Guest Post: WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING AN EDITOR by Carol James

Choosing a professional editor is very important, and how to do that is one of the most common questions when it comes to the whole book creation process. Let’s find out, what steps should be taken to hire the good editor.  

The professional editing is the most important part of the writing process; writers work on a book hard, and now it’s time to ship it off to a professional. Sometimes editing can be painful, but it’s also necessary; professional writers offer a variety of editorial services. Editors can do anything from marketability assessment to mentoring services, manuscript critiques evaluations and so on. 

Choosing the most suitable editing package depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript. But how pick the best copyholder? What to look for? Continue the reading. The first step - get the references. 

Countless copyholders are floating around, and it can be had to sift through them all. The easiest way to get started is to ask for the references. Talk to other writers, ask them which editors they’ve worked with and whether or not they recommend them. 

It’s important to keep in mind that references are only valuable if they’re coming from authors who’ve produced quality content. If you’ve read their work and weren’t impressed by it… Guess what, you’re not going to be impressed by their reviser either. Talk to people you trust and respect. Allow them to point you in the appropriate direction. 

The second step – be confident that the proofreader is qualified. 

Believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to narrow down a list of potential editors is to check their qualification. There are lots of self-proclaimed proofreaders. Who think they’re qualified because they took an English class. And lots of people offering editing services are college students with little to no experience.

When combing through copyholders check their credentials, what do their education and experience look like, how long have they been in this field, how many edits do they have under their belts. Their experience should tell you that they know what they’re doing. 

The third step – check their past work.

All editors should have a list of their past clients and books they’ve edited available on their website. If a proofreader does not have this information readily available – that is the huge red flag. If that person does have this information available, you need to go through it; check out the books they’ve edited. Are they any good? What do the readers think? The excerpts are available on Amazon; checking out an editor’s past work is the easiest way to get a snapshot of their capabilities. 

The fourth step – check for specialties.

Most editors have some specialty, which is usually genre or category specific. That’s worth paying attention to because if you’re writing a horror novel, you don’t want to work with a copyreader who specializes in romance. Some editors have a broad specialization, and that’s fine, but most credible editors draw the line somewhere.   

  

The fifth step – check their rate.

If someone’s offering insanely cheap rates that are too good to be true, they are not so highly professional or honest with you. While you’re searching editors compare their rate, see what the standard is for your level of edit. And if someone is offering pennies in comparison to the norm, they’re not reliable. 

The sixth step – to communicate.

You should never choose an editor without talking to him/her first. Send them an email, start a dialogue, ask them questions. Convince yourself that you are in full agreement of the details, the projected time frame, what this level of edit will entail, the costs involved and how the payments will be transacted. 

The seventh step – get a sample.

After you’ve started discussing a working relationship with a prospective editor, it’s within your rights to ask for a sample edit. This will help you to make your final decision. It’s nice to see exactly how this person’s style works and what sort of elements they focus on.    

You need to be very careful when you’re looking for a reviser. Make a list of the principal requirements the candidate should meet. For example, someone who:

• has the reliable qualifications;

• knows your genre;

• has a good reputation;

• flexible;

• helpful and encouraging.

Ask yourself five key questions before choosing a professional.

1. What kind of edit am I seeking?

2. What is my total word count?

3. How complex is my book?

4. What is my deadline? Is it flexible?

5. What is my budget?

Searching for an editor can be pretty daunting, but if you have the information about the things to look for it makes the process a lot easier. Good luck with that!

About the Author: Carol James is a writer and senior editor at writing service, so you can order essay outline sample from EssayLab. 

She has MA degree in social sciences and writes articles, reviews on the different actual subjects. So, if you have any questions regarding the writing, feel free to ask her.

GRAMMAR GIRL TALKS: i.e. versus e.g.

Misusing these two abbreviations is one of the top five mistakes I used to see when editing technical documents. There's so much confusion that in some of the drafts I got back from clients they had actually crossed out the right abbreviation and replaced it with the wrong one. I just had to laugh.

