Don't get ripped off 💔💰📖 find out how much book editing should really cost: wp.me/p1sNnM-2gl
I haven't done full-time editing since I was getting my MA in Literature but am doing a little now for fun - I wanted to figure it out how long it takes me to edit, so I can calculate earnings per hour.
The kind of editing they do matters (proofreading, copyediting) as well as how clean the manuscript is (whether they need to fix typos in every sentence, or can focus more on big issues).
Also clean writing isn't what makes a book sell, so make sure you're studying craft or story on your own - an editor can't fix the biggest problems, only point them out.
Finally, there are tons of people who think they are good enough to be an editor, but charge cheap - I made a blog post once about cultural differences, like how some people charge more because of confidence, not ability.
Ideally, you'll send a sample first. It can be hard to edit a sample though, especially if it was already clean. I would look at a resume, background, work history and testimonials, keeping in mind:
A) just because they were good before, doesn't mean they won't rush your job.
B) just because they had a good job or have happy clients, doesn't mean they're awesome (it's hard to vet an editor and someone with people skills can get selected without merit). Plus, it's hard to see if someone is NOT good, unless they leave a bunch of obvious typos.
C) maybe don't trust everything on their website; I would trust 3rd party sites with lots of reviews, like Upwork, except the GOOD editors won't compete for business on a freelance site, they'll have built their own website or work with clients through referrals. (There are a bunch of people who run businesses entirely through Facebook and responding to group posts asking for editor recommendations.)
It's a very tricky space, with little protection for authors - I've seen editors disappear or stop responding to authors, with no recourse but to hire someone else. But again, that's why I recommend getting your book pretty ready yourself and using beta readers or family to weed out typos so it's clean reading.
If you want to pay a lot for a developmental editor who can show you your poor writing habits and help take your broken story into something much better - that can be worth it (so you become a better writer, not necessarily because it will sell better; that depends on the project and the market).
But be cautious, and focus on basic story structure stuff before you hire an editor.
Let me know if you have questions on editing!
PS. I did some research - apparently humans can only catch 95% of mistakes, but some "editing certification tests" let you pass with just 80%!
So out of every hundred mistakes, they will still leave 5. If you have 400 typos in your book, there will be at least 20 when you publish (though, I'd count on more, because fixing 400 typos would leave me exhausted, and more are likely to slip through).
#derek #derekmurphy #howto #hire #editor #cost #editing #bookeditor #formatting #writing #selfwriting #marketing #branding #digital_nomad #creativity
#bookmarketing #authors #Kindle #Amazon #writingprompts #writingfiction
#plotting #how_to_write_a_book #how_to_publish_a_book
#bookediting #bookcoverdesign #howtogetpublished #earnmoney #online#marketing_strategies
#selfpublishing #derektips #3D #3Dbookcover #3Ddesign #writing #nomand #bookdesign #formating #publishingtips #mockuptool #freemockup
16 окт 2024
