In my “day job” when I’m not playing author, I work full-time as a freelance professional. Most of my work is editing. In my daily gig-chasing activity, I come across solicitations for editors, but those solicitations leave a lot to be desired. Many are simply “I need an editor” type of messages and offer no information. Posts like those receive hordes of replies from low-bid vendors and scammers who don’t care what the project is: they just want to get paid.
Professional editors do care about the projects we accept because we want our clients to achieve success and sell lots of books. Therefore, editors specialize. We don’t take just anything; we have affinities and preferences and differing skill sets. Therefore, in order to find the right editor who’s a good match for the project and the author, the author must provide some information:
- Fiction or nonfiction. Editors specialize. Some only do fiction, some only nonfiction.
- Genre or topic. Editors specialize by topic and genre. For instance, I don’t accept horror or scholarly work.
- Word count. This enables the editor to estimate how long the project will take, useful for scheduling purposes.
- Level of editing. Editors specialize by the type of editing they do. Developmental editors generally don’t accept line or copy editing work, and vice versa. I am a sentence-level editor. If you’re looking for a developmental editor, I’ll be happy to refer you to a respected colleague.
- Deadline for completion. Many editors are booked months in advance. If you have a tight deadline for completion, an otherwise interested editor may not be able to accommodate your project into his or her schedule.
- Budget. Editors set their fees based on their expertise, experience, availability, and the value they bring. Many will not take on work that devalues the service they offer. Many will, however, negotiate payment plans to make their service more affordable. I am happy to discuss payment plans with clients. If you need guidance to determining an appropriate budget for your project, go to https://the-efa.org/rates.
This very basic information does not risk someone stealing the author’s idea, something unlikely to happen but which many new authors fear. That information enables an editor to make a preliminary determination as to whether he or she is a good fit for the project. If the project isn’t a good fit, then a professional editor will not waste his/her time or yours by submitting a proposal.
Another way to facilitate finding the right editor is to use a professional platform to find an editor. The Author’s Guild, Editorial Freelancers Association, Reedsy, ACES, and LinkedIn better avoid the hiring author from a deluge of eager responses from scammers and low-bid, low-skilled vendors. You won’t avoid them all, but you can mitigate the sheer, overwhelming quantity of “junk” responses by using the appropriate platform to solicit professional editing services.
If you’re an author, then you need an editor. It’s that simple.
Do yourself a favor and improve your chances of finding the right editor for you and your project. Once you have a short list of candidates, get a sample edit from each. Use the same excerpted material from your manuscript to compare the work of different candidates and determine whose work you like best. That doesn’t mean the editor who flatters you the most. Many editors, especially developmental editors, charge for sample edits. That is a normal and accepted practice within the industry. I offer a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words excerpted from your manuscript.
If you have a manuscript ready for professional editing, contact me. I might be the right editor for you and your project.
