“Editing might be a bloody trade, but knives aren’t the exclusive property of butchers. Surgeons use them too.” – Blake Morrison
If a novel that was published without any editing exists in the marketplace, it could only have been self-published and you can guarantee that it probably wasn’t a good idea in hindsight. That isn’t a dig at self-publishing (or authors who chose to self-publish), but purely a way of pointing out that editing is one of the most important aspects of the novel writing process.
Self-published authors can choose to self-edit or seek out professional help (for their editing and other issues that may arise from writing), and there aren’t many writers or publishing industry experts that won’t highlight the importance of outsourcing your editing, at least after you have finished with your own proofreading and editing.
Why You DEFINITELY Need to Hire an Editor
Simply put: Sometimes a writer is the worst judge of their own work. You had the idea, you outlined the plot and you knuckled down and finished the first drafts (and subsequent edited drafts), but this is the point where it pays to get a second set of eyes on the project: Someone with the experience and who understands the genre you are writing in, so that they can help steer your writing towards the readers of that market and give your novel the best chance of success.
Without an editor, writers can often become too precious with their work, meaning that characters, sentences and sometimes entire chapters that could (and probably should) be cut from the novel for the good of the story are kept in simply because the writer is in love with them and their own work, to the detriment of their novel.
Editors will take your work and give it a cold read – which means they will read it as a reader as well as a professional editor and writer. They will not have an emotional connection to the piece, which means they can be constructive and often brutal with their assessment and editing process. It can be a difficult process for some writers, but ultimately their novel will benefit as a result of ruthless editing from an outside source.
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How Do You Find an Editor?
There are a variety of ways to find an editor, including:
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Social Media Search – Use a variation of terms on the search boxes of Twitter and Facebook (and others) and actively seek out editors on SM – Follow them, ask them questions and Tweet out that you’re looking for an editor and see if that reels them in.
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Google Search – Google (and the other search engines) are a great way to find editors. Simply search for “Freelance Book Editors”, “Book Editing Services” or include “self-publishing” in the search so that you get editors with self-publishing knowledge and experience. It could play a huge part in making your decision on which editor to go with.
Here is what comes up when you conduct a Twitter search for professional book editing:
Here is what comes up when you conduct a Google search for professional book editing:
Some of the leading publishing and writing blogs and websites have professional editing services, so definitely check them out. SelfPublishingReview.com has book editing services from $299, and Publishers Weekly has a great article on finding an editor which includes a variety of links to professional editing services.
What Credentials Should You Look for in an Editor?
The first credential you should look for – and the most important – is experience. Experience isn’t having read a lot of books and knowing the difference between your and you’re, it is having years of professional editing experience with reputable publishing houses, with a CV full of impressive experience in the editing field. Without this, you’re just another reader with an opinion, and the difference between that and an experienced editor is huge.
Experience is one thing, but passion is another. When you meet an editor (or talk to them over the phone), you need to feel their passion for the project, and it’s your responsibility to project that passion onto them with your description of your novel and your plans for it. You have to make the editor feel like this project means the world to you so that they treat it like it’s your life’s work and not just a hobby (even if it is).
Relevance is another key credential, and ties in nicely with passion. An editor with sci-fi novel editing experience is likely to want to get a piece of your trilogy of science fiction epics, and you will both benefit from the experience. You as the writer will get a solid assessment of your work from someone who knows the genre, and the editor will enjoy reading your novel and get a kick out of editing it and giving suggestions.
It may not be as fun as the other credentials, but it is also important to know what their pay level is. Can you afford them? Are their prices clear on their website? Has your correspondence led to an agreement on the total price? These questions need to be answered so both you and your editor know where you stand when it comes to the price. It makes a huge difference to the working relationship and can lead to stress and tension if one party doesn’t know where they stand on the issue.
Always Remember…
Professional editors are not out to make a quick buck at the expense of your novel. They want to make it better, and it’s up to you, the author, as to whether you make the changes proposed to you or you decide to ignore them and go your own way, to paraphrase Fleetwood Mac. It is important to understand that the writer-editor relationship has to be a healthy one, because it is your novel that is going to suffer if the partnership isn’t working.
If your novel is going to improve going forward, the writer and the editor should be on the same page and be able to discuss anything that works and doesn’t work at any stage of the process. That is why choosing the right editor is essential. Choose wisely and let your novel rock!
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