Should Authors on the Traditional Path Pay an Editor? — Guest: Sharon Hughson
The title of today’s post makes it obvious that this might be a controversial topic. Writers pursuing traditional publishing are often told not to pay for editing before submitting to agents or publishers. But is that always the best advice?
The “rule” originated because in the days before valid self-publishing options, there were too many willing to take advantage of authors. (Er, there still are too many willing to take advantage of authors, but let’s stick to this one point. *smile*)
Pre-published authors were bombarded with claims: “Pay me to edit your work, and I guarantee you’ll get an agent/publisher.” Er, no. No one can guarantee a result of an agent or publisher unless they’re in cahoots, which some of these scammers were (and are).
Also back then, many editors were employees of a publisher, rather than a freelance contractor, unlike how they are now. That meant there weren’t many quality editors able to freelance for anyone and everyone.
Put that scam aspect together with the fact that there weren’t other legitimate editing or publishing options years ago and the advice to not pay for editing before submitting made sense. Any editors we found as pre-published “nobodies” were likely to be scammers or unqualified.
But the landscape has changed just as much as the post-apocalyptic settings in some of our stories. We’ve had to change our opinions and attitudes about many old-school advice “rules,” and today Sharon Hughson, a pre-published author who’s pursuing traditional publishing, is here to talk about whether this advice about editing should be next on the chopping block. Please welcome, Sharon Hughson! *smile*
*****
How a Professional Edit
Can Outshine other Forms of Feedback
Writing is a competitive business. If you want to stand above the crowd, your writing needs to glitter brighter than a diamond at midday. To this end, a writer needs feedback on the stories they write. (I’m not talking about Aunt Rose, either).
Different avenues exist for writers—at every level—to get honest (and hopefully helpful) insight into their manuscripts. Much of this input might be available free of charge. In fact, should we ever pay for a professional edit when seeking traditional publishing?
I have seen recommendations from traditionally published authors (and even a few agents) in regards to editing. The consensus seems to be: Don’t spend money on editing your manuscript before shopping it to agents and editors. Believe me, I sighed hugely when I read this advice (since I don’t make much cash as a full-time pre-published author).
Is this the best advice for you and your manuscript?
In my sixteen-month stint as a professional writer, I’ve found feedback from a multitude of sources. Family, friends, writing groups, fellow newbie writers, published authors, and even a couple professional editors.
What a Critique Partner or Critique Group Can Do for Us
I have experienced three separate types of critiques in my writing life. My experiences may be atypical. In any case, I’ve had critiques from a writing group, a published author, and a fellow pre-published writer.
I know most writing groups are composed of pre-published authors. However, my experiences between a group setting critique and a one-to-one critique have been vastly different.
In the writing group, you have three types of people: the know-it-all, the uber-critical person, and the soft-hearted reader. Their titles are self-explanatory. None of these people will be able to help you improve your writing. In fact, they may make your story worse if you try to incorporate their advice.
If you’re a member of a critique group, you’re the person who gives honest and useful feedback on every story. You never get your feelings hurt and always balance your negative comments with positive ones. As this person, you will soon tire of receiving less-than-helpful critiques from the other members and seek feedback elsewhere.
I actually paid $50 to have a published author in my fantasy genre read the first 20 pages of my manuscript. We had a ten-minute meeting to discuss her comments. She marked my manuscript in every direction. The setting was lacking. The characters were flat. The premise sounded tired and over-used. My sentences were horribly constructed.
About ten percent of what she said helped me improve my writing. Saying what is wrong with something is not the same as offering solutions to fix the problems. In fact, I have rarely read a critique that offered helpful insight for improvement (noting all my bad habits doesn’t count, does it?).
Finally, a fellow writer offered helpful and insightful advice about the opening and characterization of the manuscript I’m currently shopping to agents. She reads the genre and has an excellent ear for strong voice and snappy dialogue. Where she excels, she gave me the best advice I’d received from all the other critiques combined.
Of course, she isn’t strong on structure or creating conflict. She knew what she liked about the characters but couldn’t tell me why she didn’t like what she didn’t like (a mouthful, I know). In short, if we struggle in the same areas, she can’t help me dig my way onto solid ground.
What Beta Readers Can Do for Us
Beta readers are readers not editors. They should not be expected to catch your grammar errors, typos, or sloppy writing. They read for content and fluidity.
