this has been done and you’re satisfied that what you’ve written is as good as you can possibly make it. That is to say, “as good” as you think it can be. There are 2 classes of editor out there that you will probably face who will think different.
One class is the editor that you hire to get a really good polish on it and to format it “just right.” The second class is the editor who works for the agent or publisher who will tell you how to change it so that it will sell.
Of course all of this assumes that you’re going to attempt to land a traditional agent or publisher rather than go down the self-publishing path.
Finding an editor is not as simple as “putting out the word” that you are looking for one. They are selling a valuable skill that is worth the money they charge. But again, you shouldn’t just “go out and hire one.”
To state the obvious, you’re going to hire someone to work on something you’ve put a lot of time, work and emotion into. This should suggest to you that you need to get someone you can communicate and work with. Those two concepts “Communicate with” and Work with” are critical to the best possible final product.
The thing you must never forget is that the book is yours, not the editors. Your work should result in a story that moves along in the smooth, entertaining and informative way that you intended. This is why being able to communicate and work with someone is so important. That book is “your baby.”
So, how do you pick one? I submit that research is the first step.
Just google book editors and you’ll be buried with hits. There are thousands of them out there. Obviously you need to narrow the list down. Easier said than done. So how should you do it?
There are a lot of ways to do that and the method that will work best for you is up to you. My method is a practical and logical one.
First, I wanted someone who is in my geographic region. I happen to live in Maine, the upper Northeast part of the U.S.A. So I didn’t want to work with someone in Australia or South Africa. Nothing against editors in those places, I’m sure they’re good. I just want to work with someone “in my area.” My book is set in this region so to me it’s only logical to get an editor who lives and works around here for that “I’ve been in that particular location, so why don’t you consider rewriting it to include this or that…” type of input. That input adds a bit more realism to what is a fictional murder.
Next, I looked at editors who edit books in my genre. I write murder mysteries, so I looked for someone who has worked with that genre of books. I followed that by checking to see if any of the books they’d edited had gone on to be published. This last is an indicator of workability judgement and skill not to mention their success rate, To me that suggests my final product will have a better chance of selling because I worked with them. .
The last thing I checked on is prices. What do editors charge?
The following is from someone who does multimedia editing and edits manuscripts “on the side.” The person has not edited any manuscripts that went on to be published books, fiction or nonfiction.
“As for the manuscript work I do, it depends on the project. I typically charge by the hour if the object is to read a manuscript and offer overall guidance for structuring, narrative arc, plot, character development, etc. If I get down and dirty with a line edit, most clients prefer to settle on a flat rate, half of which is paid in advance, half upon delivery of the edit. My hourly rate, depending on how heavy the lifting is, ranges from $75/hour to $115/hour. I'm a fast reader, though.”
As a retiree, those prices are a bit daunting to me especially in view of the lack of this editors experience in my genre and any published success.
Another editor I contacted replied as follows:
“I charge $50 an hour for editing whether it is copy editing for grammatical issues or content editing for structural issues like gaps in the storyline, character inconsistencies, and such. I highly recommend a good edit on the book. I have not worked on a murder mystery before, but I have read many of them. I know a good story and I know when there are holes in it or when it needs to be expanded to give the reader a fuller view or more information.
I also do the book layout and the cover design and I can talk you through the cover design so that you can see it in your mind. I would also present the cover to several people for an objective view to confirm that it would be appealing to a wide audience and be competitive in the marketplace. I've designed many book covers for all kinds of authors.”
This editor is slightly less expensive than the first editor and offers a bit more into the bargain, such as book cover etc. But again, the editor not only has no experience with murder mysteries, but has no edits to her credit in any genre that went on to be published.
The third editor I spoke with was priced similarly to the two noted above and added in a model query letter, synopsis and listing of potential agents or publishers to query. If he does editing he would charge either 8¢ or 10¢ per word or, if I wished I could turn the manuscript over to him and he’d do a “Ghost write” for roughly $45,000 with half paid up front and the other half done upon completion. Like the other editors, this editor had no edits he’d worked on that had gone on to be published.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Editors are expensive and you need to pick one with some sort of success rate, has experience in your genre and that you can work with.
As you ponder the foregoing I’d suggest that you keep a few things in Mind. First, relate the pricing you are quoted and hourly/flat rate structure to the length of your book.
My first manuscript has 88,000 words. Even a $50 an hour rate or 8¢ per word rate gets pretty darn expensive. Estimates on editing my manuscript ran between $7,000 and $9,000 with time frames varying between one month to one and a half months from start to finish.
Also, if you’re going to try for a traditional publishing contract, remember that the work will result in a manuscript that you will be submitting to agents or publishers. This is not a “finished product” to them. It’s a manuscript that will interest them enough to make you an offer, then turn you over to one of their own editors to make it “more marketable.”
The big difference between working with an editor you hire and an agents editor is that you aren’t paying the agents editor to work with you, but the end result should get you a full return on the money you laid out on your own editor when the book gets published and starts selling.
OF course, if you self-publish your book, then you need only take the next logical step (after the edit is done) of researching how books like yours sell and how many books you need to sell to recover that editorial investment.
Yes, it’s all about the money. I’ve never found an editor willing to work on commission pending a manuscripts sales.
Are editors worth the money? You bet they are. In a lot of ways editing is the way to go if you want to be sure you get paid for your work. No money, no editing.
This is why you should choose someone you can communicate with, work with and who is in your geographic regional preference with experience in your genre and that all-important record of success.
So, I suggest you start with research, then emailing and speaking with them by phone or in person. This will be your best guidance. Trust your guts. Remember, if you’re writing the check, you’re in charge.
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