How Do I Find A Cheap Editor?

Many of you have asked me: “Where can I find a cheap editor?”

You have probably discovered  I won’t recommend a cheap editor to you. Why? Because I like you and I want you to be successful as a writer.

I know very definitely that you get what you pay for. 

I met one of my clients, Betsy, at a writer’s conference where I was speaking, the kind where you get to meet literary agents. Betsy had met an agent from a very prominent agency who wanted to see her manuscript. However, the agent wanted Betsy to edit her manuscript before looking at it. Despite my opposition, Betsy hired her neighbor, a woman who worked for a newspaper, to edit her manuscript for a low price point.

In the end she lost the opportunity. 

A similar situation happened with one of my clients, Toby. Toby was able to get the attention of one of the most prominent agents in the industry to look at his piece. This exclusive agent is actually a friend of mine who was a former proofreader for a prominent publishing house in New York.

Like Betsy, Toby went with the cheaper route. He hired an editor for $300.

Like Betsy, Toby lost his contract. 

The only difference between Betsy and Toby is that Betsy came back to me, and we eventually found her representation. This happy ending does not always happen to writers.

Why not start the right way and avoid all the rejection? 

The thing about editors is they must know what agents and publishing houses are looking for. This is extremely important, even though it might seem like a mystery to you. This is the reason why I don’t recommend cheap editors: the payoff isn’t there.

You must invest in an editor.

If you spend a tiny amount on an editor to edit your manuscript, you might as well just flush your money down the toilet. Why? Because high quality editors would know industry standards. There are certifications for editors. That means that there is a high price point. 

I would not be serving you in any meaningful way if I sent you to a cheap editor. It’s very important to me that the writers I work with have success. 

If you’re in Write to PUBLISH, it’s because you want to publish, and if you want to publish, it’s because you are dedicated to quality. Quality, to a publishing houses’ standpoint, involves craft. There are many other elements to quality writing, but understanding that the industry has a craft standard is very important. Your editors must know this craft standard. 

If you want to circumvent the rules, you’re almost certainly headed toward zero or loan sales.  I know other people in the group have gone on to self-publish. They eventually learn the hard way that their books aren’t selling, so they come back to me and we revise their books up to publishing standards so that they can sell their books.

In Write to PUBLISH we have a commitment to craft and growth and all of those elements that lead us to success. We are here to publish and to publish well. If you are ready for that, let’s chat.