Editors

[Timben]

Are professional editors really expensive? I am looking for an editor for my 14 Westerns. They are completed just need editing. Or should I go ahead and send them to a publisher as is and hope that they will edit them for me?

 

[Steve Harrison]

If you are going to approach a traditional publisher, you don't need to hire a professional editor as the publisher will assign one to you if they buy your book(s). Most have an in-house 'style' so hiring an editor may also be a waste as they will want to go through the same process again. However, the manuscripts will need to be as close to perfection as possible (& no typos!*) as a massive editing task may put them off.

I haven't self-published, but after my trad experiences, if I did I would definitely pay for editing, proof reading, cover design etc (which is why I haven't self-published!).

*Almost impossible, but worth a try!

 

[tinkerdan]

I did some research on this quite a while back seems like many editors charge pennies on the word as little as .02(two cents) or .03(three cents) to .10 (ten cents) US.
So 125k could be as little as 2500.00 US- up to many thousands. The difference in price is based on what type of editing you want.
They also offer hourly rates which gets dicey depending on how difficult your writing might be.

The chart below is on the lower side as I have seen .08 to .10 in others for developmental editing.

Type	Rate per Hour	Rate per Word
Proofreading	$31–$35	$0.02–$.029
Copyediting	$36–$40	$0.02–$.029
Line editing	$46–$50	$0.03–$.039
Developmental editing	$46–$50	$0.04–$.049

There are some that offer around .012 (1.2 cents) us which would be 1,500.00 US dollars for copy editing.
If you have a university near you, you might be able to get a student to do the edits for much less--depending on how hungry they are.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Are professional editors really expensive? I am looking for an editor for my 14 Westerns. They are completed just need editing. Or should I go ahead and send them to a publisher as is and hope that they will edit them for me?

You've mentioned before on chrons that you have problems with basic grammar and punctuation, but no publisher is going to find that acceptable in a submission, so you would probably need something like a line editor.

However, that all assumes your plot and storytelling in itself is all fine, and almost no one gets this right without input from a developmental editor. Do be aware, though, that they will point out the issues and it will be up to you to rewrite these, they will not write out these for you.

So if you really wanted to throw money into this, a developmental editor, probably a couple of runs to ensure you get it right, followed by a line editor to point out what you need to tidy up.

 

[THX1138]

Just a thought. What about using a ghost writer?
Not an expensive one, but one that is inexpensive starting out, and understands the genre your writing in?

 

[ColGray]

You've mentioned before on chrons that you have problems with basic grammar and punctuation, but no publisher is going to find that acceptable in a submission, so you would probably need something like a line editor.

However, that all assumes your plot and storytelling in itself is all fine, and almost no one gets this right without input from a developmental editor. Do be aware, though, that they will point out the issues and it will be up to you to rewrite these, they will not write out these for you.

So if you really wanted to throw money into this, a developmental editor, probably a couple of runs to ensure you get it right, followed by a line editor to point out what you need to tidy up.

Having 0 knowledge of writing style/acumen/experience, it raises the question of, Can you (Timben, not Brian G Turner) write a succinct 3 act outline of your story? If not, don't waste money on an editor: your story has core structural issues that need addressing before worrying about anything else.

Second, research the genre: have you hit the relevant genre expectations? (e.g. a Western without a showdown and everyone lines happily within the law) Are you within the general wordcount expectations? (plus or minus 5%) If not, an editor is still probably not worth the money.

Third: Have you started with alpha or beta reader? Have they said things like, I didn't understand what happened when... ____ plot point/character development/complication/ etc. If so, you may still have some structure issues.

If yes to all three, then start with a development editor if you're not 100% sure your structure is great. There are also "story coaches" and other similar titles out there.

AFTER structure is set, do line and copy editing after you do 2 more passes. You'll find things. Use grammarly or ProWiritingAid. You'll find things

The editor will likely offer to do a few X pages. Send them over and see what kind of comments/questions/etc. they raise. Have a conversation. As much as you're judging them, they're judging you: writing with flavor, brevity and precision may get a lower rate. If they think they'll need to redline every sentence, that rate is going to rise.

I also love that your avatar is a Norm McDonald Burt Reynolds drawing.

 

[Droflet]

Or find a beta reader. Never underestimate the power of a fresh pair of eyes.

 

[clarissajaneen]

You can find current editorial rates released by the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) here. You can, of course, find editors who will charge less on sites like UpWork or Fiverr, but they will be less experienced/credentialed.

This guide from the EFA explains what the different rounds of editing are and why you need each of them.

Traditional publishers will always have multiple rounds of editing before publishing a work, but an agent may be less likely to take on a piece riddled with grammatical errors or with glaring story issues, so you might consider paying to have your work edited before you reach out to agents. (Pretty much every publisher only accepts books represented by an agent and will not accept work pitched directly from an author.) On the other hand, self-publishing guarantees you'll need to pay for all of the editing yourself, which can certainly get pricey.