Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: Should You Pay Someone to Edit Your Work?

Having your work edited is essential. There's ...

2011-05-26T18:02:59.243-07:00

Having your work edited is essential. There's no getting around that. That said, the editors making the big bucks (editors who are employed by publishing houses, generally) do their jobs quite poorly. Checking credentials doesn't get you anywhere. Stephenie Meyer's editors have edited a lot of stuff, and have done it poorly.

Instead of checking credentials, you should be evaluating the values of each prospective editor. Determine what he or she loves editing. (I am a fiction editor; I can and will do academic writing, but I hate it.) Do not hire a technical editor to edit your fiction. Seriously. This is where people complain of their pieces losing distinctiveness. Voice is something that technical editors simply do not take into account.

All that said, you need to be responsible for the quality of the piece you submit to an editor. The more you hack at it early, the better the editor will be able to help you. If you're relying on him or her to tell you that your plot doesn't make sense, you're wasting the unique skill set that an editor houses.

A great editor I know gave me this rule of thumb f...

2010-01-05T22:27:41.629-08:00

A great editor I know gave me this rule of thumb for editing: "Don't touch words until the writing is done!"

I think it's important for a writer to know what she really wants or needs the editor to do. Proofreading? Continuity check? Copyedit? Major evaluation of the whole project?

Give a manuscript that does not yet make sense to a person whose specialty is copyediting, and the result is likely to be a fatigued, frustrated editor and a writer who feels he's been taken.

Geez, I wish I'd read this three months and a ...

2009-10-22T21:15:37.828-07:00

Geez, I wish I'd read this three months and a few hundred dollars ago :-) I just discovered this blog when I recently joined an online writing group, and I have to say, this blog is a treasure trove of information and tips!

In fairness, I did learn a lot from the editor I worked with, and combining that learning with my writing group's critiques and a course I'm taking on writing, I guess I'm a bit more confident now to self-edit before sending my MS to an agent.

Can anyone who has used iUniverse please reply. Th...

2009-10-08T13:59:33.722-07:00

Can anyone who has used iUniverse please reply. They sound genuine, I've seen their books, Lisa Genova's Still Alice was one of theirs that migrated to Simon & Schuster. They use Harper Collins and other publishers editing professionals, so does anyone here that's used them, think they are a good alternative to us newbies?

Here are some directories where you can search for...

2009-10-08T13:40:06.598-07:00

Here are some directories where you can search for professional editors:

Bookbuilders of Boston

Editorial Freelancers Association

Editors' Association of Canada

Northwest Independent Editors Guild

Society for Editors and Proofreaders (UK)

Society of Editors (NSW) Inc. (Australia)

Directory of CE-L Freelancers (these are copyeditors from around the world who subscribe to the Copyediting-L e-mail discussion list)

That is definitely good to know--it seems like the...

2009-10-07T12:38:59.414-07:00

That is definitely good to know--it seems like the little buggers always find ways to crop up somewhere!

Ricki Schultz
www.rickischultz.com

Ricki- Nope, I really don't care about typos....

2009-10-07T12:27:57.566-07:00

Ricki-

Nope, I really don't care about typos. Rampant errors that aren't actually typos are problematic, but not your run of the mill typo. That's what copyeditors are for.

Agents don't care about typos? Really?? I do...

2009-10-07T12:20:13.372-07:00

Agents don't care about typos? Really??

I don't think enough people really understand/care about/take the time to use proper grammar/formatting.

I have critiqued manuscripts of people who have thought they proofread...and, yeah, they hadn't. Or if they had, they needed seriously help because they weren't familiar enough with the rules.

I mean, of course there are going to be typos--that's just an annoying fact. However, make sure you've proofread the hell out of your manuscript before you send it...

...and if you don't really know much about grammar, you might want to consider hiring someone to take a look-see because, chances are, it's a big old grammatical mess.

And agents WILL care about that.

Ricki Schultz
www.rickischultz.com

Another freelance editor weighing in: Great advice...

