Editors. In the world of writing, we all need one. The question is when.During my writing journey, I’ve heard various tales, feedback, and opinions.
No, don’t hire an editor to read your work before submitting. You’ll be wasting money. Let the publisher pay for it.
Yes, hire an editor; it could increase your quality of your product and give you an opportunity to actually find and agent and/or publisher.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
When it all comes down to it, the true question is: how much money do I want to invest?
Two years ago, the thought of an editor reviewing my work scared me. The idea of someone taking my work, ripping it to shreds, and spitting it back at me, demanding that it be re-written because it wasn’t good enough had me cursing the profession. I pushed that thought aside and focused on writing a story that I wanted to tell. Next, I focused on learning as much as I could about sentence structure, setting up the paragraphs, scene breaks, chapter breaks, and POV changes. Then, I built the infamous repeated/passive word list to tighten up my prose. I’ve gone over my list so many times while doing my own edits, I rarely have to pull it up to know what words to avoid. In fact, when I write a scene, I now catch those words and change them before they hit the screen.
However, that doesn’t cover everything. There are still the annoying details of correct grammar usage, using the right word tense, and spelling. Unless you were a serious English major in high school, college, or took a class specifically for this type of detail, there’s no possible way you’ll ever be able to catch every detail. To be honest, no one ever will, even if that’s what he or she does for a living. Why? Because we are all human. And humans make mistakes, whether we want to believe it or not.
A perfect example: how many times have we as readers picked up a novel by one of our favorite big-name publishing houses or New York Times Bestselling authors, only to discover a major editing error? Come on, we’ve all done that. Why? Human imperfection. No matter how many times a manuscript is read, no matter how many attempts are made to dot all the ‘Is’ and cross all the ‘Ts’, humans make errors, especially if it is your own writing.
So, what does that mean for the newbie like me, who is unpublished, or for an author who is self- published?
It means you have a decision to make. How much do you want to invest in yourself?
The investment is not only about money; it’s also about time.
If you decide to use an editor, how do you know you’ve found an editor you can work with? Of course, the first thing everyone looks for is reputation. Word of mouth from other authors in your writing network is great too. Nevertheless, in the end, it comes down to one-on-one communication. Does the editor understand your type of writing ? Do they edit a lot of work in your genre? Will they be able to understand the rules of the genre you’re writing? What timeframe are you looking for? Will it take a few days or a few weeks before they return your work? What type of editing are you paying for?
Type of editing? If this is new to you, then it’s something you must know. There are several types of editing available. What’s the differences?
Copywriter or Copy-Editing:
Their job is to be sure your story is written well and logically structured. Correct grammar and spelling is checked, as well as ensuring the ms fits the publishers ‘style’. They ask questions of the author and check story facts.
Content Editor:
Their job is to ensure your work meets the standards for accuracy and style. They check for spelling, grammar, coherence, consistent style. They also proofread to be sure copy-editing work has been completed.
Proofreader:
In the publishing world, a proofreader is generally the last person to see your ms after it’s been through other editors’ hands and before it goes to print. Their job is to do a final read through to catch any mistakes the first editors may have missed. This is generally the most affordable.
If you are not shopping your manuscript around and have decided to self-publish, you should seriously consider having at least one of these editors review your work. Depending on what phase of your writing career you are in, it may not be in your budget. If you go the proofreading route, then know, you MUST review your work again after the editor returns it. If you don’t and there are issues the editor pointed out and you don’t review them, it is on you, not the editor.
So, what route will you choose?
Here’s what I’ve learned. Agents are meticulous. Not only does your story have to engage them and keep them interested for at least the first three chapters, the quality of your writing has to as well. Sending them an unedited copy - and by that I mean, work you haven’t spent time searching for errors yourself - makes a difference. The cleaner the read, the more focused on the story they will be, not the plethora of errors littering the pages. Taking that amount of time, or money, also lets them know that you, the author, are willing to put in the work it takes to make a better product. With the current economy, every business is looking for ways to cut down their expenses. If you walk in the door offering a product they can spend less money on before making it available for sale, you increase your chances of them choosing your manuscript.
Sell yourself.
Here’s another fact you must remember: if you decided to use an editor…don’t just pay them and expect what they send to you in return doesn’t need to be reviewed. Any editor, especially a professional, will tell you that after they do their magic, it’s up to you, the author, to review your manuscript. Just because they make changes or suggestions does not mean you have to accept it. It’s up to your discretion. But, you still have to re-read your work from beginning to end. It’s up to you to put that stamp of approval on it before sending it out into the world . That requires more work on your part. If you don’t do the work, then you will have to deal with the consequences of any un-corrected errors. The editor’s job is to work with you, which means you in turn must work with them.
I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a proofreader many of you may have seen on Facebook or Twitter, @TJProofs. She shared some helpful information on how to determine what type of editor you need, depending on the amount of work you’ve put into cleaning up your manuscript.
“A proofreader, which is my specialty, is generally the last person you see. They focus on clean manuscripts, after they’ve run their gamut (through a publisher), but many people try to skip the steps. The fact of the matter is, if you are horrible at punctuation, you choose a copy-editor. If you feel you’ve got punctuation licked, but your story needs a scouring for consistency, you may choose a content editor. If you have a great idea, but need someone to go through your MS with a fine-toothed-comb - rewriting sentences for clarity, passive statements, content, and punctuation – then you need a full-scale editor.”
To learn more about TJ and the services she offers, visit her at www.ManuscriptProofing.com. Other places where she can be found are:
Facebook, Twitter
Blog: manuscriptproofing.blogspot.com
Email: TJProofs@gmail.com or TJ@ManuscriptProofing.com
I hope this information has been informative. Whether or not you choose to use the services of any of the above editors, I wish you the best on your writing journey!
MJ
