Things Authors Need to Know Before Hiring a Book Editor

When you think about hiring a book editor, you may tend to pay attention to the candidate’s availability, past works, and the costs associated with paying for editing services. The entire self-publishing process can be daunting for those who have never been through it before. You may quickly become overwhelmed by the decisions you must make to get your book printed. However, there are trained professionals who can assist you along the way. 

One aspect many first-time authors overlook when thinking about self-publishing is the amount of time, resources, and costs related to marketing the actual book. This will help you reach more people and grow your brand. Before hiring a self-publishing company or signing up to work with a writing coach, be sure you understand exactly what it will take to get your story out of your head and printed on paper for the masses. One critical person you want to take your time finding is the individual who will make your book shine and eliminate mistakes that prevent your audience from truly becoming engrossed in your story: your editor.

What is an editor?

According to CareerExplorer, an editor is responsible for checking the facts, grammar, spelling, and punctuation in a manuscript. This doesn’t mean that your editor will necessarily do all of these things, especially if you are self-publishing. On the contrary, editing is done in tiers. The level of editing you pay for will determine how much of the heavy lifting your editor will do. Some editors perform developmental work to help your story become more readable, and others focus specifically on helping with your sentence structures. 

Effectively, the editor serves as the middleman between the writer and the reader. Many first-time authors convince themselves that they do not need to have their manuscripts professionally edited. We caution you against this way of thinking, especially if grammar is not your strong suit. A true professional will go through and ensure your manuscript is palatable to your target audience. With that said, is there only one type of editing needed for your manuscript?

What kind of editing does my manuscript need?

An editor’s job varies based on the type of work required, your writing style, the amount of time given to work, etc. It’s common to hear editors talk about different levels of editing: developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading. To know which one you need, a professional editor will evaluate your work by requesting a sample. 

If you contact an editor or editing service and receive a particularly low quote without them viewing your writing, it is likely too good to be true. For instance, if you are quoted $300 to perform line edits for a 100,000-word manuscript, you are likely being taken for a ride. We provide quotes to potential clients without viewing their work. However, our quotes are competitive and based on the length of the manuscript.  

What are the different types of editing? 

As a writer, there are some key things to keep in mind when choosing an editor for your manuscript. 

Developmental Editing

These days, it’s easy to reach more people all over the world with the help of the Internet. What you write should be creative and original to catch your audience’s attention the first time. A developmental editor creates an editorial plan to show the areas of your manuscript that need improvement. Your editor will pay attention to the organization, chronology, and flow of your story to make sure your audience will get the message you want to convey. 

Oftentimes during the writing process, you just write to write. You don’t necessarily think about grammar, organization, spelling, or anything else. Some people refer to this as a “brain dump,” which is exactly what it sounds like. You dump everything that is in your head onto the paper without the slightest thought to how it will all sound. While this is a great strategy for writers, it is not ideal to publish your manuscript in its “brain dump” state. 

When a reader picks up your book, the story has to make sense. If your thoughts are scattered, the reader will become confused. This is why it’s important to hire a developmental editor to identify gaps in the narrative, raise questions about ideas mentioned, and look for redundancies.

Line Editing

Every story that’s going to be told, posted or printed, should undergo a complex process of sentence revisions. A line editor will let you know if you have repeated or overused needless words unnecessarily. They take into account your writing style and aim to maintain your voice. Also, they help you clearly communicate your ideas in more concise language..

There are times when you may think your sentences are too long, short, or don’t convey what you want to communicate. Line editors offer their skills to chisel each statement, keeping the tone and emotion of the story. Some authors mistakenly think that line editors will completely destroy their stories because the text will become too “grammar-focused.” While this is a valid point, a line editor’s job is to help the audience read the text in a way that clears confusion and ambiguity.

If grammar and punctuation are two things that make you feel unsure about your work, a line editor is your best option. An errant comma can change the entire idea you want to convey, and incorrect verb tenses can easily confuse readers. Line editors will look at your sentence structures to detect redundancies, misused terms, inappropriately-placed punctuation, etc.

Proofreading

Proofreading focuses on punctuation and grammar. This form of editing takes place after the developmental and line edits have been completed. It is the final round performed before your manuscript goes to print. Proofreaders generally do not perform heavy editing because their job is to catch anything previous editors may have missed. This includes extra spacing, incorrect punctuation, omitted words, misspelled terms, etc.

Showing an understanding of grammar lets your reader know that you have an eye for detail. There is nothing like reading a story and being understood by readers. Coherent sentences and strong paragraphs help your ideas flow. Catching pesky typos before your manuscript gets printed will enhance your story. 

Proofreaders will identify fragments, comma splices, and run-on sentences. Plus, you won’t have to worry about wordiness. They are worth the investment. 

Takeaway

Whether you choose developmental editing, line editing, or proofreading, all are essential for taking your manuscript to the next level. Editors have an eye for detail and focus on the plot, the characters, setting, and organization of the story. Editors spot discrepancies and inconsistencies and correct them without losing the flow or essence of the manuscript. Even if your editor makes changes to your manuscript, your voice and tone will only be enhanced, not completely destroyed.

At Speak Write Play, we provide editing services to help your story speak to your target audience.