2009-10-07T10:09:40.641-07:00

Another freelance editor weighing in:
Great advice, Nathan. Like Nathan, I would not recommend hiring an editor to copyedit or proofread unless an agent has told you they love your book but you need help with the mechanics before they sell it (unless you're self-publishing, which is a whole different ball game w/a whole different set of goals and expectations). Having said that, as Nathan pointed out, don't EVER hire an editor who gives a kickback to the person who recommended him/her. That's not a true recommendation; that's a scam. A talented freelance editor can provide a great service if you have been unable to click with a good, constructive writers' or critique group. I don't take on every potential client who comes to me, and I always read at least 30 pages and provide some feedback and have an in-depth phone discussion with the author about expectations and goals for the editing before any money ever changes hands.

For those considering hiring an editor, the Editorial Freelancers Assoc. (www.the-efa.org) has a member directory where you can check out freelancers who have worked with presses and/or authors you admire.

Word of mouth is very important when deciding on a...

2009-10-07T03:34:50.203-07:00

Word of mouth is very important when deciding on a professional editor. Don't be frightened to ask LOADS of questions. After all it is your money and you need to make sure you will be getting value.

I would also add that there is a lot of difference between a reader's report and an in depth line edit. The first will be cheaper but will only give you an general overview. The second, though more expensive, will provide much more detail and specific feedback.

My experience is that writers often pay for a reader's report thinking they are getting a detailed line edit - beware!

This was so helpful. I was just discussing this ve...

2009-10-06T19:04:36.034-07:00

This was so helpful. I was just discussing this very topic with a friend. Thank you for posting it.

I did consider it once myself, but I found that a ...

2009-10-06T16:47:10.262-07:00

I did consider it once myself, but I found that a critic group was much more useful. At least that way you can get feedback from a variety of different people. Plus there are plenty of free groups you can join.

Thanks! I was told I MUST pay an editor but an aut...

2009-10-06T13:07:01.572-07:00

Thanks! I was told I MUST pay an editor but an author told me to send my manuscript to 5 people I trust and use their feedback. With a background writing for magazines, I am used to editing my own work carefully. Any money would probably be too much right now since the magazines are dropping like flies.

Timely advice Nathan. I’ve had multiple beta read...

2009-10-06T11:34:46.590-07:00

Timely advice Nathan.

I’ve had multiple beta readers from the typical family and friends to published authors and grade school teachers (my ms is YA). I’ve used two critique groups and of course my own multiple read throughs (both silently and out loud). I’ve taken big breaks from it and when I returned I found more things, of course.

After all this I still find rejection and so I’m left to the conclusion that I should try a professional editor. I’ve found one that (after research and some discussion) seems to fit well with me. I’m not waiting and saving for the time to begin with her.

After all that, here is my question; If you have tried the beta and critique routes and you simply can’t tell anymore if it will ever sell, are the only solutions the following…

a) Quit on it for good.

b) Take a big break then go back, again.

c) Try a profession editor to show you WHY it wont sell.

Thanks Nathan.

Nathan (or anyone reading this who knows): You me...

2009-10-06T11:17:01.787-07:00

Nathan (or anyone reading this who knows):

You mentioned scams by editors. What are the scams to watch out for? Is there anything other than being out a LOT of money to be aware of?

The best advise here is too be careful on who you ...

2009-10-06T10:47:58.461-07:00

The best advise here is too be careful on who you trust. My husband and I advanced $750 toward a $1,500 edit through someone we thought was a professional. When we meet her at a conference, she was an editor for a large house. After seeing her at different events, and out novel being "in consideration" at her house...she eventually said she thought the manuscripted needed professional editting. We saw her at conferences for the following two years. She remembered us and still talked about the novel. We were thrilled. At the last conference we saw, she said she was leaving the publishing house and openning her own business as an editor. She said she believed in our work. Well, we believed in her. Now, a year and half later...no edits, no return money, and we can't find her. It is heartbreaking. So, learn from this blog, and from my story, even if you think you have the research for a private editor...be careful. Please...

