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So I sent my book off to the editor and it came back worse than it went out
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Dorsey
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Oct 09, 2015 09:32PM
So... I sent my book off to the editor and it came back worse than it went out. has this ever happened to anyone
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Happened to me. I cancelled the contract and 'saved' half the price. (Got to see it on the bright side; I could have wasted it all...) :(Her excuse was that she was on meds. :/
G.G. wrote: "Happened to me. I cancelled the contract and 'saved' half the price. (Got to see it on the bright side; I could have wasted it all...) :(Her excuse was that she was on meds. :/"
LOL... on meds. What was her name, might have been the same person. I just lost it all.
I'm not sure it's 'ok' to mention the name here. I'll send you a PM.
Wow indeed. I don't pay for an editor, personally, but as I understand it, many will offer a sample of their work in the form of a few pages of your MS. You then make sure that you deliberately leave typos and mangled grammar to see what they catch. If it comes back to your liking, you negotiate payment.
This would never happen if I were your editor. First twenty pages are free. From here we have a go, or no go. Then a retainer fee of $25 up front. Then the book is divided into quarters and payments are made at check points--only after you approve the work. This way both of us are protected. If you reject at any point, I either fix it or you opt out. I don't take meds. LOL
Morris
Morris
Dorsey wrote: "G.G. wrote: "Happened to me. I cancelled the contract and 'saved' half the price. (Got to see it on the bright side; I could have wasted it all...) :(Her excuse was that she was on meds. :/"
LOL..."
What she should of said was that her dog ate the manuscript...
Morris wrote: "This would never happen if I were your editor. First twenty pages are free. From here we have a go, or no go. Then a retainer fee of $25 up front. Then the book is divided into quarters and payment..."Hey Morris we may have to talk. I have a few projects coming up and I have to delegate them out. Maybe you can do one or two.
Christina wrote: "Wow indeed. I don't pay for an editor, personally, but as I understand it, many will offer a sample of their work in the form of a few pages of your MS. You then make sure that you deliberately lea..."I have to admit I was a trusting rookie and let my busy schedule get in the way of due process. I've learned my lesson and won't make that mistake again.
G.G. wrote: "I'm not sure it's 'ok' to mention the name here. I'll send you a PM."Of course not. I didn't mean to inspire any bashing. Wow is the word.
I've read so many books where the author has sent it off to an editor. I'm not sure what state they were in when they were sent off, but by the time I read them there were so many plot holes that I struggled to finish. I've even read one where the editor completely failed to notice that a key character (who had been sent off to another continent) managed to magically reappear for half a chapter before returning back to exactly where the author had left him in the previous chapter.
You do see some serious schoolboy errors with some editors. I guess they think they can get away with it because you might not bother to read the manuscript when you get it back...
Lessons to be learnt for all in there.
I'm fortunate to have my wife and a couple of close friends interested enough in my work that they edit and re-edit them for me. I'd consider offering editing services, but I hardly have time these days, but I usually do minor edits if I'm reading someone's book for review (after all, the beauty of self-publishing is you can update the book at any time!).Hopefully you didn't lose too much on your deal; was there a satisfaction clause in your contract? Did you have a contract at all? You may have recourse if the answer to both questions is yes.
Dorsey wrote: "So... I sent my book off to the editor and it came back worse than it went out. has this ever happened to anyone"Hi, Dorsey. What do you mean by "it cam back worse than it went out?"
You do have to be careful when you use the services of an editor or proofreader. I had a bad experience once, too. I learned the hard way that I must ask pertinent questions of someone before I use their services. Anyone can call themselves an editor or proofreader, but that doesn't guarantee they know what they're doing. Ask references, ask for samples, etc...
Keep in mind there are different types of editors. Make sure you engage with the type you want. There are different names for the diff types of editors, but generally there are development editors (who help you improve your writing/story) and there are copy editors, who improve your writing style/grammar, etc... And then there are proofreaders, who correct simple mistakes. Sometimes these people will do more, it depends on what they advertise.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I chalked my bad experience up as a "lesson learned." I'll never make that mistake again.
This reminds me of the days I published my first book with PublishAmerica. They claimed they had an editing department but when I got my book it still had errors and they only fixed the errors I found, which of course I'm gonna miss my own mistakes.Its always crucial to make sure you get your work edited by a reliable source.
