What to expect from a professional editor?

I think there are a couple of points before you contract an editor.
1. Get a referral from another writer, don't go to the winner of the Google dart-throw contest.
2. Get a contract specifically for what you expect, when you expect it to be done.

Something that worked well with me, especially because of the length ($$$) of E&D, is that my editor did an edit of the first, I think 100 pages, and reviewed synopses of the remaining chapters for story line. Which forced me to write the synopses, which also cause me to rewrite some chapters where i found I had nothing to synopsize! She got a feel for what she was working with, and I got a feel for what kind of editing she could do, and a reasonable price, deductible from the full edit if I choose to go that route (I did)

 

I am going to reawaken this thread as i think it is useful.

Well I have an editor due to start any day now. I sent the first 1K as a sample and after many emails she quoted me based on the total word count. She is from the Society of Editors and Proofreaders. She offered me a place in her diary and I have had to wait 6 months, but that suited me so I could finish and polish the MS. She works on a schedule of rates (although she did not call it that) which is basically £100 for 10K. I have checked her out thoroughly and all looks ligit. I will let you know what happens

 

Yes that's right Moose.

 

Update:

Just had a quick read through of my first round from a professional editor.

Grammar errors.
Head hopping and P.O.V issues.
Some show vs tell.
Plot issues.

Nothing catastrophic but plenty to think about. More than a few lights have been switched on in my head. Valuable lessons learnt....

 

I'm an editor who has been doing this for quite a while at a publishing company. Most of what I get is not publishable. The problem is not typos or bad grammar, just bad storytelling in most cases. What editors do is check for spelling and grammar and for good character development, pacing, consistency and layering different elements together, meaning the main plot and various subplots which should tie up nicely at the end.

Not to be blunt, but most beginning writers just do not know the basics and there are plenty of how-to books out there.

 

I know this is an old thread but I have just finished my WIP first draft and would love guidance. I need an editor because I waffle on too much
SO guidance and help on what pitfalls to avoid would be arousing

 

Any chance that "Uh ...NO!" might become a "Hells YEAH!" if the fee was right?

 

In my younger days, hells yeah might have been an option, but I'm not really feeling like taking on that much responsibility now. I'm retired, over 70, and due to the political situation, coupled with Covid-19 worries, my energy level is really low at the moment. And I really am not an expert anyway. I'd feel like a fraud taking money. Plenty of experts out there who would love the work, though.

 

I'm looking to gain more experience in how to help writers - if you need some help, drop me a PM.

 

A good professional editor is much like a rectal exam. You spread your cheeks, they rip you wide open, expose your crap and tell you (nicely) how much it stinks. There's you, expecting to be told how perfect your lower intestine is, but no, it's invariably a mess.

The cleaner your butthole is to start with, the nicer the procedure will be. But there's no such thing as a gleaming colon, so it's gonna hurt.

 

I'm a freelance editor and I think that I can help with a few queries on here.

Most freelance editors will choose whether or not to take on a manuscript. That might be right at the start of a project, or they might notice something further down the line that makes the working relationship difficult, and they hand the manuscript back. That's not common, in my experience, but it does certainly occur. Some editors offer free (or paid) sample edits. This can work well for both parties. The author can check they're happy with the edited section and the editor can get an idea whether this is a book they'd be comfortable working on. A sample edit also allows us to work out a price for your manuscript. Some editors charge per word, I prefer to charge based on the amount of time I think that it's going to take me.

I totally agree with the post saying that most manuscripts are not ready for editing, that has been my experience too. It's not usually an issue with spelling, grammar or typos - all of that can be dealt with easily - it's generally a problem with confused storytelling. I'm not a developmental editor, I'm a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader, and I turn away far more manuscripts than I accept because of the storytelling issues.

If you're looking for an editor, I have a few suggestions:
* Start early - most editors have busy diaries and will book up months in advance. Begin by getting suggestions and recommendations, most editors have social media and websites where you can check all their past work, recommendations and clients. Do they work in your genre? Some editors cover a range of genres, some are very specialised. Check what they have edited previously.

* Get in touch with ones you think you could work with - build a relationship with them. You're going to be handing over your book to them, do you think this is someone you could work with, do you trust them, do you like them? There will need to be open conversation going both ways during the editing of your manuscript. Do you think the person you're considering is someone that you could take constructive feedback from? I can't stress enough the importance of finding an editor who is a good fit with you. I think that would be my number one recommendation, find someone who you trust, who you like and who you can see yourself working well with over a number of weeks/months. A good editor is your cheerleader.

* Costs - a professional, experienced and trained editor is going to be fairly expensive. However, they should be adding a huge amount of value to your manuscript. Many editors offer instalments or payment plans and if your budget is lower than my cost, I'm happy to discuss amending what I can off for that price.

I hope that helps!