How to Write a Book: Part Five
- Stephanie Partridge
- Sep 15, 2021
- 5 min read
Professional editing: knowing what to look for and what you need.
Before you're ready for professional editing, be sure you've done your part to prepare your manuscript. Here's where to begin:
How to Write a Book: Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four
No Short Cuts
There may be someone out there that is able to write a perfect, polished book without a second set of eyes on it, but I will assume that you are not one of those people. If you've had several beta readers, made corrections, and polished the book to the best of your ability, it is now time for a professional. If you ask any author where you should spend your money in making a book it will be in two places: professional editing and a professional cover. There is no going around it if you want a well-done, polished book. There are different categories of editing offered by professionals. If you have gone through at least a few phases of beta readers, you will likely not need an editor for each of these. It is important to know what kind of edit you need before approaching an editor so that you will maximize what you are paying for and minimize their time spent weeding through layers of editing needs.
Different "types" of editing (hehe, I'm punny)
Developmental Editing:
This is considered "big picture" editing. This type of editing is important to your book, but several beta readers fill this need if done well. A developmental editor will read what you give them and let you know how your "voice" is, character strength, plotline weaknesses, writing organization, and pacing. This editor will NOT tell you if something is misspelled or if your formatting is weird. When I rewrote a huge part of my book after some negative responses from some beta readers, I was feeling unconfident in my ability to write well, so I hired a well-known development editor to take a look at my first 20 pages of rewrites. She spent a week reviewing it. I spent $50 for her time, and she sent me back a handful of notes and a few suggestions for improvement. I don't think that having this development editing was essential. Nothing she said was groundbreaking and likely would have been picked up by a beta reader, but I was glad to have the peace of mind that a prestigious editor not only liked my adjustments, but she gave me encouragement that I knew what I was doing. I needed to hear it so I could move forward.
Line Editing:
Think of this as your editing for flow, voice, and clarity. A line editor will go through sentence by sentence to ensure your thoughts are clearly conveyed, your voice is consistent and heard, and sentences flow well together. A line editor may suggest moving sentences around, rewriting sections, or clarifying a thought. This edit will take your writing to the next level where your voice will shine through your work.
Copy Editing:
Think of this as your essential proofreading by your English teacher in high school or college. A copy editor will go through the text with a magnifying glass (okay, not really, but you get the picture) and point out misspelled words, grammar errors, punctuation changes, and any other mechanical error. Copy editing is your final polish before your book is ready to be formatted for publishing and the most essential editing if you are only choosing one type of edit. No matter how many spell checks you do on your computer you NEED a copy edit of your book!
Some professional editing companies offer more editing services, but the above listed are the most common. If you feel uncomfortable getting several beta readers and just want to pay the price for a professional to edit your book, be prepared for the price tag. I researched several big editing companies. Their editing service packages ranged from $300-$4500. Yes, you read that correctly. There is a WIDE range of editing services offered-including ghostwriting. After the initial sticker shock, I decided that I didn't want to spend that much money on editing, which is why I opted for more beta readers. I had eleven volunteer beta readers total and I feel that their assessments and notes were just as good as hiring a single editor for $$$. When I completed self-editing and beta reader editing I searched for a reasonable editor in my budget that could provide a quality, detailed copy and line edit.
How to find an editor right for you
Ask everyone you know:
Along with Aunt Lucy who loved editing all your Jr. High papers, and that guy down the street that could use a few dollars, you may also find out that your old friend knows a college English professor that does editing on the side. (This is how I found my amazing editor.) Just weed through the unqualified to find the perfect editor gem among the referrals. It never hurts to ask for qualifications. If someone unqualified wants to edit- you could ask them to be a beta reader or maybe even offer them a set amount to edit the book for you, knowing it will not be your final edit. Offering $25-$50 may be reasonable depending on their credentials, but I would save your money for a professional.
Utilize Upwork, Freelancer, or online message boards.
I haven't been on Freelancer, but I have worked as a ghostwriter on Upwork for some time now. You can find great editors through Upwork's freelance hires. Just be sure to look at people's reviews before hiring the first person you come across. Once you've finished your book, now is a great time to start rubbing shoulders with other authors, if you haven't already. Go online and search for author groups in your area, find online groups with your genre, and ask around there. You will get verified reviews on editors and what to expect. Word of mouth is your friend on this one.
Before I found my editor, there were a couple of editors on Upwork who had bios I connected with. I reached out to both of them to get more information and a cost quote. One of them was booked out for the next 5 months, so that didn't happen. The other took a quick look at my book and declined to edit it because of the Christian references, which she didn't feel comfortable addressing (being agnostic). Do your research and find an editor that fits your needs, your personality, and your genre. There are a lot of editors out there, so it's okay to be picky.
My editor Bonnie, from Bonnie's Writing Center, was the perfect editor for me. She does freelance editing and focused her edits on copy and line editing, which was exactly what I needed. She didn't have the overhead fees that big editing companies have, so her prices were very affordable.
Once you've found your editor, send them your manuscript. You might think it's time to sit back and relax, but not so much.
There is plenty to do while you are waiting for the manuscript to return with edits. In the next installment of posts (Preparing a Book for Publishing) I will talk about cover art, book blurb, and query letters.
#Howtowriteabook #howtoselfpublish #howtopublish #howtobeanauthor #author #amazonauthor #amazonbestseller #writingabook #writinghelps #publishinghelps
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