Welcome back for another Self-Pub Saturday!
Today we will talk about Professional Editing Services, including when you should invest in editing, what to look for when finding an editor, and the differences between services.
This is the step that can get expensive.
Traditionally published authors have access to the editor(s) within the house they are publishing and therefore do not incur the fees like a self-published author. However, they also lose some control over their project, including what the publisher wants to see in the manuscript.
Why are we self-publishing a book?
Because we want full control. Having full control costs something (time and/or money). But I’m here to help.
*If you are not financially able to get professional editing done, you either need to save up and/or run a crowdfunding from supporters, or do what I did, which including spending hours on research and investing in a Chicago Manual of Style and studying it. A premium Grammarly subscription can also do a lot to teach you how to structure sentences, when to use commas, etc., but it isn’t foolproof.
Things to look for in an editor
You can find editors everywhere online, from freelance websites, sites like mine that offer services in my spare time, or legit editing businesses. There is a never-ending supply of people who will happily take your money, whether genuine or nefarious, so you should keep a few things in mind when choosing who to work with.
- Do they work with your genre? If not, they won’t typically know the nuances of how your book should flow and attempt to turn it into something it isn’t. A good editor is skilled in multiple genres, although everyone has a favorite, especially if they are authors themselves.
- How do they work? A lot of editors work with Microsoft Word, but there are some that don’t. You need to make sure they work in a way that you can easily swap documents, or it can turn into a nightmare. Microsoft Word is a great tool that I personally use, and it allows you to add comments and track changes, so the author can see what the editor thinks, changed, etc. If you use something like Scrivener to write, don’t worry. You can easily convert Scrivener files to a word document you can send your editor with a little know how. There are plenty of how-to videos on YouTube.
- Do they have previous work? While an extensive backlog of previous work is great, everyone has to start somewhere. Do some research on a particular editor if they don’t have an established backlog. Look at their website or job listing for typos and grammar mistakes. Even long-time professional editors will still miss things on occassion, but if there are multiple issues on their site or listing, look for someone else.
- Are they available? Many professional editors book their services months out, so you need to check if they are free to work on your manuscript when you need them. While someone who is booked for six months means that everybody wants to benefit from their services, you may need to find someone else who can work with your timeline. You also need to check on their turnover time and see if it works for you. Most editors can take 2-4 weeks, depending on the service(s).
- How do they communicate? As authors, many of us are introverts with social anxiety, so having the choice to communicate by email is a great thing. I personally retain more information reading something rather than listening to someone talk, but then there are other people who would rather talk on the phone. There is someone out there for everyone, you just have to look. Most people have a Contact Me page where you can ask questions before choosing to work with them.
- What do they charge? More established editors typically charge more, as their services are in high demand. An editor that is just starting out trying to get clientele should be cheaper, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. It can, but not always. Ask questions and see if they vibe with what you are looking for. Most editing is done per word, but some have different ways to price their services. Also, take into consideration that many editors require a percentage of the total cost up front, and it might be nonrefundable. Ask about payment options and if they do contracts with written agreements on price and timelines. Contracts protect both you and the editor. Don’t balk at them, just read them before signing.
- Do they offer a sample edit? A sample edit should be free, the length specified by the editor, in a bid for you to see what their work on your manuscript would look like. If they don’t offer one up front, ask, and if they refuse, look somewhere else. A legit editor isn’t afraid to put in a little effort to show you what they can do for free if they are confident that their work is good and you will more than likely stick with them.
- Do they offer style sheets? While you won’t get a style sheet for a manuscript critique or a proofread, you should definitely get one for line and copy edits, especially if you are writing a series. A style sheet documents your choices in spelling, use of hyphens, and other stylistic choices to keep the manuscript consistent.
- Do they offer editorial letters? Editorial letters or reader reports can help you understand the edits, suggestions, and comments while giving you a bigger picture of how to move forward into the next stage of editing. The more feedback you can get for your money, the better.
Types of Editing Services
Manuscript Critique
Aka Developmental Edit. The critique is done after doing your own editing, the beta reader phase, and more editing. It looks at plot structure, character development, writing craft, and other things that make up the manuscript as a whole. A developmental editor is basically a professional beta reader that does an in-depth analysis and gives you tips on how to fix the issues.