Well the one good thing that came out of the bad situation is that I've been referred to a highly experienced professional through a mutual friend who may be able to pull a favor. Silver lining
Dorsey wrote: "Well the one good thing that came out of the bad situation is that I've been referred to a highly experienced professional through a mutual friend who may be able to pull a favor. Silver lining "Cool! I'm glad you will be able to make lemonade out of your lemons. :P (I know it's cliché but you know what I mean.) Good for you. :)
April wrote: "generally there are development editors (who help you improve your writing/story) and there are copy editors, who improve your writing style/grammar, etc... And then there are proofreaders, who correct simple mistakes..."i got an editor thru a referral through an author friend and originally i thought it would be a copy edit, but then she recommended that it be a developmental edit w/some copy editing.
i pay my 11-year-old daughter to be my proofreader--and she's a very good. she pointed out the difference b/w "loathe" and "loath". i'm willing to contract her out. (oops. wrong thread.)
To find a good editor takes research. I have my own horror story. Editor took $1200, did 11 out of 66 chapters and did them badly. This editor came highly recommended by people I trust. They did not know, nor did I, that this editor was awash in personal issues. This caused a panicked reaction to release a second book that was six months late. I crowd sourced it to other authors I knew, one section at a time. The final product was horrible and my readers let me know it. I spent another $1000 with an editor I know getting it fixed and rereleased. It still was not up to par and needed another round to be acceptable.Here's what I discovered. Decide if you want content editing or editing for grammar or both. Find a editor. See what books they have done. Read the books they have done. Set a schedule. Keep an open channel of communications. Accept no excuses. Pay as you go. This can be a filthy business. Beware.
Dorsey wrote: "So... I sent my book off to the editor and it came back worse than it went out. has this ever happened to anyone"The same has happened to me with two editors who have messed up my first book, which cost me a lot of money and a lot of headaches. I published and now I am thinking of revising and republish, so if anyone out there knows a good editor a publisher who I don’t have to pay an arm and leg for publishing, kindly let me know. Mind Process and Formulas: Principles, Techniques, Formulas, and Processes for Success
Yikes...I hate hearing all of these horror stories, especially when there are definitely affordable editors out there who give a ton of attention to detail.I hope things work out for you, Dorsey, with your silver lining! =)
For anyone else still looking for an editor...ahem. The fees are substantially less than an arm or a leg—at most, I'll only take a finger or a toe. You know, something you already have a lot of and probably won't miss much.
Sample edits, payments made in agreed-upon installments, and open communication are all key here.
Mod
Kennet wrote: "The same has happened to me with two editors who have messed up my ..."Kennet, once again and hopefully for the last time, please refrain from posting a link to your book with every reply you make. This is call bookwhacking and the next time, your entire post will be deleted.
Thanks
Nick wrote: "I've read so many books where the author has sent it off to an editor. I'm not sure what state they were in when they were sent off, but by the time I read them there were so many plot holes that I..."Those mistakes are for beta readers. Small time editors just look for grammatical, spellings, dropped words, etc. mistakes. Beta readers are for the plot problems. At least, in my experience.
Ashley wrote: "Nick wrote: "I've read so many books where the author has sent it off to an editor. I'm not sure what state they were in when they were sent off, but by the time I read them there were so many plot..."Thanks for the insight. The book is currently being read by a beta reader now and I've gone back to my old habit of just DIY till I can't DIY anymore.
I finally found a process and an editor that is great.1) Use advanced tools like Grammarly.
2) Assemble a team of trusted Alpha and Beta readers.
3) Listen to their plot, spelling, grammar and punctuation advice.
4) Read it out loud as the final.
5) Send it to a professional Editor. One that wants a credit in your book.
6) Do the final read yourself.
YMMV
Dorsey wrote: "I've gone back to my old habit of just DIY till I can't DIY anymore..."there's a reason why habits become "old;" because you and others have used them so much; because your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents used them and told you to use them.
old habits are the best.
dood that totally sux!!!I would put my name in as a cheap editor :3 and have edited several works for others but janky chinese computers put a kink into getting work done on time -_- I wish you luck though!
G.G. wrote: "Kennet wrote: "The same has happened to me with two editors who have messed up my ..."Kennet, once again and hopefully for the last time, please refrain from posting a link to your book with ever..."
I didn't know about that
So I had my book "Order" re-edited by Kate Woods who found me here on Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... She did a great job. There was an extreme difference between the first Edit ( or non-edit rather) and the work she did. I am confident now in publishing the book. I highly recommend her. There were alot of lessons I learned from this experience. The main one; due diligence. Use your resources You can find a lot of great professionals who can help take your work higher.
