Let's Talk About Working with an Editor
Down to the wire, but I wanted use my last post of February to (finally) talk about this part of the writing process.
Even if you plan to pursue traditional publishing and pitch your work to agents, a professional edit can be extremely helpful. As writers we should all be doing that initial edit anyway after typing THE END, but a good editor can help polish your manuscript even further and catch things you may not have noticed. (Personally, after I've read my own books the third or fourth time, I start to unconsciously skim and miss typos or weird sentences.)
Some writers work with multiple editors before finding the one who both meets their needs and they can develop a relationship with - I was very lucky that Rowe ended up being perfect for me!
Rowe and I actually knew each other for several years before I reached out to her about editing TO KISS THE SEA. We met through mutual book community friends and stayed in touch online. I even recommended her to another writer friend when she was looking for an editor. (Some of you may remember when I featured Marissa's debut on the blog!)
Obviously budget, time, and trust in your editor are important things to consider. When choosing an editor, go into the process with some background knowledge:
- What is your editing budget? (Be honest with what you can afford and research current industry rates.)
- What is your timeline? (TKTS was an interesting case. Because I was in the middle of writing draft 2, and it fit her schedule, Rowe and I worked out a plan where I sent her a certain number of chapters at a time rather than the whole book at once.)
- What type of edit are you looking for? Or a combination? (Copy edits, line edits, content edits, etc.)
- What is your potential editor's background/experience?
- Do they have samples of previous work?
- Do they have contract practices in place? (This is to protect both of you!)
- In what format will they return their edits?
- Do you get along? (This may not be a must-have for some writers, but I love that Rowe and I are also friends!)
- Ask your fellow writers for recommendations!
This is not an exhaustive list, and there are some fantastic accounts out there run by professional editors just bursting with valuable information! Do you have an editor you'd like to share/recommend? Feel free to post them in the comments!
Some of the pages I personally follow include:
*****
[Image: A closeup of a white desk with two different sized notebooks laying open on top of each other. On the top notebook are two blue pencils. In the background behind the notebooks is a silver laptop, slightly blurred.]
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