Say they’re confused about why or how something happened, they make a note. If they didn’t like the characters or find them believable, they mention it. Give them a list of 23 things to comment on and you’ll get some amazing—and diverse—feedback.
I did have two fellow writers beta read my manuscript. Both of them gave insightful commentary about plot, character, setting, conflict and pacing. In most cases, every one of my six readers found different things to wonder about—which helped me plug the holes in the story.
As for helping me improve the structural flaws, there wasn’t any feedback I could use. They weren’t equipped to identify weak areas in my story or character arc.
What a Professional Editor Can Do for Us
This brings us to the woefully under-appreciated professional editor. Perhaps you have looked at these people and thought, “I can do that. What skill do they have that I don’t?” Especially since many of the best editors are also published authors.
A developmental editor will amaze you (if they’re a true professional). You won’t have to ask them about anything. They will open your manuscript and tear in.
Yes, I do mean tear into every word, sentence, paragraph, and event. Close attention will be given to the opening pages because they know these are crucial to the success of your story—both with agents, publishers, and readers.
Nothing will be off-limits. Is the setting vague? Does the character have a goal? Can the scene be easily visualized? Does the dialogue sound like something people would actually say?
Your narrative will be scrutinized. Are you using the best point of view? Are you hopping between character perspectives within the same scene? Does the description sound like something a narrator of that age would truly think?
Certainly, problems like too much telling will be addressed. However, deeper issues like the underlying structure of the story and obvious character arcs will be more important to a developmental editor.
Their job is to decide if you have a story to tell. If you do, are you telling it from the right perspective? Did you start in the best spot? Is there enough conflict to sustain tension and keep readers turning pages?
Jami is holding me to a word limit, or I could go on here for another thousand words. Bottom line: A professional editor locates the bones of your story and decides if you have a foundation. If you do, they’ll dissect the characters to help you streamline motivation. If they find inconsistencies, you will hear about it.
My Personal Conclusion
In short, I disagree with this blanket assertion: A manuscript traveling the traditional path doesn’t need an editor. I agree there are some benefits in “free” feedback, but sometimes those sources don’t push your manuscript to the top of the slush pile.
Time to face facts: You won’t hook an agent or editor with a manuscript that doesn’t shine. No matter how great your prose or how many degrees you possess, you aren’t the best critic for your written work. It’s a fact; one I was sad to encounter.
I’m a pretty effective editor, but the truth is I’m too close to my own story to recognize many of its shortcomings. The characters are my intimate friends, so I read between the lines. I see subtext that doesn’t exist. Weakness in character arc or description are the invisible woman.
So here’s my advice:
If you’ve shopped your story and no one is biting,
take the plunge to pay for editing.
Spend the money on a developmental edit to ensure your manuscript:
- has sound structure,
- has believable and relatable characters, and
- isn’t riddled with plot holes.
Look at this expense (and it isn’t cheap) as an investment in your career—like workshops, craft books and conferences. In the end, your manuscript will sparkle. You will learn how to write a stronger story and spot your weaknesses in the next manuscript. Best of all, your name will appear on the cover of the book you’ve envisioned.
*****
Sharon Hughson writes non-fiction, YA fantasy and women’s fiction. More than a decade in public education has given her special insight into the minds and voices of teenagers.
Reading, playing the piano and walking in the great outdoors devour her minutes (yes, only minutes!) of free time. She lives with her husband along the Columbia River in Oregon.
To learn more about her writing, visit her website.
*****
Visit Sharon’s blog to read her three-part series on her experiences with critiques. The series kicks off with a reminder that critiques often aren’t going to feel good, and we need to be prepared for that. The second post touches on the fact that when multiple feedback comments say the same thing, we should listen. And the third post explores how the ability to ask (non-defensive) questions might increase the helpfulness of the feedback (so look for that feature when searching for feedback sources).
On her blog, Sharon goes deeper into the insights from her professional editing experience.
*****
Thank you, Sharon! Like you, I’ve heard this “don’t pay for editing before submitting” advice before, and we don’t talk enough about whether that’s still the best advice, given the changes in the industry.
