From Edie: From copyediting to developmental, editing is vital for self-published authors. Find out from Amy which edit you need and how to choose the right editor.
Editing for Self-Published Authors: Types of Edits and How to Find the Right Editor
by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author
Your manuscript is written. You’ve celebrated. You’ve done your research and prepared for every potential scenario, and now it’s time to start working on the finished product. Right?
Wrong. There is more to producing a competitive quality novel than just writing it and making sure it has a good cover and that you know where it’s being distributed. There’s a very important step that you would be remiss as an author to overlook: Editing.
So far in this series on self-publishing, we’ve talked about setting your goals, understanding your legal rights as a self-published author, ISBNs, distribution channels, market research, and book cover design. But before any of that happens, you really must have some kind of edit.
Editing has many variations, and you might need one variation more than another. But no matter which kind of edit you opt for, you really need another pair of eyes on what you have written. When you have lived and breathed your story for a long time, you become blind to its shortcomings. You can’t see the problems. You might recognize that it isn’t perfect, but you can’t see how to fix it. That’s why you need an editor.
However, there are some caveats to consider before you hire out this important element of producing a book.
Here are some questions to ask before you get started with an editor.
1. Does this editor understand my genre?
While many editors have experience in editing multiple genres, not all of them do. Some editors have specialties. It’s not a good idea to give your historical romance manuscript to an editor who specializes in suspense/thriller editor. Additionally, if you write science fiction or fantasy, giving your manuscript to someone who only edits contemporary romance won’t end well. Those genres all contain specific elements that are unique to their genre, and an editor who doesn’t understand those genres won’t know to look for them.
Fascinating point of fact: In my personal experience, editors who are good at science fiction and fantasy usually have experience editing most other genres. However, editors who specialize in the romance or thriller genres are usually only familiar with their own genres. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but again (in my experience), if an editor can manage a sci-fi/fantasy manuscript, they can usually handle anything.
2. Does this editor understand my brand and vision?
Don’t underestimate the value of your own brand. The vision you have for your career as a storyteller may play a role in how you interact with your editor. If you already know that you are going to rapid release multiple novellas, that will affect the arrangement you make with your editing deadlines. Or if you write a specific type of genre (like sci-fi comedy or cozy fantasy), you need to make sure your editor understands the direction you are going with the story and the audience you are trying to reach.
3. Does this editor offer the kind of editing I need?
While people may use different terminology for these variations, there are really three different kinds of editing: Copyediting, Line editing, and Developmental Editing. Each one is completely different, and each one is billed at a different rate per word.
Types of Edits
Copyediting is basically proofreading. It’s checking for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. It’s granular and detailed and nit-picky, and it is actually the least expensive form of editing.
Line editing is a bit larger in scale. It deals with word choice and sentence structure and the cadence of dialog. It focuses on how words and phrases come together on the page and whether or not what the author is trying to say is effectively communicated.
Developmental (or structural) editing is the most expensive kind of editing, usually because it requires a lot of experience and insight from the editor to do it. This is the process of reviewing your worldbuilding, your character arcs, and your overall plot structure. This is looking for holes in your story and brainstorming ways to fix them.
You can always find the most recent per-word rates at the Editorial Freelancers Association (www.the-efa.org/rates), but usually those amounts change depending on the experience level of your editor. Some editors also offer coaching packages in connection with their edits.
My editor charges $.04/word for her developmental edits, and I use her exclusively for my large-scaled science-fiction series books. They are so complicated most of the time that I need her to review them, as we have worked together for 15 years, and she understands what I’m trying to accomplish with my writing. She is worth more than I can ever pay her, honestly.
I don’t use a professional editor for my romance books, however. I use a beta reader team of industry friends and reader friends who are well-read. Between their insight and my own research that I have done into the genre, I can usually get away without a professional edit. But when I wrote my first romantic book over 10 years ago, I did have it edited.
Regardless, if you’re just getting started, don’t sleep on your edit. Don’t skip this part. It’s expensive, but you get what you pay for. And if you get the right editor, you’ll end up with a partner who will cheer you on for years. What’s even better? You might even pick up a few tricks that you can repurpose in the future.
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Excellent article! A good editor and understanding what they offer [as well as what you need], makes the difference between an okay publication and a superior one.
ReplyDeleteI’m loving this series. You’re instilling confidence in me that I CAN (with help) self publish.
ReplyDeleteTwiiter is not as effective as it once was. I still use it but its value is limited. I'm afraid to try Tik Tok. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteThe anonymous comment up above is mine.Twiiter is not as effective as it once was. I still use it but its value is limited. I'm afraid to try Tik Tok. Any thoughts?
ReplyDelete