After you’ve written your book, manuscript editing is the next step in polishing it for publication. It’s the process of taking the raw material of a manuscript and smoothing the rough edges.
Most think of manuscript editing as correcting grammar or misspelled words. That’s a part of the process, but those types of adjustments are only on the surface. Depending on the shape of the manuscript, it may need more in-depth support. This requires an editor who knows how to look at the manuscript and analyze it to uncover what’s broken and how it can be fixed to create the best version.
Editors have a keen eye and are able to find the bits and pieces that are easy to overlook when you’re writing.
In a previous article, we discussed the different types of manuscript editing. This post offers a brief overview of manuscript editing, where to find an editor, and what to look for.
An editor’s job is to look at your writing, assess it, polish it, and make it easy to read, easy to understand, and engaging. Readers expect the books they buy to be professional. When a book’s writing is sloppy and unprofessional, readers are not impressed.
Who wants to spend their money on any product that doesn’t do what it says it will do? For books, this means presenting clear writing that you don’t have to trudge through to get to its core message.
I’ve been in the book publishing industry for almost two decades, and three of the biggest mistakes I see authors make are:
- Editing yourself – One of the first rules of manuscript editing is not to edit yourself as the author. Why? Because it’s too easy to overlook small details. When the manuscript lives in your head, you can read a sentence on the page and not see that a word is missing because every time you read it, you fill in the blank. When an editor reads your work, these omissions are glaringly obvious because they didn’t write it. Great editors are a second pair of eyes that see the things that your brain keeps you from noticing.
- Only editing for grammar – Grammar is important, but there’s more to a good read than getting the grammar right. There’s clarity, pacing, character development, plotting, structure and so much more. If any of these pieces are not fully developed or misaligned, it can throw your entire manuscript off. A quality editor who specializes in the type of manuscript editing you need can help you build out your manuscript until it becomes the full representation of the story that you envisioned.
- Not selecting the right editor – Editors are not created equal. They have different specializations as well as different temperaments. Editors should be a good fit for you as an author. Selecting the right editor takes into consideration skill set, experience, and how they like to work. How do they provide feedback? What are their expectations for the author? What is their turnaround time? Compatibility is everything when selecting an editor because you will likely spend a good chunk of your time with them. You want to make sure that they are a good fit.
Editing services and how to find the right one
Manuscript editing services are plentiful. Just do a Google search for “editing services” and pages of service providers, reviews, or “how to find one” articles abound.
selfpublishing.com offers editing services as a package option and has a great staff of editors who can take your book from the beginning stages all the way to publication. The highly experienced team has years of experience and is dedicated to the craft of editing, but if they are not the best fit for your book (and you should find what works best for you), there are other service providers to choose from.
Here’s a short list of some of the more popular manuscript editing service providers:
- Reedsy offers a database of vetted editors. The user-friendly interface makes filtering editors based on genre, editing type, language, and keywords simple.
- Upwork is a freelancer website. Although the company focuses on general freelancing, you can find reviewed editors with detailed listings.
- Fiverr started off as the cheaper option for freelance services, but now they offer tiers with pricing relevant to experience and expertise. You can find quality editors and proofreaders on the site. Quality levels vary, so don’t go for the cheapest option. Do your research and look for the best editor for your budget.
- Editorial Freelancer’s Association sets the standard for editorial prices and many editors look to this website for guidelines. You can find professional editors who are members of the association. You can expect to pay standard rates that are listed on their site.
- New York Editors only focuses on manuscript editing which makes it easy to find the right fit for your book. From manuscript critiques to comprehensive edits, they offer a variety of options for authors at all stages of their manuscript’s development.
Outside of standard editing services, one of the best options for finding a quality editor is by asking for recommendations. Asking for referrals gives you the inside scoop on what an editor is really like. Are you on social media or in writing groups? Ask your community for recommendations. When someone finds a good editor, they are often happy to sing their praises. You’ll still want to interview them to make sure they are a good fit, but getting a recommendation is a great place to start.
What to look for in an editor/editing service
Look for an editor with experience in your specific genre and also expertise in the type of manuscript editing you need.
Editors specialize in different types of editing like copyediting, developmental editing, line editing, structural editing, and more.
Note: Proofreaders come at the end of the process after the editing is complete. They are not considered editors in the traditional sense, more like “finishers” who are a necessary part of the manuscript editing process. While they are definitely needed to polish your manuscript to make sure nothing fell through the cracks, you’ll want an editor who is focused on the specific needs of your manuscript’s development before moving to the proofreading stage.
Editor’s work for you
No matter how good your editor is, if you can’t talk to her (or him), your manuscript will suffer. Your editor’s job is to shape your manuscript so that your story, and not mistakes, is front and center. You want someone whose communication style works with yours. This is a non-negotiable. Communication is never more important in the book development process than during manuscript editing where everyone must be on the same page.
If an editor has a no-nonsense approach with minimal flexibility, but you need a bit of handholding and someone who is more delicate in how they critique your work, then no matter how talented the editor is, you need to keep looking. Loosely put, choose your editor like you would choose a good friend—someone who has got your back, will tell you the truth, but understands the best way to hand it to you.
Another area to consider is pricing. Only you know what your budget can hold and how much you can reasonably invest in editing without breaking the bank. Editing is one of the most important parts of the entire book development process. So you don’t want to skimp on manuscript editing just to get a cheap price. It will show up in the final product.
Takeaways
An editor’s job is to provide your manuscript with what it needs to make it shine, short of rewriting it. You and your editor are partners—the best editor for you will make you feel like you bring value to the process.When the two of you are in sync, your manuscript will sing.
So manuscript editing is the process of going in and analyzing content, and then coming up with what is the best way to spruce it up, or fix it to make it publishable. A good editor understands that it’s not enough to have great ideas or stories if they don’t connect with your reader. This is the secret sauce of a great editor—they know how to translate “author speak.”
There are several editing services to choose from and even more talented freelance editors eager to take on new clients.
A hint: When I look for an editor (or any type of freelancer), I create a simple spreadsheet with all of the things that I’m looking for listed across the top (e.g. editing type, experience, fiction/nonfiction, website, rating, etc) and then I fll in the first column with the company or freelancer name. As I find editors, I list them in the spreadsheet and fill in the sections. This helps me to keep my options organized and makes them easy to compare.