How Do I Find a Cheap Editor?

How Do I Find a Cheap Editor?

by | Aug 21, 2019 | Why is publishing so hard?, Writing | 0 comments

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.

 

How Can I Find the RIGHT Editor?

How Can I Find the RIGHT Editor?

by | Aug 21, 2019 | How to Publish, Why is publishing so hard?, Writing | 0 comments

How Can I Find the RIGHT Editor?


Are you serious about getting published? How do you know if you’re ready to be a published author?

I was speaking to a would-be author who’s been writing for a while, and we were talking about getting published. She was really excited, because she hired an editor. 

It turns out she hired an editor for about $125 or $150. I got really honest with her and cautioned her about low price points, because at the end of the day you get what you pay for.

I love all of the writers in Write to Publish, and I don’t want to see anyone selling themselves short and not getting what will truly help move their writing careers forward.

The author and I looked at this editor’s website. He seemed like a nice guy, but he also seemed to be doing many different things that didn’t have a lot, or anything at all, to do with editing. He was a book editor, but he was also a web designer. Not to mention his website was a little hard to navigate, due to other icons being over each other and some animations over text that it distracted me.

I was honest with my client and told her that this editor may be a nice guy, and might want to sincerely help writers, but he does not specialize as a copy editor. I told her she was selling herself short by hiring someone who wasn’t a specialist.

So, how do you choose someone to help you with your manuscript? 

What are the criteria for a quality editor? 

  • They follow the editing guidelines. There is a very large rule book for editors from publishing houses. The rules are extensive and every good editor must know to look for more improvements to be made than missing commas. Many times, editors throw manuscripts to the slush pile when books are simply not up to publishing standards. Why? Because the authors might have hired someone who didn’t follow the rules. So please, find someone who knows the guidelines of editing to help you make your publishing dream a reality.
  • They specialize in editing. When you look for an editor you might want to ask them how many hats they wear–are they only an editor or do they mostly do graphic design? Maybe they can do both really well. You just have to make sure that they specialize in the thing you hired them for. 
  • They have inside knowledge of what the industry is like. You want someone who can tell you what is selling on the market and what isn’t, because this will ultimately determine if you will be able to sell your book. I know this because I speak with industry professionals every single week. I get the inside scoop of what is trending and what is out of trend. What is marketable today may be passé a month from now. 

I want you to take this to hear, because this is really serious. You’ve spent a lot of time working on this manuscript. Why would you hand it over to the cheapest option?

If you’re ready and really serious about becoming an author, if you’re willing to invest in yourself and in your writing true, let’s talk. We help writers get published every single day at the Writing Gym. If this sounds like it interests you, let’s chat.  

 

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