This phase does not focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., although there are some editors that will fix small things like that if they see it (because we can’t help ourselves). If they do change anything, it’s best if they use Track Changes so you know what they did and hopefully learn something in the process. (I only use Microsoft Word, so I can’t give any advice on other word processing programs.)
Most developmental editors will leave marginal comments, questions, and suggestions in the document itself, rather than answering general questions after reading your manuscript. You should ask if they offer an editorial letter before committing to their services where they give you an overview of their critique on your manuscript and what to do next.
As always, you don’t have to take every suggestion to heart or fix everything they point out, but you should at least consider everything they mention. You are paying them to find issues, and if you chose a good editor, they know what they are talking about.
A manuscript critique should be the first professional edit you get done. If you get a line or copy edit before a critique and end up having a lot of things to tweak, you will have lost quite a bit of money if you have to pay for a second line or copy edit after fixing problems found in the critique.
Line Edit
A line edit takes a close look at individual lines to look at the readability, flow, voice, etc. While often confused with a copy edit, the two are not the same thing. Line editing takes a more in-depth look at your manuscript, line by line, ensuring your word choices and sentences achieve what you are trying to communicate. This step is meant to improve your writing, while keeping your unique voice.
A line edit looks at things like word choice, filler words, point of view, clarity, readability, show vs. tell, and much more. This phase is generally the most expensive since it goes into so much detail, literally line by line.
Changes should be tracked by your editor. Reviewing changes and any comments can give you a better understanding of writing craft in general and teach you how to better your writing in the future.
Look for an editor that will supply you with a style sheet for your copy editor (even if it’s the same person). This creates consistency in style choice while looking for errors.
You should get a line edit after a manuscript critique and before a copy edit.
Copy Edit
Typically, The Chicago Manual of Style is used as a foundation to build a unique style guide for your manuscript, but there are other styles that an editor may use. This is merely the most popular, particularly in fiction books.
Copy editing checks things like spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, word usage, style consistency, clarity, basic fact-checking, grammar, capitalization, grammar, and more.
The editor will generally use Track Changes as they fix issues and maybe leave comments about something they see that previous editing hasn’t caught. Review all changes and comments to learn more about writing craft and get the most bang for your buck.
A copy edit comes after a manuscript critique and line editing but before formatting or proofreading.
Proofread
A proofread is the very last step before publishing. This takes place once the book has been formatted. It looks for consistency in formatting, page layout, and typos that have slipped through every other edit (there is almost always at least one).
You usually won’t receive a style sheet, any fact-checking, or comments on issues like pacing, voice, or story issues like you do with prior editing. This phase ensures proper formatting, spelling, hyphenation, punctuation, word usage, scene breaks, paragraph styles, etc.
After the professional proofread, it is best to order an author copy of your book to do your own proofread and check how the cover prints. A professional proofreader won’t typically proof your cover, unless they offer it and you send them a copy of the book.
Proofreading should be your last service before publication. Anything caught in this stage is generally an easy fix that won’t affect page count and in turn your cover size. If it does, you may have to reach back out to your editor/formatter/cover designer. Some will fix little things for free, and others may offer a highly discounted price for fixing bigger issues.
If you are looking for editing services, I currently offer Manuscript Critiques, Copy Editing, and Proofreading at an affordable rate.
If you enjoyed today’s post, I’ll be back on May 31 with the next installment. Subscribe for free to this blog to stay up to date when I post or sign up for a paid subscription below to get access to my Library and any premium content on the plethora of blog posts I have. The Library has two sections, the Herbal Library and the Self-Pub Saturday Library. They are ongoing archives of my two main points of interest that make it easier to find certain posts on the related topics. It’s only $2.99 p/month and you can cancel anytime. You can also check out my book if you want to see some of my work. I did everything myself with the help of the internet, Microsoft Word, the ‘Chicago Manual of Style,’ and Photoshop.
Many blessings,
Emma Lee Joy
Red Hawk Ridge 
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