I was so happy to be a part of Kate at Romantically Inclined’s blog post this week about finding an editor. There is a lot that goes into finding the best editor for you and your book, and I thought I’d elaborate more on some of my answers from that blog post here and add in a few more things that writers should consider when looking for an editor.
Searching for an editor
I think the author-editor relationship is really important, so you want to find someone who really gets you and your work and that you think you’ll have a good rapport with. Word of mouth is honestly the best way to find an editor, in my opinion—so ask your friends who write in the same sub-genre you do what editors they’ve worked with and how they liked them. If you’re just starting out and you don’t know a ton of other writers, you can also try looking at your favourite self-published books that you think are well edited and checking the front matter or the acknowledgements to see what editor they used.
Getting some names is only the first step. Now you investigate. Go to the editors’ websites and read the testimonials and their about page, go to their social media and see what kinds of things they post, get on their newsletter and see if you like their content. What do their clients say about them? Who have they worked with? What kind of romance do they specialize in, if any? (Make sure they’re a romance specialist—you want someone who understands the genre.) What do they post about or create content about, and do their interests line up with yours? This doesn’t have to be a perfect match or anything—it’s just an indicator that you could get along with this person.
Once you start talking to them, see how you vibe with that person. Maybe you want straight-to-the-point, just-the-facts answers and no small talk, or maybe you want to feel them out a bit to make sure they'll get you and your style. This might sound a bit woo, but trust your gut. I once hired someone because there was a picture on her site of her smiling and she looked just like a friend of mine, and I was just like, "yeah, I like this one." Is it kind of weird to make a decision based on that? Yes. (Don’t worry, everything else about her was good too!) But it seriously worked out and I’m so glad I went with it; she was amazing. Take all the other factors into consideration, of course—friends’ recommendations, testimonials, credentials, interests, etc.—but also what you feel is best for you.
Lauren from The Hills: “Go with your gut, but use your head.”
Sample edits—yes or no?
An emphatic YES. To me, sample edits are an excellent diagnostic tool for both the editor and the author. The editor will get a sense of your work and what your strengths and weaknesses are, and should be able to recommend from the sample the kind of editing that you’ll need (more on that below), and you’ll get a sense of the kinds of things the editor is considering when they edit. Did they get what you're doing? Do the changes they're suggesting make sense to you? Do the changes sound helpful, or are they not being explained properly? This will help make your decision easier. (Note that different editors will pull out different things, and it’s totally fine if there’s not a consensus between sample edits—editing is an art, not a science.)
Most editors give free sample edits of anywhere from five to twenty pages on average (I do 10-15 pages), but some want you to pay for them. I wouldn't, personally—there are lots of great editors who give free ones, and editing is expensive already without having to pay for one or more sample edits.
Also, so you know: editors can’t send you a sample of editing that they’ve done for someone else (to protect that author’s property), and anyway, it’s so much better to receive feedback that’s personalized to you and your work.
Different types of editing
The editor should be able to recommend what kind of editing you'll need based on the sample. Editing basically falls into three main categories: developmental, line, and copy. (I consider proofreading separate from editing, but still an important step!)
Developmental: This is a holistic view of the story and all the story elements: plot, character, theme, setting, timeline. The editor will go through and highlight the major areas of focus in the manuscript and then put it into a comprehensive edit letter. This should give you really good direction on what to do next.
Line: Line editing is all about smoothing out the prose, the story timeline, and the overall style of the sentences. It’s making sure that everything flows together, that there’s not too much or too little info included, that the storyline is internally consistent. A line edit will tighten up the prose so you’re not wasting your words.
Copy: This covers spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, and formatting, and ensures that all of these are consistent throughout the manuscript. This is serious detail work, and a good copy edit will help prevent those reviews that call out typos and other obvious errors that readers might pick up on.
(Note that there aren't standard terms in editing—some people may call a developmental edit a manuscript critique or a substantive edit, for example—so make sure that you know what your edit will entail.)
Some people only need one kind of edit; some people may need more. Early in your writing career, you might want to opt for a combo of dev and line or copy, but as you develop your craft, you might be able to get away with less editing to save money. I’m firmly of the opinion that most stories could benefit from having all three, but I know that’s not realistic for most people in terms of editing budget. An editor should be able to tell you which kind(s) of editing you need and explain why they’ve recommended the package that they have so you know you’re getting your money’s worth. I’ve sometimes recommended dev + line for some who came in just wanting line, and I’ve recommended just line for some authors who wanted the whole shebang. It’s really what’s best for the book, not for the editor’s bottom line.
Contracts and timelines
Definitely put it in writing! Most editors will have a contract for you to sign that explains what services they're providing, what their turnaround time is, how much it'll cost, and how they want to be paid. A contract protects both you and the editor—so you know exactly what you're paying for, and so the editor can ensure they'll be paid—so it's a mutually beneficial thing.
A one- or two-week turnaround is pretty common in editing—that gives the editor enough time to give your manuscript the care and attention it deserves while also juggling their other projects. I'd be very wary of an editor who says they can give your full-length manuscript back in a day or two. As a reader, I can read a book in one day, sure, but as an editor, I need way more time to read, to absorb, to analyze, and to give useful feedback. That can't all happen in 48 hours. Your edit should be worth the wait!
Handing over the manuscript to the editor
Don’t finish up your first draft and immediately hand it over to the editor. A first draft is all about just getting words on the page; the next pass is to clean it up and start shaping it into a more coherent form. Revise it first, send it to critique partners or beta readers if you want and work in their suggestions, then send it to the editor. (If you can't bear reading it again for the eleventy billionth time, it's probably ready for the editor!) You’ll get more bang for your buck if you clear away some of the things that are relatively easy to fix before you send it to the editor so they don't have to deal with them and can instead focus on bigger, thornier issues.
Do not worry that you might be introducing other problems into the manuscript in your revisions. Have you ever lost something in a computer crash and had to rewrite? The rewrite ended up even better than the first version, right? Same thing here—you’ll most likely make it better in revisions as you know your story better, and even if not, your editor should know how to fix the problem.
Lining up timing is the trick in this step. You have to estimate when you’ll be done your first draft and when you'll be done revising it, then make sure you can book your editor for that time. Consider the editor’s timeline too and how quickly they book up, and if you have to pay a penalty if you don’t make your scheduled date. If you have a pre-order already scheduled on Amazon, you'll need to make sure you factor in the editor’s turnaround time and the time you need to revise again after that. So be realistic with your schedule when you’re planning and booking an editor.