Before you hire an independent editor

Understand levels of edit

Before you hire an independent editor, know what kind of editor you need. A first draft is not ready for a copy edit.

First consult with a developmental editor who will look at things like structure, flow, and continuity. You may decide to do revisions that would need copy editing again. Why pay for that twice?

Choosing an editor

Once you know what type of editing you need, ask for credentials, examples, and references. Most online websites where you can get creatives cheap do little or no vetting – that’s up to you. A short free example should be offered – look at it, see if it’s what you want and expect for your money. Check The Alliance of Independent Authors watchdog list rating - it won't have every editor listed, but you can avoid any that have been red-flagged.

Before You hire an independent editor:What can you do yourself?

Why pay an editor to do things you can do yourself?

list terms that might slow an edit

This includes foreign language phrases, words requiring an accent, unusual names, terms specific to the topic, etc.

check research sources & quotes

Make a citation list that includes author, title, publisher (and their location), publication date, page numbers used overall in your research and specific pages for any direct quotes. Do this even if it's "just" a quote used in fiction, even if it's a picture book. You need to give credit, whether it's formal footnotes or a bibliography or a note on the copyright page.

While you're making that list, make sure direct quotes are accurate and clearly shown as such - and that you have avoided careless rewording of large tracts of text (aka plagiarizing).

images

You can’t legally just clip and paste from the internet. For every image, list the source, documentation that you've gotten written permission to use it in your book, and how to give credit for it the way the source requires.

While you're going through your images, make sure you've used "insert" to put images on the page. Cut and paste can become an issue later.

How Does Your Publisher Make Money?

How does your publisher make money?

Traditional publishers make their money selling books - that's why they're so picky about what they will publish. Back in the day, vanity publishers made their money from writers paying to have their books printed. In the new market, print-on-demand has made it possible to publish a book yourself and sell it worldwide for the minimal cost of copyright registration and ISBN purchase.

Some writers aren't comfortable doing it all themselves, so there are "self-publishing" and "hybrid" companies that will help you get that book into print. They're making most of their money selling services to authors. Some of those companies are expensive but legitimate; others are a complete rip-off. Investigate any company you consider using for self-publishing.

To read about my personal experience hiring the wrong company, read Never Pay to Publish – and OMG. (The OMG's about a daring surf rescue where my daughter and her husband risked their own lives to save three young strangers.)

For a more indepth description of publishing options see Deciding How to Publish Your Book. It also includes links to watchdog lists that help you avoid current scams.

There's also the option of hiring a book shepherd - someone to walk you through the self-publishing process, helping you become your own publisher. Some companies act primarily as printers and distributors of your work - such as Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and Ingram's IngramSpark. They make money when your book sells.

Before an editor sees your work

What happens to a rough draft?

• If the editor is working for a prospective publisher, it's going to go back to you with little of it read - or it will land in the trash if there's no SASE.

• If you're paying an editor by the hour, you'll spend more money as they fix things you could have done yourself.

• If you're paying a per-word or flat rate, they'll deal with minor technicalities and give you less in-depth advice.

Even if you've hired a developmental editor, you want the manuscript to read easily so they can focus on the larger picture. Before an editor sees your work, make sure it's your very best effort.

Before an editor sees your work:

Look at comparable work.

Look at work meant for the same audience to understand what is expected for the genre and general conventions:

• Fiction: What's the usual length? How is the story structured? Are there elements that seem to be in every story? What kind of ending is the norm?

• Non-fiction: How is the information presented? Are there particular formats, charts, visuals? Are there footnotes? Bibliographies? What kind of language is used - is it appropriate for your intended audience?

Participate in a good critique group and/or find good beta readers.

This needs to be people who will give you honest feedback. If possible, some of them should be familiar with the genre of fiction or the subject matter of non-fiction. If they spot places the story doesn't fit expectations - listen to them!