What Do I.e. and E.g. Mean?

I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations for Latin terms. I.e. stands for id est and means roughly "that is." E.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means “for example.” "Great. Latin," you're probably thinking. "How am I supposed to remember that?”

How to Remember the Difference Between I.e. and E.g.

But by now, I'm sure you know that I'm not going to ask you to remember Latin. I'm going to give you a memory trick. So here's how I remember the difference. Forget about i.e. standing for "that is" or whatever it really means in Latin. From now on, i.e., which starts with i, means “in other words,” and e.g., which starts with e, means “for example.” I = in other words. E= example.

A few listeners have also written in to say that they remember the difference between i.e. and e.g. by imagining that i.e. means “in essence,” and e.g. sounds like “egg sample,” and those are good memory tricks too.

So now that you have a few tricks for remembering what the abbreviations mean, let's think about how to use them in a sentence.

E.g. means “for example,” so you use it to introduce an example: I like card games, e.g., bridge and crazy eights. Because I used e.g., you know that I have provided a list of examples of card games that I like. It's not a finite list of all card games I like; it's just a few examples.

On the other hand, i.e. means “in other words,” so you use it to introduce a further clarification: I like to play cards, i.e., bridge and crazy eights. Because I used i.e., which introduces a clarification, you know that these are the only card games that I enjoy.

Here are two more examples:

Squiggly loves watching old cartoons (e.g., DuckTales and Tugboat Mickey). The words following e.g. are examples, so you know that these are just some of the old cartoons that Squiggly enjoys.

Squiggly loves watching Donald Duck's nephews (i.e., Huey, Dewey, and Louie). The words following i.e. provide clarification: they tell you the names of Donald Duck's three nephews.

An important point is that if I've failed, and you're still confused about when to use each abbreviation, you can always just write out the words "for example" or "in other words." There's no rule that says you have to use the abbreviations.

Dos and Don'ts

Don't italicize i.e. and e.g.; even though they are abbreviations for Latin words, they've been used for so long that they're considered a standard part of the English language. Also, remember that they are abbreviations, so there is always a period after each letter.

Also, I always put a comma after i.e. and e.g. I've noticed that my spell checker always freaks out and wants me to remove the comma, but five out of six style guides recommend the comma. Seriously. I got so engrossed in the question of whether a comma is required after i.e. and e.g. that I made a  table for the website summarizing the opinions of six different style guides.

Nevertheless, even though I prefer the comma and have sources to back me up, they almost all use hedge words like “usually” and “preferred.” I've also been told that the commas are used less frequently in Britain, and the only style guide I found that advised against commas was Fowler's Modern English Usage, which has its roots in British English. The bottom line is that in American English, I recommend using a comma after i.e. and e.g. You could probably make an argument for leaving it out in some cases, but do so at your own risk. My personal rule is to use a comma every time.

Finally, I tend to reserve i.e. and e.g. to introduce parenthetical statements, but it's also perfectly fine to use i.e. and e.g. in other ways. You can put a comma before them, or if you use them to introduce a complete sentence that follows after another complete sentence, you can put a semicolon before them. You can even put an em dash before i.e. and e.g. if you are using them to introduce something dramatic. They're just abbreviations for words, so you can use them in any way you'd use the words in essence or for example.

Web page link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/ie-versus-eg

 

Download my audiobook, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips to Clean Up Your Writing. The book is available at iTunes and Audible.com.

Am I an Idiot?

Working with a Freelance Editor

By Rebecca Forster

http://www.rebeccaforster.com

January. We begin anew. We slough off our baggage and leave the past behind. Except when we don’t.  Which brings us to the topic of freelance editors.

I have dragged mine into every New Year, every new project,* every new puddle of angst where I wallow in the knowledge that I will never write a decent book again. I have done this for 26 years. My freelance editor’s name is Jenny Jensen**. To her credit, she does not roll her eyes as she takes me by the scruff of the neck, shakes off the muck and and points me back to the computer. I use her because she is in my corner. I also use her because I sell more often when I do.

