So, you’ve finally done it!
You’ve accomplished the dream.
You wrote your book. Now, logically, you go and get it edited.
You’re ready for print; right?
Wrong.
It may sound like a lot of work but *Make sure to double check the work of a book editor!*
If you value your work and want everyone else to see it as glorious as you do – get a second person to edit it. You want your book, project or script to shine. It doesn’t take much to mess up a great opportunity. One mistake can mean rejection on a great piece of work. In fact – send it to me and I will look at it – no charge. I’ll tell you what you need and we can talk about it no charge. I was once new in the writing business, with nothing but a dream and I wrote exactly as one would expect an aspiring young writer to write. I know the struggle and fear. It would give me joy to give guidance.
Even if you don’t call me, I have some tips for you about editing so you can make sure your book is a success.
We’ll start with the basics. What is an editor?
A: An editor is just a person who edits things to make them grammatically correct. There are millions of editors and they are all people who can make a mistake.
Some editors offer critique on the writing, sentence structure corrections and entire story revamping. You will need to do your research and ask questions. I have dealt with a vast number of editors and every single one brought their own unique style to the editing format. Writing is very subjective and an editor will bring that into their corrections.
Editors all have different prices as well. Some have degrees and some have fancy jobs in New York. Editors should charge reflective of the work at hand. If an editor is taking an entire 500 page book, fixing grammar, syntax and critique – they will charge more than to just make sure your sentence structure is correct. Get quotes from no less than 10 editors and ask them all what they provide and choose the best according to your style.
After the edit is done, you have another step. Get another person to edit or look at it because editors are subject to the same distractions. I was proofreading a book for an author and I noticed a huge plot gap. I contacted the author and found that 60 pages were missing from the edited file. The author understandably was upset, but because she had a second person on it, she won’t be embarrassed later.
Another new emerging skill is Beta reading. Luckily, because it’s new, people don’t charge as much as an editor and they usually fix plot and syntax errors. However, they will not usually fix minor grammatical errors. Beta readers can be an option after an edit and it could save money if you get the right beta reader. Most of them just want to read and give opinions so they would not be a great first option for an unedited book. Still, they can give you an idea of what your story is worth, which is worth its weight in gold to those seeking validation.
Pro tip: if an editor tries to add beta reading to his package make sure there is not a huge extra charge because you’ll still need someone else to look at it anyway. A lot of people want to take advantage of the naivety of new and aspiring writers. Keep trusting your gut on this one. If it feels like a scam, it most likely is.
Proof readers are slightly different. Generally, they are good for checking work after a major edit but they won’t have as much critique advice beyond writing. They are helpful, but it depends on what you want for your book; you may want to talk to a few and see how you feel.
My personal recommendation is to research, research research! Talk to anyone who is willing to talk. Compile a list of no less than 10 people you feel good about. Once you have people worthy of working on your work – communicate. Most people selling services online are willing to answer questions and since it is all online you have record of everything as well. Then, go for the most affordable choice with all the bells and whistles.
Keep affordability in mind because you are most likely going to have to pay someone again to do a similar job. No 2 people will get or give the same experience so go with your gut. Hire someone you can communicate with. Hire someone who understands how important your work is. Hire someone who babies you because you deserve it.
On that note, you should pat yourself on the back because you accomplished something most people only dream about. If this post helped you, then you have accomplished a lot in writing a book and you should be proud! The business of writing a book can sometimes be tough, but don’t get discouraged – you are worth it – your book is worth it. When it is all said and done you will feel a sense of accomplishment you’ve never felt before. It may not be easy now, but nothing worth it ever is. I know you will do great and if I can help along the way – let me know.
As always, I hope your day is great and the words flow
Doreen
651)706-4556
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