Finding Your Editor
(Warning: This post is pretty long, cause it turns out I have a lot to say.)
In the debate over traditional versus indie publishing, one of the arguments I’ve seen pop up on the “go trad” side is that one doesn’t have to hire an editor. The publisher already has editors on staff, and therefore that part of the job is done. Finding an editor is just too hard.
I’d reply that finding an editor is not any more difficult than finding an agent.
There has also been discussion, for example from Chuck Wendig among others, about improving the product quality of the indie market, which includes not tolerating poorly crafted books. I agree that this is important. No matter how you publish, you should strive to make your thing the very best thing it can be. So, starting with the assumption that you are a writer who chooses to go the indie route—meaning you will be your own publisher—I will tell you one way to go about finding the right editor for you.
But I don’t need an editor.
Yes, you do.
No, really. I’m an awesome editor myself.
No, you’re not. No one is when it comes to their own work. You need an editor. I need an editor. Nabokov needed an editor. Every writer who wants to improve their writing needs an editor. Do not read further until you accept this.
(But, hey, if you just want to throw something up and hope your compelling story outweighs your craft, then by all means do so. It's certainly been done before. You're the master of your fate, and I'm just expressing an opinion. BTW: You can stop reading now. The rest of this post will be useless to you.)
But I’m just starting out, and editors cost money.
Yes, they do cost money. That’s because they add value to your work. If you want a good product, you need to invest in it. That includes not only the time you put into writing it, but also the money to pay professionals to get the final package ready. Editing is part of that package.
How much money should I spend?
Good question! Stick around, I’ll get to that later.
Ok, so where are the editors?
Another good question. There are several ways to go about finding an editor.
You can Google “freelance editor” to see who's around. I don’t recommend that route. That’s too much like wandering into random doctors’ offices and asking for a great oncologist.
You can ask other indies who they use, which is a better option! KBoards and other forums have plenty of threads on this topic. Pro authors are willing to talk shop, and you’ll learn a lot just from lurking. In addition, you could ask other indie authors whose books you admire who they use. You’ll know when you hit on a likely prospect, because authors happy with their editors won’t SHUT UP about how great they are. Similarly, you'll get a heads-up regarding editors with a bad rep, or sketchy practices. Sadly, as with all professions, frauds and incompetents do sneak in.
You can tap into a network. And it doesn’t have to be a fiction writers network! This is what I did, sort of by accident. My circle of friends happens to be about 90% gamer nerds, so I know plenty of people who work on publishing games and game-adjacent material (including tie-in novels). Most editors I’ve worked with started out editing in the RPG world, for both indie games and “big” game companies. One of the benefits to that was everyone knew everyone else’s reputation—I had a good sense going in which editors were reliable and who to avoid. Your network could be game designers, journalists, academics, or screenwriters. Any profession that strings words in a line with the hope of selling them later will know about editors. Depending on the type of writing you do, one editorial style might be better for you, but remember that lots of editors cross over and do work in multiple fields.
Great, so I get a recommendation and I hire someone and we’re off.
Easy, Tex. Not so fast. Getting several names is just a first step. The writer and editor work as a team. You should audition your editor to make sure that your team is Team Awesome, rather than Team Doesn’t Play Well Together.
Professional editors know that you need to shop around. A real, quality editor will be willing to do a brief pass on a small piece of writing—usually a few pages—at no charge or a very small fee. (Be wary of any editor who charges a significant fee to even look at a potential client’s work—they’re likely either too fancy or too busy.) This is good for them because they can see the quality of your writing, and it’s good for you because you’ll see what things the editor reads for (Typos? Commas? Phrasing? Tone? Do they add comments or questions?). Study these samples carefully. When you find yourself saying “Oh, wow, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!”, you’re on the right track. The feedback should be critical, yet honest, and above all helpful.
And keep in mind: send the same (or a very similar) sample to all your potential editors. Not only is this the most scientific way to evaluate their work, it’s fairest to the editors (sending out tons of sections for “sample editing” as a way to get more edited for free is not cool). Editors talk to each other just like writers do. If you try something sneaky like this, they will figure it out.
A few years ago, when I was just starting to get my feet wet in the big pool that is pro writing, I had several projects that needed an editor’s eye. I sent little chunks of those projects to the various editors I was auditioning to see how each “read” went. Here’s how it went down:
Editor A gave me a fantastic bird’s eye view of the story’s arc and how to improve it, but had virtually zero comments on things like word choice, characterization, or plot consistency issues. She also used phrases like falling action, which I barely remembered from college English. So I knew that she was not a good fit for me. She remains a smart, careful reader who clearly knows her stuff, but our working styles were too different. Verdict: A good editor, but not a good choice for me.