As Sharon said, I don’t think authors should pay for editing right out of the gate. There are many sources for feedback, and spending money shouldn’t be our first option. In addition to what Sharon mentioned here, I’ve blogged before about my experiences with writing contests and how some of them are structured to provide feedback (although due to the contest entry fee, they aren’t technically “free” feedback).
Every agent will be different about what they can overlook. Some might be able to see past our errors or inelegant wording to the story underneath. Some might not want to help us through that weakness. Some agents consider themselves feedback agents and some don’t.
So how can we know what to do? Following the typical “don’t pay for editing” advice, the next line is often that we should shove this story under the metaphorical bed and move on to another story. For me, my second story helped me find my voice and my genre, so I understand why we might not want to stick with the same story that’s causing us problems.
But other times, we want to stick with that story and solve its problems. We might not want to give up on a story that’s the first of a series, or perhaps it’s the book of our heart. Or maybe we’re willing to invest money to speed up our learning process beyond what we could pick up on our own from free or cheaper resources. There’s no right answer for everyone and every situation.
When we don’t want to give up on a story, we might be able to use a “rule of three” to step through our revision/submission process:
- Get feedback from three free sources (beta readers, critique groups, etc.).
- Query three agents who represent our genre and accept sample pages (many agents who accept sample pages will peek at the pages even if the query is less than perfect).
- No bites? Get feedback from three more free sources and pay attention to repeating issues noted in the feedback.
- Query three more agents who represent our genre and accept sample pages.
- No bites? Pay a small amount for feedback on our opening pages or scenes (writing contests or a professional partial edit) and again pay attention to repeating issues noted in the feedback.
- Query three more agents who represent our genre and accept sample pages.
- Still no bites? Pay for a professional edit or a manuscript critique/analysis from an editor who emphasizes teaching-style feedback and specializes in our weaknesses (i.e., big picture developmental editor issues, sentence and grammar line editor issues, etc.).
If we stick to two or three feedback sources or agents on each round, we won’t burn out too many people, and we’ll still have enough feedback to look for repeating problems. That information about our weaknesses can be invaluable, as Sharon’s advice and this process are all about learning what might be holding us back.
That’s my main takeaway from Sharon’s post. If we feel like something is holding us back from success (rather than just plain subjectivity) and free feedback isn’t helping us determine what that something might be, it might be worth it to invest in a more aggressive form of feedback.
When we’re feeling stuck, we want to know what’s holding us back. Sometimes, our critique partners or beta readers will be able to push us past that obstacle, and sometimes they won’t. In those cases, paying for an edit might provide the in-depth analysis that will push us to the next level for this story—and the next one. *smile*
Do you think authors pursuing the traditional publishing path should ever pay for editing? Have the changes in the industry affected your perspective on this issue? How do your experiences with the different types of feedback compare to Sharon’s? Do you think knowing our weaknesses can help us move forward with a story, or is it better to move on to a new story? When would a professional edit be a good idea or a good investment for a beginning writer?
Pin It
As an editor, I’ve had more than one hybrid client (with both self-published and company-published works) say they like my editing better than the company’s editing. At least one has even proven that with their pocketbook (hiring me at their own expense).
Personally, I’m leery of the prospect, but if you know enough to have a sense of what you don’t know and what you need help with—and if you can afford it—then paying with your pocketbook can be worthwhile. The trouble is finding someone good. I’ve known self-publishing authors who have gone through multiple editors, trying to find someone who is actually competent.
Note: For the sake of my time constraints, right now, I’ve ignored the distinction between competent editing and compatible editing. They’re two very different things, and someone can provide one without the other, but you want/need both.
Very true, Carradee. 🙂
Hi Carradee, I believe it. Like I mentioned, publishers frequently outsource editing to freelancers these days (especially line/copy editing), so both traditional and indie authors have a chance of ending up with a good one or a bad one. The acquiring editor at a publisher usually acts as the developmental editor, but those skills don’t necessarily line up well. What makes an editor good at seeing the story potential for acquisitions is the same as what makes an editor good at developmental editing, but after that, the skill sets diverge. One focuses on working with bosses and marketing departments and championing a book through the process, and the other focuses on story structure, character development, writing craft, etc. Certainly, the same person can be good at both, but I’ve also seen an acquisition editor ruin a story because he didn’t understand story structure and made the author cut one of the story’s turning points(!). O.o Another acquisitions editor loved a story, but when her boss told her that she couldn’t acquire the story unless she made the author change the entire premise (and point and theme) of the book, she caved with a wishy-washy “well, I see how that might make the story more marketable” and lost the author and the contract. I won’t lie, the prospect of signing a contract with a publisher and ending up with a bad editor terrifies me. As an editor myself, I know how many bad ones are out there. I know how picky… — Read More »
Carradee-
I felt exactly the same way as you – until I experienced a taste of professional editing. Then, I felt like a moron for missing things that were pointed out, and I felt chills of excitement when the editor’s commentary gave me an “ah-ha” moment (or twenty).
