For Editors and Writers alike

[Samantha]

So, this is more of a general question. There are obviously quite a few editors on this board who are wanting to launch full or part time careers, but have no formal history to speak of. I myself am one of them. So, for the professional editors out there, where would you recommend that we start looking? What skill sets would make us invaluable to our writers?

And for the writers out there; what is it you are looking for? What would maybe give you a reason to work with a new editor?

[P.N.]

I like to turn in a clean manuscript and made a point to learn copy editing from all the marks on my own books. The more I learned, the fewer editorial marks there were, the easier it was to spot real problems.

I came into editing after a few years in a really good writing group, learning how to constructively critique, not knowing it was prepping me for pro level editing.

I went to conventions to hear editors and other writers talk about their work and quickly learned that an English degree is pretty useless. While one can do a good analysis of Jane Austen, it doesn't train you in how to fix a broken plot, nudge a writer to meet a deadline, or pick a gem from the slush pile.

I did a humorous blog on what editors really do that might be helpful:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/pn-elr...

The main thing is that editing--GOOD editing--is a much larger, more complicated job than just correcting typos and grammar. I feel badly for the writers who pick the lowest cost editor who has just opened for business, because you do get what you pay for.

My rates are below rock bottom, I'm terrifically overqualified, tend to do more than what is required by the contract because I like to help out another writer, yet still have plenty of slots in my schedule to fill. The experienced pro is skunked by the cheap neo, time and again. The writer pays for that, time and again.

Pick an editor the way you pick out anything of importance: do research, ask for samples, ask other writers, see if that editor has ANY professional experience in the publishing industry, and make sure your book is the best it can be. Too many times I get the first rough draft, not a finished, workshopped, beta-checked umpteenth draft.

I turn down those first drafts, BTW. Pesky scruples.

http://www.vampwriter.com/VAMPWRITER_...

[Longhare]

Samantha, that's a big question. Editorial needs vary from project to project, and part of the job is knowing what a project needs. From the ground up:

1) mechanics--spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage. A good editor knows when to use a dictionary--being an excellent speller is great, but being a expert reference user is more important. That goes for punctuation and grammar too.

2) style--there are a number of style guides out there. Get familiar with them, especially where they differ from one another. Learn to develop your own style sheets for projects, and when you are given a project style sheet to defer to, proofread it first, resolve any queries with the client, and get cozy with it.

3) genre conventions--learn the key conventions of any genre you work with. Don't invent your own way of creating an index, for example. Aggressively research format and structure, and don't think because you read it in a blog post that makes it true. Even sound and knowledgeable advice may have detractors or be only one of several possible approaches. There is no single sausage grinder for textual content, but there is always a best solution. A good editor knows when to bracket an emdash with spaces and whether abbreviations have periods AND how to make sure he or she is making the right call. For fiction editors, know what a romance, Western, thriller, or literary reader responds to so you can help a writer shape their book appropriately.

4) read your client--problems arise when the client and the editor are not on the same page. If the client asks for a simple check for spelling and grammar, it is important to have a frank (and diplomatic) conversation about what the author's goal is and what the manuscript needs to get where the author wants it to go. This is not about tyrannizing the writer and taking over their book with aggressive rewrites; the object is to grasp what the author is capable of and what they will be happy with and then helping them get there. Some of this is intuitive. Much of it is based on a broad and deep knowledge of the field of publishing you are in. Your technical skills will make it happen.

So, learn, learn, learn. Read everything. Research, test yourself, practice. There are lots of materials out there. There are classes and even some MOOCs out there. And if you can possibly work in-house somewhere, the training and experience are invaluable.

Starting out, do some free beta reads for the practice and see how much you can learn "on the job." When you feel more confident, start charging but keep your charges in line with your abilities and be honest with your clients. You are each other's guinea pigs. Increase your level of services as your experience and skills set grow.

Finally, read. Be attentive to what makes successful books work. Writers want their books to be good. If you're reading a manuscript and thinking it isn't very good, be able to say what its problems are and how to fix them. You'll never be able to do that by fixing the spelling and grammar. You need to understand what makes a book or a chapter or a turn of phrase compelling. This goes for fiction and nonfiction, dissertations, journal and newspaper articles, blogs--anything people read.

[HKelleyB]

My advice would be to take a few editing and proofreading courses, read a lot of books, and join a good group/association/organization.

Personally, I completed the editing program at NYU. And, while studying with professors working in the NYC publishing industry, I networked. I read just about every book I could find on editing, proofreading, and the publishing industry. Then, I joined the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and completed two online courses; I made quite a few online friends in the industry.

Between editing jobs, I beta read for authors and write book reviews. This also helps me make valuable connections.

Networking is extremely important (in any freelance business).

[Erica]

Hi, Samantha. I got a copy editing certificate from UC San Diego, and took developmental editing courses from both the EFA and the Author-Editor Clinic. I also did a lot of self-study, reading books on editing such as the Copy-Editor's handbook. If you are interested in developmental editing of fiction, then I recommend reading lots of books on writing novels to learn about plot pacing, character development, scene setting, point of view, etc. I always have one fiction-writing book going at any time.

Good luck with your business!

Erica
www.inkdeepediting.com

[Samantha]

Thanks everybody for your comments. I have studied with the EFA and I am a voracious reader; so I've got that much going for me.

I really appreciate the fact that you all were willing to spare the time to give me tips and I hope that I will be able to live up to your warm wishes!

[[deleted user]]

I'd like to contribute another viewpoint. I started on this site by doing free BETA Reads, but I got such good feedback that I decided to try my hand at editing, for a fee. I've worked with almost thirty Goodreads authors now, and it's been going very well.

I don't take over anyone's book and everyone I've worked with has felt very good about what we've accomplished. I offer thorough editing, copy, proof, line by line, content, voice, whatever, for a reasonable rate, and if someone just wants what you might call a deep BETA read, I will do that too, for half what I charge for editing.

I have a Bachelor's with a focus on Transpersonal Psychology, and I've worked on childrens's books, self-help books, novels, YA, a lot of different things. A new focus seems to be developing of helping authors who have English as a second language. No certificates, no advanced degrees: just useful help and a strong desire to not get in the author's way-not take over. BTW, I can't sleep without a pile of books on my night table...

Please take a look at my website :-)

its-your-story.weebly.com