Editor B would have been an amazing proofreader. Every typo was caught—even one I must have overlooked 20 times. Yet, he didn’t seem to care very much about the grander plan. He didn’t ask questions about what I was going for in terms of mood or tone, and he didn’t appear too interested in my writing in general. That’s a red flag. Verdict: Time to move on.
Editor C returned a 4-page sample section to me with a “this looks OK”. Verdict: That’s not OK.
All a bit frustrating, yeah? I knew that it wouldn’t be easy to find someone who I could work with, but it was harder than I thought. Through all this, I kept writing, and more to the point, I didn’t publish yet. Going back to my circle of gamer contacts, I put out an extremely general call for beta readers (not editors) for a particular novel I had written. I didn’t expect any real response, due to the fact that gamers are usually more interested in dragons than damsels. But a friend of a friend of a friend got in contact. She’d be up for reading it. So I sent it off.
She returned it a couple of weeks later with amazing feedback and notes. Better than any previous beta reader. Why are you so good at this, Amanda? I asked suspiciously. I’m actually an editor, she said. We talked a bit more, and it turned out that we have very similar working styles and goals. She was interested in my future writing as well as the current project, asked smart questions about my nascent publishing company, and understood that this would (ideally) be a long-term gig.
So I hired her. I was lucky. Amanda Valentine was a freelance games editor just transitioning into editing fiction as well, which is one of the reasons she hadn’t been on my radar before. I was one of her first fiction clients. And that’s another lesson. Experience is great, but skills are skills. If you find a great editor, don’t worry if they don’t necessarily have the credentials you might expect. What matters is skill.
Great. So you found your One Editor to Rule Them All.
Actually, funny story. You should start with one editor, but you don’t have to stop there. I don’t rely on just Amanda. I found another editor (also via the game designer circle). John Adamus has edited some of my short stories too, and while his style is different from Amanda’s, it works well to be able to consult two pros. John is particularly good at surgical strikes, as in “John, this bit of the story makes no damn sense. How do I get myself out of this quicksand?” Then he’ll throw me a rope.
This brings me to another thing. There are different types of editing, all with different rates and goals.
Proofreading is the most basic type. Proofreaders check spelling, make sure you didn’t use discreet when you meant discrete, and put all your commas in the right place. And that’s it.
Copyediting is the next step up in complexity. A copyeditor actually reads the piece for coherency and logic. A copyeditor will tell you when Parvati’s pants change from blue to orange in the same scene, or that Emmy was super mean to your protagonist in the beginning, but then becomes besties with her in the next chapter with no explanation.
Developmental editing is even more high-level. A developmental editor will read your story (probably multiple times) to examine how the plot arcs and how the themes are fitting in. She’ll tell you that the mood of the story waffles from comic to dark and back, but maybe not in the way it should. She’ll offer different ideas for fixing larger-scope problems in your manuscript.
Many editors end up doing a mix of these roles, and charge accordingly.
Can we talk about money now?
Yes, we can. As I said before: professional editor is professional. That means paid. The rates that different editors charge will vary a lot. It’s based on their location, their experience, and their workload. Some charge per word, some per page, and some by the hour. Sorry if that’s vague, but it’s true. In general, expect to pay more for more complex editing. A proofreader may cost as little as 1 cent/word. A developmental editor may start at 3 or 5 cents/word or go much higher, depending on who they are and what the project is.
The good news is that indie writers are a growing market, and editors are flexible by nature. Many will negotiate a flat fee that works for both of you, many will let you pay in installments, and some may even work for a percentage of the sales. (This last option will most likely be for newer editors looking to expand their client base, or an editor who’s willing to gamble on the success of your project.) No matter what deal you work out, remember that you get what you pay for.
The writer/editor work relationship is going to be unique for everyone. Your project is one of a kind, right? Why would you expect to drop it onto a conveyor belt labeled MAKE MY WORDZ PURDY?
So I leave you with these thoughts:
It will take time. As it bloody well should. Be patient in your search and don’t settle for a mediocre job.
An editor can be great while not being a great fit for you.
Editors are professionals. Be prepared to pay professional rates.
An editor is neither a slave nor a genie. They’re professional contractors hired to make your work the best it can be. You must work with them to make your awesome awesomer.
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Write on, comrades.