That fact alone should be enough for me to never question my association with Jenny, yet I do. I want to know why, after all these years, can’t I edit myself? Haven’t I learned anything from her?  I had to know.  Am I an author idiot?

Thankfully, the answer was no and Jenny had a couple of good reasons why I wasn’t:

Writing is a fast and furious process when it is going well. Grammar and spelling are not top of mind when an author is ‘in the zone’; words and ideas must flow freely.

Self-editing is prone to ‘blindness’. The author often sees no difference between her intent and the typed words.  A good editor understands and respects the author’s words and voice while cleaning up the grammatical flaws that set the signals – signals that allow the reader to effortlessly navigate the story.

Some writers see punctuation as a bother.  A well-punctuated manuscript will catch the eye of a publisher and so will one that is not punctuated well. Only one will sell.

Finally, some people are writers and others are editors. Like a writer with an instinct for story, an editor has an instinct for a pause, a rolling stop and when to quit. She knows when creativity and inspiration becomes awkward and interferes with story.

Knowing why I use a freelance editor usually leads to the question…

Can Only Rich Writers Afford a Freelance Editor?

Anyone who has been writing as long as I have can tell you that writing is not the road to riches. Most of us write while holding down other jobs and dealing with families. Some write for the pure love of it; most write in the hopes of making it their profession. So, how can the expense of a freelance editor be justified?

First an author must understand that books are business. New York publishers have bottom lines to meet, independently published authors want to sell their books, online retailers want to turn a profit. The way to determine if it is worth spending money on a freelance editor is to first define your writing objective.

If you want to attract an agent, a New York publisher or stand out in the indie market then, in my opinion, an editorial eye is a necessity. Prices range from the ridiculously cheap to the astronomically expensive.  Some projects only need grammatical assistance and others continuity or story editing. Story editing is more expensive but, in my case, is critical. I write thrillers that rely on a trail of clues and red herrings and I cannot assess the effectiveness of the webs I weave on my own.

In this roiling market, those who offer the cleanest, most professional product will be noticed. In the e-book market, those who present a flawed product will be called on the carpet instantly and very publicly. That is the worst kind of publicity and hard to recover from.

How Do I Work with a Freelance Editor?

The same way you work with a New York editor attached to a publisher. You respect one another’s expertise and perspective. You have discussions, not confrontations.  You understand that while this is your book, her work is also held out to public scrutiny.

The Author:

Do not forward your first draft. Make it the best it can be before offering it for critique.

When the editor returns her comments/changes read them, set them aside and come back to them in 24 hours.

Look at your edited work with an objective eye. The editor is the first reader. If she questions something so will the person who buys your book.

Pay your bills, say your thank yous. Even if you don’t like editorial suggestions, the work has been done. This is a small community- and getting smaller all the time considering the internet - and an author’s reputation is easily damaged.

Ask questions. If something doesn’t make sense, talk it out. Most freelance editors offer a certain number of follow-ups. Be succinct. Be focused.

Do not expect continuity editing if you have paid strictly for grammar/spelling edits.

The Editor:

Should be respectful of your work and have no genre preferences.

Should exhibit that she understands your ‘voice’.

Should clearly state their fees up front and be specific about what the service entails.

Should have an acceptable turn around time.

Bottom line, if you can afford it, freelance editing makes all the difference in your final product. If you can’t spend the money find the next best thing: a middle school English teacher to help out, a wonderful book on grammar or a friend who will be read your manuscript and be honest.

Rest assured, you are not an author idiot if you can’t self-edit. You are a writer. Other (wonderful) people are (thankfully) editors. Together, we make books that people want to read.

*23 traditionally published books, 2 indie e-books, 1 script in development.

**Jenny resides at http://www.e-bookeditor.com. Note the wonderful example on her home page of what a difference in punctuation can make.