Jami mentions that a true professional should give a sample for free before requiring payment or accepting a client. I think a writer will be able to determine from that “taste” whether or not the editor is a good fit or just another talking head.
Thanks for commenting!
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Yes, sample edits are (in my mind) necessary for evaluating line or copy editors. Developmental editing is less conducive to sample edits, just because we don’t see much of the big picture, story structure stuff in the first couple of pages. 😉
So developmental editors are hard to evaluate, no doubt. There aren’t the “rules” for “good” or “bad” advice the way there is with copyediting standards or grammar rules. So the hiring process can be a bit different for developmental editing. Hopefully some of those links would help us be able to evaluate potential editors. 🙂 Thanks for bringing up that topic!
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Sample edits are more apt to show compatibility than competence, and they require both sides to make assumptions. I’ve had writers assume I marked things for reasons other than why I marked them (even when I’ve explained), and I’ve had situations where my editing was problematic because I was given incorrect information about what I was editing.
One memorable situation involved a book where the narrator was someone who was married with kids—but the opening was such that I had no idea if the narrator was an adult or child, or what the relationships with the other characters were. If someone in that process had bothered to tell me the synopsis or blurb, I would’ve known what I was dealing with, but I’d even been told the wrong genre—which had led me to think the narrator was a child.
Yeah. That didn’t turn out well.
Hi Carradee,
Great point about how a relationship with an editor is a two-way street. Authors have to ensure that they’re communicating well with the editor–garbage in, garbage out. 🙂
As for your other point, I agree that sample edits can be great for the compatibility angle (do they get our voice?, etc.), and I also think it’s possible to see competence to some extent. (I know you said “more apt,” so we’re not disagreeing here. I’m just using this as an opportunity to illustrate the differences and limitations for others. 🙂 )
Over the years, I’ve seen about 30 to 40 sample line/copy edits. Honestly, you’d be surprised (or maybe not 😉 ) how many of those samples were incompetent, with basic grammar errors.
So I think there are two ways we can judge competence from sample edits:
In other words, as you alluded to, a sample edit doesn’t automatically include enough information to judge competence. We have to do more work to see the sample as part of the bigger picture. Thanks for sharing that important point!
My experience is very similar to Sharon’s. Critique groups are great if you can find the right one, but even then they tend to paint in very broad strokes. Professional editing is not cheap, but it is an investment in your writing and (when done correctly) is a learning experience. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Tom,
Thanks for sharing your experience! As an editor, I’d hate to get a completely green, no-one’s-ever-looked-at-this-before manuscript. I work better if the author has gone through at least a couple of critiques or beta readers to get rid of the low-hanging-fruit problems. The more the obvious stuff is taken care of first, the more I can dig deeper into the story. 🙂
So like I said, I’d never recommend that an author jump into paying money right off, but Sharon’s advice of taking the plunge if we’re stuck makes sense to me. As you reiterated, it can be an investment in our learning path. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Tom-
I hope you have found a source for getting helpful feedback. I’m amazed I’m not bald after all the ups and downs I’ve experienced in the search.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Sharon
Hi Jami & Sharon! Yep, I have found a source of feedback that’s actually helpful! A couple of men who write in my genre (Christian thriller/suspense), one who is published. At this point, I’m not concerned with commas and the like. I just need to know if the story works! Any plot holes, a sagging middle, all the stuff that’s so hard for the author to spot in his own work. And Jami, you’re spot on. I’d never consider an editor until my manuscript was as polished as possible, and that can’t happen unless someone besides me has read/critiqued it!
Hi Tom,
That’s a good way to put it. 🙂 I’ve ranted before about how too many authors think “editing” is just the nitpicky stuff, but you’re so right that the big picture problems are just as important. Thanks for emphasizing that point!
