Working with Editors Made Easy (Part 1)
Posted on 30 November 2009 by Karen Risch
Do you need an editor?
Oh, yes you do. It doesn’t matter how great a writer you are, an editor is crucial—even publishers’ in-house editors agree that independent editing has a place on nearly every project.
First of all, errors are a natural by-product of the creative process. You’ve probably seen typos that made it to print, much to the distraction or amusement of readers. And even the most eloquent of prose masters mess up, stopping short of driving home their point or going on at length about something nobody cares about. An editor can spot that. Call you on it. Help you fix it.
Think of editors as the readers’ advocate, helping to cull anything that might cause sneering, scanning (as in, “get to the good part!”), or desertion. This is true whether we’re talking about a magazine article, a book proposal, or a manuscript prepared for submission to a publishing house.
Good editing is so much more than hunting down the elusive typo and hacking up sentences. It can range from creative input at the earliest stages of development to putting the finishing touches on a completed manuscript. At what cost? Working arrangements and fee structures are as varied as the individuals involved, so it depends. However, you can estimate that professional services will range from $25 (proofreading) to $150 or more (ghostwriting) per hour, depending on the level of editing required and your editor’s experience.
You’ll find that most professionals specialize in a particular type of editing, sticking primarily with copyediting, which is governed by a set of editorial guidelines, or doing developmental work, which deals more with structure and expression. As for me, I like to get my hands dirty, put my fingers in the inkpot, so to speak. In the last month, I’ve edited a math book (reorganizing and refining the author’s text, writing chapter titles, commissioning some illustrations) and completed a book proposal I wrote in collaboration with my author-client. Those were at the high end of the fee structure, although I do still occasionally take on copyediting work if the manuscript is a juicy read.
A couple of good sources for freelance editors are Elance and Guru, although personal referral is your best bet. Seek an editor who “gets” you, can offer client-references you respect, and will deliver a detailed cost and time estimate that describes exactly the service you’ll receive.
We’ll continue this in future posts. For now, if you find any errors in this one, I’ll send you our special report, “Make It a No-Brainer for Agents and Publishers to Say Yes!” It’s usually $14.95, so if you find something, you score.
Only true errors count, though, folks. Please don’t send me comments about how I ended a sentence with a preposition or started with a conjunction or anything like that; I’ve taken some license, writing in a conversational tone. It’s one of the perks of having spent years learning then enforcing the appropriate use of semicolons and that versus which. 
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2 responses to Working with Editors Made Easy (Part 1)
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I have had a very bizarre non-fiction memoir written and want to publish a hard bound book before they become obsolete!! I wish to have someone collaborate with me on the book of roughly 210 pages.
Please contact me.
Oh, and “Belle” is not my real name, but need this for protecting others. I also like it because it is part of my favorite Aunt’s name.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Best wishes,
Patricia
Patricia, you’re welcome to email us privately to provide your phone number so that we can call you to see if we can be of service in some way. Use the “Expert Advice on Your Book” link above.