Rebecca's website:  http://www.rebeccaforster.com

What do Editors Really Do?

Author Dean Wesley Smith  has a very informative post about editors, "Editors are Evil Myth."  I'd like to pull one section out of his full post about what an editor really does.  You can read Dean's full post here.  He talks about how the myth that editors are evil lives on.  If you haven't read any of his posts, you really should start reading them today.  He has a wealth of knowledge and first hand experience as an author.  


Snippet of full post:

WHAT DO EDITORS REALLY DO?

For those of you who have never seen the inside of a major editor’s office in New York, let me give you a quick tour.

Editors and senior editors’ offices are often small, not more than about four paces deep and two or three paces wide. Shelves on both sides and a desk and one chair. Assistant editors and associate editors often sit outside in the hall at a desk or in a nearby cubicle. Executive editors have larger offices, but not much, and publishers have larger offices. Books and art are stacked everywhere in the halls and offices, along with piles and piles and piles of paper, mostly manuscripts in one stage or another.

What is a senior editor’s job? Simply put, to produce every month a list of books. Senior editors are at least in charge of one imprint list. The list can be from three to six books per month. So each editor has between 36 and 72 books a year, plus a number of others on other lists that they also buy for. The editor is usually buying two years out, so double that number, and then don’t forget the books already published that are in some stage of promotion. A normal editor can handle 200 plus book titles a year when you add it all up, depending on the house and company and imprint.

An editor’s day is filled with dealing with the art department, with the sales department, with the managing editor, with cover copy, meetings with the publisher, answering mail and email, massive numbers of phone calls, and so much more. Editors seldom, if ever, have time to read in their office. They read at home or on the subway going home or to work. They read on weekends.

In other words, if your image of an editor was what you have seen from Hollywood, with the big offices, the clean desks, the one manuscript sitting on top of the desk waiting to be read, you are sadly lost in a bad myth. Editors’ offices and the area around them are beehives of activity among piles and piles of paper and books and art.

The editors I know who have lasted for years thrive in this corporate craziness. And they do it for the love of taking a book that they have found and helping it get to thousands of readers that they hope will love it as well.

Editors don’t get paid enough. They sit in far, far too many hours of meetings. But when one of their writers show up in town, they do get to use the corporate credit card for lunch, often the only time they can afford to go to a new or nice restaurant.

Editors love and hate working with writers at the same time. They love working with the writers who act professionally and are clear on the process of helping a book become a better book in the writer’s vision. They hate working with writers who haven’t bothered to learn any business, who are lost in egos, or who think that the editor works for them.

It’s working with that type of clueless writer that makes editors sometimes rather work with an agent. At least the agent will usually be professional and understand how the business works. But if you are a clear-thinking writer who knows the realities of the publishing business, the editors would much rather work with you directly than through a third party. Less chance of screw-ups that way.

Editors do their best to protect writers, sometimes too much so. They are deathly afraid of giving a writer bad news for some reason I have yet to figure out.

Interesting Observations

With only 100 pages left to edit, Dave and I have discovered that our characters "smile" a lot and do things "quickly."  Who smiles that much?  And why does everything have to be done so quickly?

We laughed at ourselves while trying to conjure up different ways to say "quickly" and "smiling."

On another note, we came up with an initial design for cover art for the Otharian book.  We think an image will help our readers identify with this bit of writing. We'll share it soon.

In the meantime, it's back to editing and finding out how quickly we can find all the smiles.

Another Round of Edits

Dave and I are going through our WIP for another round of edits, about the third time for this book.  Reading aloud together really helps you spot the gaps in the story.  We're about half way through and will definitely finish before he has to leave on Sunday.   I should be able to start sending out queries in September.

Next up is more work on the website and another round of edits on the Otharian book. We plan to share some of our writing with you soon, but we want everything to be perfect and of course, perfection takes time. 

So how does everyone else do their edits?   Any insights to share?