Wow, Sharon, you sure did hit a lot of marks a lot of pre-published authors need to know. I submitted a novel to a publisher a few years ago and was lucky enough to receive amazing comments and thoughts on how to make it better. They also gave me an option to re-submit once I fixed the problems. That doesn’t happen often. I went to work but still couldn’t seem to get my mind around how to fix the problems. It was at that time I found an awesome online group of beta/critique readers who are one or more of the following: published authors, have their own publishing company, freelance editors, up and coming authors, or editors for publishing houses. The wealth of information I received and still receive from them is invaluable. If it hadn’t been for these ladies, these individuals who are not afraid to rip a manuscript apart while being very, very nice about it, my debut novel would probably still be sitting in a ‘do not submit yet’ pile. It took LOTS of eyes and LOTS of red-lining and the development of thick skin to get it to a point it was ready to submit. I didn’t resubmit to the first publisher as I had my eye on another. I put it together, read it through one more time, then hit that submit button. Guess what? All those tears, all those edits, all that polishing by those in the biz landed me a publishing contract with… — Read More »
Hi Jenny, Thank you for sharing your experience! I agree, and one thing you said touches back to something I’ve said about editors vs. critique partners. I often pick on unqualified editors around here because I think if an editor is going to take someone’s money, they should be able to find 80-90% of a manuscript’s problems in their field of expertise (development, line, or copy editing). If they can’t find that high of percentage of issues, personally, I feel it’s unethical for them to charge for their work because they’re not much better than a glorified beta reader. So I like your point about how we can plow through that learning curve from newbie to publishable just with critique partners/groups or beta readers, but that we have to be prepared to get LOTS of eyes on our work. Depending on the quality of those critiques, they each might find 5-10% of the issues. If we do the math, we see just how many a LOT is. 🙂 (I probably shouldn’t admit this, but my learning curve took about 20-25 pairs of eyes. 😉 So I’ve definitely been there, done that. LOL!) Of course, either way we go, we still have to fix the problems in our manuscript. In which case, we either have to be good enough to know how to revise to fix errors people point out, or we have to rely on our readers or editors to be good at explaining and helping teach. So it’s absolutely… — Read More »
Jenny-
I am so excited about your novel being accepted. I can hardly wait to read it.
As Jami said, you’re quite fortunate to have found a group of “professionals” who are willing to honestly critique your writing. You mentioned that some of them are in the publishing business – and could very well be charging other people for the same thing they’re giving you for free! If I could hook up with that sort of group…
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience.
Sharon
I have a mixed opinion on this. If you sign with an agent or a publishing house, and they don’t like what the freelance editor has suggested, the writer then has to rework the manuscript, sort of like taking it back to where it was pre-money.
On the flip side, if your writing isn’t catching the attention of agents or publishers, it couldn’t hurt to pay for editing. However, the writing might be awesome it’s just that something else isn’t right–genre, trends, etc.
Hi Julie, I understand. 🙂 Honestly, I see this as all coming back to ensuring that the editing is good quality. A good developmental editor will help us uncover the story we wanted to tell, so any changes an agent or publisher had to undercut that story would trigger a “do I want to change the essence of my story for this agent/contract?” issue that probably would have existed pre-editing as well. I’d never suggest that an author make changes that don’t feel right for the story. I’ve also heard multiple stories of editorial-style agents making clients change stories, and then the publisher’s editor wants to make the story more like it was at the beginning. So this issue of reverting to previous versions can happen, regardless of whether we take this step or not. Also, if the point of this style of editing is partly as a learning curve mentorship, the advice about how to develop turning points, characters, emotions, themes, etc. will be valid, no matter the specifics of the story. In other words, I don’t see the education as being worthwhile only for this one story. All that said, I completely agree with you that it might be hard to tell whether the lack of “bites” comes down to quality issues or subjective issues. Sometimes we can get somewhat objective quality feedback by entering a contest, but that’s not always the case. An editor, no matter how good, can’t erase the subjectivity inherent in the industry or… — Read More »
I have yet to try to publish anything other than articles but as I work on my draft of my first book, I cringe at the thought of the cost of a professional editor. For me, as I’m sure it is for others, a hefty price. Nevertheless, as a novice of sorts, I know that I’ll desperately need this help eventually. So I’ll scrape up the money from some place and pay for the lessons I’m sure to learn for an editor.
