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How do you look for an editor?
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Jessie
(new)
Sep 10, 2016 01:03PM
I'm seeing so many different services and prices out there right now. It seems confusing and I'm not sure what all I'm looking for. Do I want a editing package from a company? Or a freelance editor? How do you judge work or credentials?
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It's difficult for a writer to judge an editor's services before s/he's had the experience of being edited. Don't take my word for it, listen to John Green: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLwJT...When shopping for an editor just be aware that like everything, you're going to get what you pay for. If your manuscript is genuinely interesting and salable, you may be able to get an editor to work partly for spec but you cannot expect quality feedback for peanuts. The editor needs to believe in your work and have an expectation of being fairly compensated.
From experience, there are some brilliant freelancers out there. Problem is, they don't necessarily advertise because they get enough work through referrals. A reputable company has safeguards to ensure you are getting return on your investment, but the quality of that return is harder to ensure than the quantity.
My advice is to look carefully at the terms a freelancer/company offers. If they're willing to do the work for a flat fee, ask yourself why they aren't insisting on getting a share of your future success. If they don't have an eye to know a hit when they see it, what can they possibly do for you?
Judging an editor's work is easy. Read any three books they've worked on, two being from the same author, the third from a different author. A good editor will produce polished products that are technically clean. The editor's voice must be practically inaudible, subsumed by that of the author.
Judging credentials is really the same thing. If an editor points you to their books, look at the book's sales, then read for yourself. It's far more likely you'll underestimate an editor's contribution than give them more credit than they deserve.
