Em the Editor says ...
Your book's best friend is your Editor!
Bring your book into the spotlight with professional
editing …Publishing a book is a wonderful life accomplishment – whether it’s your first book or another in your exciting series.
In today’s publishing industry, professional editing is more important than ever, as novice authors compete head-to-head with seasoned writers. Don’t be left in the dark about why your book needs editing polish.
If
you haven’t added the shine to your book yet, and not clear about what type of
editing you might need, take a look below. This article is a simple explanation
of the levels of editing and what they can do for you. Still have questions? Ask me!
Why do I need an independent editor?
I’m knowledgeable in
proper grammar and punctuation, isn’t that enough?
In
nearly all cases, no. You’re too close to it. You’ve been teasing it, babying
it, living it; and you know how “love is blind”? Even setting it down and picking
it up again an hour, day, or week later, generally won’t allow you to see
through the forest of familiar words and phrases, to spot the typos and grammar that spellcheck programs miss.
In
a long piece like a book, especially, you need someone who has never read it, and has expertise in editing, to spot obscure
typos and inconsistencies – and be honest
with you about content.
My mother, father,
sister, brother, pretty much everyone in the family and my best friends, are
all teachers, professors, or authors – they’ve offered to edit for me. I don’t
need a costly, independent editor.
Ah, contraire, m’dears! A couple of
reasons why these wonderful people should not be the only or final means of editing your
book: * Love ‘em though you do, and they you, most likely your family members, et al, are not trained to spot the intricate and sometimes ambiguous details. They will also tiptoe on the vicarious edge of honesty … they love you!
*
And, let’s face it, when you hire a professional editor, they are much more apt to
give close attention to the fine points and not be worried that you won’t love
them anymore if they’re truthful.
With so many independently published books these days that fall into the self-editing trap, don’t you want to stand out as a polished, professional writer?
How do I know what type
of editing I need?
Aha, confusion reigns! And Confucius
say, “Research your editor.” OK, well maybe he didn’t really say that but I bet
he would have if he were trying to publish a book today!
Types of editing tend to blur more
than a photo taken with a shaky hand. Knowing your book’s “type” and editing
terms is essential.
Time to get down to the taste-test
of editing.
First and Foremost: What “flavor” is your book? Mmmmm, peanut butter! Great – now make sure your editor LOVES peanut butter!
Many
first-time authors especially, simply find an editor they can afford. That’s
fine, but know what type of editing makes them tick. If she/he knows nothing
about peanut butter (fiction) but everything about oranges (non-fiction), look
for an editor with peanut butter stuck to the roof of her/his mouth.
In
other words, make sure your editor is familiar with and experienced in editing
the type of book you’ve written.
Taking
that premise another step further, some books should have more than one editor.
Technical tomes, historical tales, Sci-Fi and fantasy novels, just to name a
few – may require special expertise to police your book’s specific topic.
Quite
often, however, a good copyeditor with enhanced, well-rounded skills, can
suffice.
Standard editing labels (general, abbreviated definitions):
* Proofreading
The lightest form of text review …
often helpful to iron out the obvious kinks before sending to your content
editor; and/or someone who follows your content editor prior to submission to a
publisher, as a final, “polish” editor.
* Copyediting (aka Mechanical editing; Line
editing)
Follows a style sheet either you or
she/he create and/or the primary style books which stipulates style, in part on:
capitalization
punctuation
spelling
hyphenation
tables and lists/formats
use of abbreviations
attention to grammar,
syntax and basic usage
* Manuscript editing
Broad term used for any book or
manuscript editing service.
* Content editing
Closely related to Substantive
editing (below), adds paragraph structure, pattern of the text and overall
flow. Non-fiction books and novels with complex plots especially benefit from
this type of editing.
* Substantive editing
More involved than copyediting,
again, generally follows the line-by-line method and usually includes
organization and arrangement of existing content, rephrasing, with an eye for
ambiguities, and offering comments toward simplifying or expanding.
* Developmental editing
Tends to be a writing coach or
instructor, often working in-depth with an author who may not be a terrific
writer, but has an intriguing story or extensive knowledge to share. May work with
the author from conception and guide her/him all the way through, as an
integral contributor. Or, work with the first draft. (Closely related to ghost
writer.)
* Format editing / a final process prior to layout
Are your lines on straight? This type
of formatting ensures your book is consistent with your headings, page setup,
and overall “look” of the text and spacing. (Especially beneficial in today’s
world of eBooks, and for independent authors, frustrated by Microsoft’s complex DIY layout procedures.)
[LR Note:
Please do not submit your book to an editor in chapters, as you go – even if they say, “Well, OK.” They don’t mean it – believe me, I know. Or, they may charge more for their editing service. Why? Because it is harder on both of you … it is too piecemeal to easily maintain a cohesive hold on the flow. Time is money.]
Please do not submit your book to an editor in chapters, as you go – even if they say, “Well, OK.” They don’t mean it – believe me, I know. Or, they may charge more for their editing service. Why? Because it is harder on both of you … it is too piecemeal to easily maintain a cohesive hold on the flow. Time is money.]
How do I find a
reputable and knowledgeable editor?
With the Internet as their
billboard, they’re everywhere! Key words above are “reputable” and “knowledgeable.”
Best
way? REFERRALS. Ask other authors who write
in your genre and are pleased with their editor.
Some additional tips if you must
research:
* Ask for references.
* Request a sample of their editing on
a couple pages of your manuscript (3 to 5 pages or approx. 1,000 words), to review their style - it should be at no charge.
* Do they have an organized and
detailed website? It’s a good sign they will be meticulous with your
manuscript, too.
How much should I expect
to pay for editing?
In 2014, 2¢ to 3¢ per word (but
up to as much as 5-10¢) is average for proofing, copyediting, and some content
editing. (See
reference link in Resources, below.)
It escalates from there. Some editors charge by the page, some by the hour
(average is 4-10 pages per hour, at the industry standard of 250 words per page).
My payment preference is by the
word. Why? Because it offers great transparency for both author and editor. My
rates are based on the original manuscript I receive, before any editing is
performed (according to Microsoft’s word count).
With payment by the word, there won’t
be the concern of whether an editor is ethical about their time spent, or
whether they padded the hours.
What can I do to make my
book better before approaching an editor?
Create a style sheet – it doesn’t
need to be as involved as an editor’s, but should state your general
preferences, and any special text handling. You may want to indicate:
* How you treat lists.
*
Word list (i.e., email vs. e-mail; other hyphenated words?); any uncommon word
treatments – unusual figures of speech – colloquial.
*
What words are unusually capitalized (perhaps for emphasis).
* Technical terms.
* Specific formatting
requirements.
Brush up on the basics every author
should know:
* There is only ONE
space between sentences.
* When dialogue or a
quote is split between two (or more) paragraphs, there is a quote mark at the
beginning of the paragraph but none at the end, except on the final paragraph of
the dialogue / quote.
* Be aware of standard gaffes
like misplaced apostrophes, your commonly
misspelled words, words or phrases used over-abundantly, and words used incorrectly (than vs. that; where vs. were,
etc.).
Remember, a good editor will not rewrite your book, but guide it with a caring
hand.
Happy Writing!
Resources:
* Editorial Freelancer’s Association
* My Book’s Published – Now What??? by John F. Harnish w/contributions by LinDee Rochelle (2008, Infinity Publishing).
* Para Publishing / Dan Poynter, the Book Guy; links to publishing industry suppliers and more.