Sharon, I am glad I read your post here at Jami’s blog. I had kind of figured out that the free help may not be all that good but I like getting confirmation from a learned source.
Hi Glynis,
If you read the other comments here, you’ll see that it is possible to learn everything we need without that expense. (After all, that’s how most traditionally published authors have done it. 🙂 ) But yes, that method might take more time and eyes. (That is, lots of critiques and beta readers added together can reach the quality of one good editor.)
As I mentioned on Facebook, this is like the “Fast, Cheap, or Good? Pick Two” idea. We need patience to learn how to write well without spending money, but it’s certainly possible. 🙂
Part of the reason I blog is to provide that free education and support for writers, because I’d hate the thought of any author thinking they had to come up with money before submitting to agents or publishers. I don’t want money issues to hold any of us back either. But will this be the right choice for some? I think so, yes.
I just wanted to make sure you didn’t feel backed into a corner. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Even though I’m just doing self-publishing, this post was very interesting to read! I especially liked the part about comparing critique group vs fellow writer vs published author feedback. And haha I totally understand that know-it-all, uber critical person, and soft-hearted reader dynamic–I’ve definitely seen that. I tend to be the soft-hearted reader…so I’m good at encouraging people but not that great at helping them improve, haha. But hopefully I’ll get better at spotting weaknesses as I travel up the learning curve! I do agree that hiring a good professional developmental editor can teach you a lot, so it’s valuable just for learning purposes. But, as I think the above comments mentioned, there’s always that cool but sometimes annoying issue of subjectivity… Even the best developmental editor who respects your story and your voice, I think, will have some personal preferences just because they are human too. I’m thinking mostly about some little quirks that I like doing that I know a lot of people don’t like nowadays, you know those things I told you about: my fondness for naming emotions directly, using the omniscient point of view, and simply liking to tell a lot (even though I show a lot too.) I do believe in good developmental editors, but remember we talked about how our reading experiences can “train” us to have different psychological reactions to the same thing. So my named emotions technique works effectively on me and on my friends who react strongly to emotion words, but… — Read More »
Hi Serena,
Great example! And I think that’s one way that good communication helps. When you go ahead with editing, make sure your editor knows upfront that you want to write in that “naming emotions” style. That will save the editor lots of time in making comments that you don’t want to hear, and it will save you the aggravation of having to see them. 😉
So absolutely, we should tell our editor about our goals for our stories, what aspects of our story we know we’re struggling with, and what aspects we’ve decided to make the marketing decision to keep the way we have, even if it limits our marketability. Editors, especially when we self-publish, should be partners, and communication helps a lot. I wish more of my clients told me their goals as far as things like genre, POV, etc., so I can tell them whether they’re hitting the mark they say they want or not.
I hope that helps. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Great blog Jami and very helpful. Even when I published traditional I sent my book to an editor of some sort. I think if the writing to very clean it helps immensely. Then if the book is not selling I’d go the route of the bare bones editor — if I couldn’t bare to tuck the book under the proverbial bed. It’s touch to fork out so much money so you have faith in the book.
Hi Sharla Rae,
Interesting! So you chose to involve an independent editor as well, even as a traditionally published author. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Thank you for such a wonderful article! It wasn’t until I started working with a professional editor that I learned how to write! I learned more in the revision/editing process than I ever learned in a class. To me writing anything includes the investment in an editor who is compatible, who cares, and most of all I can learn from their style of communication. I submitted my first few chapters to several editors and the feedback among them were quite varied on the spectrum. I didn’t go with the person who LOVED my story, and I didn’t go with the editor who only red-lined mistakes and didn’t to tell me how I could have reworked the section. It wasn’t until I found an amazing lady who provided me all three that I began to feel the magic behind my words. 🙂 The compatibility issue is very important and I feel as an independent author that it is my absolute responsibility to have had my manuscript beta read several times and edited before submitting to my developmental editor, or to any submission for consideration. advanced structural and developmental editing is a different service, and you want them to concentrate on the story and the characters – not the punctuation. But if the compatibility isn’t there – then the editor isn’t going to like the work and the author isn’t going to learn anything. Even if I ever go the route of traditional, the manuscript I submit will be independently edited before… — Read More »
Hi Killion,
Thank you for sharing your experiences! I think another aspect that isn’t discussed enough is that everyone learns differently. Some people can go to a writing workshop and see how to apply the knowledge to their work and some can’t. Sometimes a mentorship, where the instruction is specific to us and our work and our skills that need improvement, can be more helpful.
