Editio Self-Publishing discussion

I have two e-novels published which I hastily put up without engaging the services of an editor. I am beginning to rethink this error especially as I am readying my third book for publication. The questions I have are 1) Is it worth it at this late date (3 years and 2 years after publishing) to submit either of the two earlier books for editing now that they are already "out there" and 2) How does one efficiently/safely/satisfactorily choose the right editor. There are many web sites out there, including Preditors and Editors, but after looking over all the folks out there and what they have to offer, both services and pricing, my head is spinning. It appears one could go for as little as $700 to $5000 and more!

Hi Richard,

Your first question was whether it was worth it "at this late date", and I would always recommend using an editor to make the manuscript as clean as possible. You've had great reviews of your books so far, which makes me think you've either had forgiving readers who were carried sufficiently by the story to not care about or notice any mistakes, or you don't have that many mistakes to begin with. I found one right off the bat with Death Stare ("Forward" used instead of "Foreword"), and I think the spacing at the start of each new sentence was inconsistent, but there were otherwise no glaring errors, simply places where I would have inserted a few commas and maybe trimmed back the exposition.

It never hurts to have another person look over your manuscript, but be sure you know the level of editing you require, so that you don't end up paying more than you have to. The good thing with your books, though, is that no negative reviews have been posted regarding the editing or lack thereof, so you can quickly clean them up and post the updated copy without much hassle or fear of bad publicity. Kindle should automatically send the updated version to people who've already bought the book, and new readers will only get the new version.

For the second question, you usually find a good editor through interactions with them online (Goodreads and Kindle Forums are good places for that) and by getting sample edits from them before committing to anything. Any editor will give a free sample edit to let you see their style. My own sample edits are 1500 words in length, which is about the length of time you need to set the scene, introduce some characters, and otherwise establish the tone of the book.

Now, judging from the prices you listed, I can tell your books must be particularly long. Checking Amazon confirmed that for me. The rub of it is, you're going to be paying a lot more for a longer book no matter who you go with. Editors put a ton of effort into checking internal consistency and making sure the book is as clean as possible, and that process can take weeks of their time. The cleaner your manuscript is going into the editing process, the less time it takes to fix, and therefore you can also likely strike a deal with said editor.

If money is an obstacle, then honestly, do the best with what you have. And having a clean book does not guarantee having a book that sells—it's unlikely that your book's sales will skyrocket enough to justify $5000 spent on editing alone. My recommendation would be to shop around with sample edits and spend a bit of cash on attractive cover art. Readers can spot a home-made cover from a mile away, and that's likely a larger initial obstacle than a missing apostrophe or having two hyphens instead of an em-dash.

Sorry for the long post!

TL;DR —> Buy attractive cover art, shop around with sample edits, make sure you actually need what you're paying for.

Hello, Richard,

Thomas gave you a thorough response, and I would agree with all his points. I have worked with several authors who are in the same position you are in. They chose to have their current manuscript edited first and later had editing completed on their previously published works.

I would suggest contacting editors on Goodreads that have either replied directly to your post or advertised their services. Communicate with the editor and ask questions about their experience, their rates, if sample edits are provided, the type of editing provided, average turnaround time, and scheduling. If the editor has a website and/or Facebook page, you can find most of this information there, as well as a list of past projects and testimonials/reviews from clients.

The sample edit is an important piece. It gives the author and editor insight into what each other's work looks like. It will also help you determine if the editor is a good fit for you and your book.

I provide a professional and affordable editing service. I provide a free sample edit of 2,000 words.

I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have and provide you with a sample edit. If you would like more information about me and my services, you may visit my website at editing.xterraweb.com, message me here on Goodreads, or e-mail me at editor@xterraweb.com.

Best of luck to you in your search for an editor!

Kelly

Hi Richard, I've been an editor with a large publisher for over 26 years and am now taking freelance clients. A good editor will take a look at the first chapter or so to assess how much work is involved as well as discuss what type of edit you're looking for. Is it just a line edit, or a more detailed copyedit? Also, I have a range for what I charge depending on the needs of my clients.

A good place to check out editors is LinkedIn. If you'd like to discuss further, just drop me a line at jdn02(at)rogers(dot)com. I'm also an author and know how important it is to get a great edit and not break the bank. You can stop by my website if you like. My pricing is set out there. http://jdn022.wix.com/jeannebannon#!s...

You can visit my profile on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view...

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.

Warm regards,
Jeanne Bannon

Thak you, I appreciate all of your comments.

I know I'm replying to this late; and hopefully by now Richard you've found an editor you enjoy working with!

Just in case other readers are not aware of the resource, the Editorial Freelancers Association is the main professional body for freelance editors. Most respected editors who work directly with clients (as opposed to in-house editors) are members of this group. At the very least, membership has a cost, so you can be certain that members take their job seriously enough to invest in the association.

In my very honest opinion, their website needs a serious overhaul. But if you can find your way through it, you can use the EFA website to browse editors and post to a job board. While I don't know that every EFA member is an excellent editor, your chances are much better than just throwing darts using Google.

If you get stuck, drop me a message. I'm happy to help.

www.the-efa.org

I wish all authors the very best!

Most professional editors try to keep their rates low so independents can afford them. Enriching someone who sets up an "association" isn't high on our list of priorities.

I think you misunderstand what the EFA is. It's an organization that's been around for many years, and it serves to connect authors with professional and reliable editors. No one's setting it up. No one's making any money off it. Most members do their best to keep rates affordable.

Don't use it if you're not interested, but it is a good resource. There are a lot of useless and uneducated editors out there.

Sorry, I was looking at "At the very least, membership has a cost" and assumed they were charging dues. So, somebody would be making money off of the members.

The fees go towards running the organization, education and classes for editors (so you get better books out of them!) and meetings. There are local meetings, conferences, and various booths and educational events at writing and publishing industry conferences.

Your money doesn't go towards these things. Editors pay an annual membership fee. That weeds out the small-time editors and contributes to members being educated and connected with others in publishing - a plus for authors.

I feel like we're hijacking Richard's thread here. Al, if you are not interested in professional organizations, it's no skin off my nose. Do whatever you like, and God bless. I'm only offering information about an option, in case it's helpful to authors who are overwhelmed by the process.

Happy Weekend.

Thanks for the explanation.