I have beta readers who read all my manuscripts af...

2009-10-06T08:37:15.983-07:00

I have beta readers who read all my manuscripts after first draft and now a very hands-on agent who helps with revision and editing, but I was so nervous about the sequel to my first book (and at the time un-agented) that I used a freelance editor. The experience was well-worth the expense. She had great references, had worked as an agent in a well-regarded NYC agency, and gave me in-depth written notes and suggestions for revision and a line edit. She charged either a flat fee or a per page fee. I opted for the flat fee.

Personally, I think one should be able to do their...

2009-10-06T07:27:23.575-07:00

Personally, I think one should be able to do their own copy-edits, but it's great to have feedback on story arch, character development, structure and if you're taking the reader to the place you planned to take them.

I find most of this in a good beta reader.

I think I would consider hiring an editor for a non-fiction book, not sure about a novel. I've ghost written and edited NF before and I like to think I was very helpful.

The suggestions about finding an editor are really...

2009-10-06T07:11:04.316-07:00

The suggestions about finding an editor are really on point. I'm working with a freelance editor at the recommendation of a few friends, but I put a lot of thought in to what I hoped to achieve before plunking down a couple hundred dollars. I can tell from the first few edits that I'm getting my money's worth.

funny one of these names (KH)reminded me of someon...

2009-10-06T06:54:31.488-07:00

funny one of these names (KH)reminded me of someone I grew up with. Sadly post-teen hormones and confusion destroyed a long distance friendship.
The stupid things you do when you have nobody close to love.

I'll never know if they forgave me for being a jerk, well that was 21 years ago.

Back to topic, its pretty obvious my current job won't support my writing efforts if editing costs this much. I'll continue writing, I have to, just finding a reputable publisher that believes in me is pretty hard.

Both your post, Nathan, and the comments are very ...

2009-10-06T06:40:46.075-07:00

Both your post, Nathan, and the comments are very helpful.

Thanks.

Well said, Dick.

2009-10-06T06:35:13.916-07:00

Well said, Dick.

Okay, time to fess up. All us editors belong to th...

2009-10-06T06:09:28.916-07:00

Okay, time to fess up. All us editors belong to this worldwide cabal, see? And if you've had a bad experience with one editor, you should never ever talk with another one, cuz we're all uniformly evil and incompetent and want to suck you writers dry and cast you aside like crawdad shells or gum wrappers or something cuz that's going to work to our advantage somehow.

Folks, if you've had a bad experience with one editor, including spending more than you should have, you made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. Buck up and move on. But don't shoot yourself in the foot. For those of you who really don't need an editor, great! More power to you. For those who do, how does refusing to work with one advance your career exactly?

I just went through the process of interviewing fr...

2009-10-06T06:01:40.081-07:00

I just went through the process of interviewing freelance editors for a "developmental" editor. The pricing ranged from $550 to $5000, with experience varying wildly, too - and it wasn't the one with the least experience who was the least expensive. I also asked for references. It was the best way to determine the value, and personality of the editor for a fit for me. Ultimately the editor I chose had the best references, the best style that fit my needs, and was still a good value. Above all, I felt she was going to bring years of publishing and editing experience to her evaluation, with the goal to make a more marketable book.

I once paid an editor who was a good friend of a g...

2009-10-06T05:48:44.006-07:00

I once paid an editor who was a good friend of a good friend, and therefore didn't do enough homework on exactly what I would be getting from her--I just figured that my friend was a good person, so this editor must be too, and would give me my money's worth. Well, $750 later, I got my manuscript back with a lot of praise (OK, that was nice), a handful of pretty minor copyedits (things I would probably have fixed on my own eventually) and a recommendation to submit my 30,000+ word manuscript from an unknown writer (me) to the New Yorker, because this editor had read a series of articles they once published on a similar topic. Um, okaaaaayyyy. That's the last time I'll pay someone to review my manuscript. I've gotten much better help and advice just by sending it out and getting feedback from a few people who saw enough potential in it to give me a few words of wisdom.