How authors work with their editors

[Esther]

Hi everyone, my name is Esther and I am a content creator for writers. On many occasions I love to collaborate with authors when I write articles, and I am here to ask a few questions, this time regarding finding the right editor & the process of working together.

I have a few questions in need of an answer and I’d be happy to quote you along with your author website, or respect your anonymity if you wish readers not to know your name. Please copy paste the questions along with your answers below.

And thank you so much for reaching out, I truly am grateful for all your input. I’ll post the article here as soon as it’s ready.

1. If your manuscript is written in (for example) British English, should the editor be from the UK for a satisfactory result?
2. Where did you find the right editor for your manuscript?
3. How did you make your selection from the myriad of editors on the market and what services have you hired for your manuscript?
4. What do you as an author consider an acceptable fee/rate for developmental editing, copy-line editing or proofreading and which service are you most likely to hire?
5. What are the qualities you are looking for in an editor?
6. Did you ever have a negative experience working with an editor?

Example:
2. Where did you find the right editor for your manuscript?
John Doe: I started looking…

With this short interview, I aim to solve some issues new authors may have upon taking a first step in the writing industry, and it may also help new editors understand what authors find reasonable in terms of budget.

I for one am really excited to see how things are from your perspective & I look forward to learning from you as much as I possibly can.
Once again, thank you all.

[Lisa]

Will you write a summary of your findings for this group? Great questions! I do articles in British English, though I am American. I am sure I don't hit the correct notes every time but often it is a subtle spelling or nuance issue.

[Esther]

Lisa wrote: "Will you write a summary of your findings for this group? Great questions! I do articles in British English, though I am American. I am sure I don't hit the correct notes every time but often it is..."

Hi Lisa! I posted in several groups and I'm looking forward to see how other authors approach this task :) I'll post the final article here afterwards.

[Lisa]

Great! I hope it gets great results for you.

[Esther]

Here goes nothing:

1. If your manuscript is written in (for example) British English, should the editor be from the UK for a satisfactory result?

Esther Rabbit: In my experience, YES. It's always small quirks like TOWARD vs TOWARDS, etc.

2. Where did you find the right editor for your manuscript?

Esther Rabbit: A group of editors on Goodreads (I can't even remember which one because I became a member of many in my search.

3. How did you make your selection from the myriad of editors on the market and what services have you hired for your manuscript?

Esther Rabbit: I sent a sample of 1500-2000 words to over 35 editors, then, little by little I discarded the ones who failed to deliver the sample in the agreed time, the ones who didn't spot my intended mistakes (yes, I tested the market because many advertise themselves as editors), and ultimately, when I was left with two, I went with my gut.

4. What do you as an author consider an acceptable fee/rate for developmental editing, copy-line editing or proofreading and which service are you most likely to hire?

Esther Rabbit: It depends of course on the hired service and word count, I paid a little over 1000$ for a 95k manuscript (copy-line editing & proofreading).

5. What are the qualities you are looking for in an editor?

Esther Rabbit: Communication, timely delivery & weekly contact while working on the manuscript.

6. Did you ever have a negative experience working with an editor?

Esther Rabbit: While looking for an editor, I was amazed to find quite a few people who had absolutely no clue how to edit a MS, and quite a few were charging over 2000$ on the services I had requested, so in my experience, price doesn't dictate the quality of the work. I highly valued an editor who simply turned me down and said we wouldn't be a good fit because her expertise was mostly non-fiction. You have a bit of everything, but one has to look hard for the right fit.