When do I need an Editor – & what does an Editor do anyway?

Hi again,

Today I wanted to talk about editors. I’ve recently seen quite a bit of discussion on blogs and sites regarding editorial services, charges and options & frankly, if I wasn’t in the industry I’d be as confused as many author’s are.

So I decided to help set the records straight. Let’s start with the various types of editors.

	TITLE	Job Description
A	Editors-in-Chief	Working for Publishers/Magazines/Journals. Sometimes called “editors at large” – Often at the highest editorial level, they manage not only the look and tone of the final product (with other departments as necessary), but other editors, writers, freelance editors etc.
B	Acquisitions Editor	This title generally refers to Book Publishing Houses, but is also used by some newspapers and magazines. These editors search for new writers, stories, and/or manuscripts, and decide whether a submission is a yes or no.
C	Developmental Editor	Sometimes also called substantive editors. This title generally refers to Book Publishing Houses & Educational Publishers. Developmental Editors guide a writer from the inception of an idea to the finished Product. It’s the developmental editor’s job to look at the “big picture” of the work rather than the fine details. Issues in structure and consistency are addressed. If editing fiction, issues such as plot flow, themes, and character development are addressed. With non-fiction, its section flow, facts presented, and the strength of arguments.
D	Copy Editor	Copy editors are primarily concerned with the nuts and bolts of a piece: grammar, word choice, punctuation, and spelling. They also ensure that each piece adheres to the style guidelines set. It’s the copy editors job to ensure they meet the requirements of the Publisher/Client. Copy Editors can work FREELANCE or for a Publishing House, magazine etc. Depending on the size of an organisation, a copy-editor may also act as a proof-reader or may pass this on to an assistant.
E	Proof-Reader	Similar to a Copy Editor. Proof-readers can work for an organisation or freelance. Generally, proof-readers are copy-editors “in-the-making” often working with a copy editor or acquisition editor as their supervisor.
F	Line Editor	Again, can work alone or as part of a Team. Can be employed by a Publisher/Magazine (etc.) or work freelance. Line editors are looking for issues of grammar/syntax and sometimes fact/plot-holes (depending on their experience and your needs). Line editors can also be copy editors who want to deal with the “nuts & bolts” issue before moving on to the plot issues or they can work on instruction of a copy or developmental editor.

The question many people ask is: do I need an editor and how much will it cost? The short answer is YES you do need an editor and IT DEPENDS (we’ll come back to the second bit later)

But before you look to finding yourself an editor, there are a few things you should, no must do first. In order to not waste more money than needed, you should edit your work as best you can before an editor (or an agent) sees it. By doing this, you’ll not only improve your manuscript, you’ll look like a professional who is serious about their craft and the business of writing. To do that you should:

(i)                 Let your MS sit for at least a month, work on something new and then come back and re-read and revise. Repeat 2-3 times.

(ii)               Join a Writers Group or match up with a CP partner and swap manuscripts. By working on each others MS projects you are not only about to get valuable feedback, but you’ll also learn the skill of honest editing. Repeat at least 2 times (after revising of course)

(iii)             Get yourself a BETA* reader and either return the favour or, while your waiting, start a new project, CP for other people or BETA read for someone else. Again you are gaining experience, an additional opinion and valuable social brownie points that’ll help you when the times comes to call on REVIEWERS for your novel.

(iv)             Re-write after notes. Let it sit for a week or two, re-read & revise yet again.

*BETA readers are so called because BETA is the second letter of the Greek Alphabet. Alpha is the author/writer and Beta is the second person to read.

Now you are ready for your next phase. Depending on the path you want to take (Agent submissions, Publisher direct submissions or Self Publishing) will decide your next step. If Agent or Publisher, now is the time to sharpen your query letter/submission letter and if SP is your path, now is the time to start working on a cover design and interviewing editors.

You’ve decided your path and sorted out your introduction letter, re-read your MS one more time and send out your query, your submission or your first pages to editors for them to give you a ball-park estimate on their services.

But I hear someone saying, how much will an editor cost me?

If you are with an agent and/or a publisher, then nothing, it’s part of the process to publishing. If you are planning on SP, then it depends on what you want (referring above), the experience of the editor and the amount of work involved on your particular project.

What I will say is this:

(i)                 Be careful of people who quote on a PER WORD basis only. That is to say, someone who quotes say one cent per word, as there is variation in the work from job to job. There is nothing wrong with giving a ball-park (as I do) however, any editor worth their salt will want to read some of your material and confirm their rate. They will also add into the agreement that should the figure likely change they will inform you before continuing.

(ii)               Only consider editor’s who work in your field/genre/category. If someone advertises they accept all work (or practically all), this should signal further discussion. No one can specialise in all areas and all fields.

(iii)             Professional editors who do freelance work will always offer 5-odd pages free. The point of this is to assess the author’s skill-set as well as assessing if this project fits the editor’s area of interest and expertise. If an editor does not offer a “free” X-number of pages for assessment, they might not be the right match for you.

(iv)             Avoid at ALL COSTS open-ended agreements. Phrases/sentences to look for are:

a.       Let’s see how we go, I’ll get back to you.

b.      I never go over X/Y/Z hours.

(v)               Open ended reply dates. There should be a clear indication of turn around time. Yes, things change and delays happen, however, if you need your manuscript back in two weeks then this forms PART of the agreement and PUT IT IN WRITING.

(vi)             Full payment upfront. NEVER ever pay 100% upfront. It is not uncommon to pay 50% deposit, especially for larger jobs, but if an editor wants 100% payment upfront, then I would be running for the hills. At the same time, the editor wants to know you are good ‘for the money’ so to speak and by agreeing to pay a portion upfront (and paying it) the editor is more likely to be keen to begin work on your project. You are welcome to negotiate. For example, you could offer to pay 25% upfront and a further 25% a week or two later and the balance on completion. But less than 25% upfront payment would be unreasonable.

 So how much should you be paying? For a full and complete editorial service, assuming you have done your BETA and CP part already, it could cost anywhere between $2,000-5,000 – sometimes even more.

However, if you initially hire an editor to do proof or line editing, the cost should be in the $100’s and when the notes are returned, there are more often than not hints on other issues (plot holes, repetition of word usage, too many adverbs, too much exposition and so on). By working through the proof-read / line edit and by addressing those other issues, you will likely save yourself $1,000 or more in the long-run.

Now for the bad news. No one is perfect. Not even editors.

They (we) miss things. Sometimes its little things, and sometimes its bigger things. This does not mean you’ve had a poor or bad editor, it simply means you’ve had a human working with you.

After you have finished and your editor is finished I STRONGLY recommend having a new BETA reader or (if you are at the ARC’s stage) future REVIEWER’S read your ARC copy, so as to pick up anything everyone has missed.

The more set’s of eyes the better.

Don’t disparage your editor, whether you are with a publishing house or you are self publishing, because they missed a few things on a 100,000 word manuscript. But at the same time, don’t think they (we) are infallible.

That’s why ARC’s are sent out very, very, early. Not only for your reviewers to read and prepare for your launch but also so they can catch anything that has slipped through the editorial net.

Editors are VITAL. They are your additional skill-set and will help your work go from mundane to great but at the end of the day, it is your work and your responsibility to ensure you have the right editor for your project and to also ensure your project is as sharp as possible before opening it to the general public.