I love your editor selection process! Yes, loving our voice or story shows compatibility, but if there’s not enough “here’s how to make good into great” feedback, it’s not helpful. On the other hand, the ability to teach and show how to make it better is essential too. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights!
I think the advice on the editor selection process is wonderful! 🙂 Nice to have it pulled together in one place like this. I’ve benefitted a lot from hiring a developmental editor early in my process (before any free beta readers saw the manuscript). Here’s my logic: 1) having a coach makes the learning curve steeper and faster at virtually anything, I assumed that writing was no different. 2) Favors are a Very limited resource. Asking for a beta read is a pretty time intensive favor, no matter how many times people say they like doing it, or they are “honored” to be part of my writing process. So I need to hoard that limited resource (to some extent). 3) Developmental editing is less limited resource (because it’s available for hire). There are still money constraints (on my end) and availability constraints (on the editor’s end), but these are (for me) less limiting than spending my precious favor capital on a free beta read. The advantage here is that I will be sending my book out to 5 beta readers at christmas time, after a full revision based on what I learned from the Developmental edit I paid for last April. I hope that this means my beta readers will be reading a better book, and enjoying the read more – and they will help me test how the edits I made are working. I can see if the backstory I removed left them confused, or kept them interested, if… — Read More »
Hi Robin,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I love your three points–very logical. And as you said, it’s all about our individual circumstances as far as money, writing skills, and “favor capital.” 🙂
I’ve heard great things about Jason, and I’m so glad you found his developmental-editing-style “mentoring” helpful for that learning curve. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your insights!
Jami,
I’m submitting my revised manuscript (at just about half the word count) back to Jason in January. But after that I think I may try to find someone who is focused a bit more on specifically what I’m writing (historical fantasy/romance). Hmm… that sounds a bit like “paranormal romance” doesn’t it? 😉
-robin
Hi Robin,
LOL! That it does. 😉
Is it worth hiring an editor if your plan is to self-publish? I paid mine $800 to read what turned out to be a very rough copy of a manuscript. Now I’ve completely rewritten it, but I will have to pay another $1,300 for her to edit it again.
It went from about 20,000 to 36,000 words, which is why the price went up.
She gave me a format for a query letter and said she would edit it as part of the deal, but I don’t know if I am ready to pursue having it accepted by a traditional publisher.
Hi Courtney,
Every book and author needs editing. 🙂
For authors who go with a traditional publisher, the publisher does the editing, so this guest post is about whether there’s value in paying someone to edit before submitting to the traditional publishing industry (agents and editors).
For self-published authors, they need to procure their own editors, and yes, that means out-of-pocket expenses. That said, I understand the hit to the wallet, so check through my posts here about beta readers and editors for ideas to save money.
First, I’d suggest not paying an editor until you’re further along than a “rough draft.” Typically, authors exchange work with each other or with readers to have someone beta read their work at no cost. Beta readers are how I get my rough draft into shape for my editors. They work out the rough spots so an editor would be working on a later draft. By the time I get my editors involved, the story already works, and it’s just about making the elements stronger.
Secondly, those prices sound really high for the word count–as in, maybe double the usual fees. Price shop what editors typically charge, as that doesn’t sound right to me. You might be better off with a different editor unless she’s been so fabulous for you that you can definitely say that she’s worth the price.
Good luck! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
[…] a writing coach be the right direction for us? Or should we just get a developmental editor? (These are the editors who look at similar big-picture issues as beta […]
[…] to evaluate our publisher’s editors (some of us might want to pay a freelance editor to ensure we get a good […]
[…] to evaluate our publisher’s editors (some of us might want to pay a freelance editor to ensure we get a good […]
[…] Should Authors on the Traditional Path Pay an Editor? — Guest: Sharon Hughson | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author — Read on jamigold.com/2014/11/should-authors-on-the-traditional-path-pay-an-editor-guest-sharon-hughson/ […]