Just looking for a bit of advice. I got a freelance editor to work on my 99k story and because she failed to make deadline twice (not an actual deadline, the agreed upon delivery date) I'm wondering how long the editing process usually takes, provided there's an average answer. There were of course the 'crazy week' and 'a few delays', which can certainly happen, and around two weeks ago there were 'some final edits', but at some point I'm gonna need to wonder if I should just cancel the order and try someone else. Mainly, I think my problem is: Do I really wanna rush the person I hired to make my book better?
Bakkerbaard, There are different kinds of editing. In general, there's content editing, copyediting, and proofreading. That said, the quality/condition of the manuscript sent to the editor can affect the time it takes to complete the job, no matter they type of editing you contracted for. Did the freelance editor come with references? Did you get a sample edit? How desirable is this editor--is it worth the wait? In the big scheme of publishing, unless there is some sort of deadline in place--you have a pre-order up, the novel is tied to a certain event/date, such as horror related to Halloween--two weeks is not a big deal. On the other hand, coming in past deadline is unprofessional, both from an author to a publisher perspective, and an editor or artist to a publisher, including someone who is going to self-publish. Even beyond the quality of the manuscript provided (meaning how much editing is required), how much time each day an editor can devote to editing is a factor. It may not be the individual's main job, and they block out, say three hours a day, six days a week for their editing business, barring events that interfere. That is different from someone who does it full time. It is possible the individual overbooked clients, and is trying to dig themselves out of that hole. There could be health So, in a way, what I am getting at is that there are a lot of variables that must be known to really answer your question about how long it should take, and should you press the individual to complete the project.
References. Eh... I wasn't really spoilt for choice on Fiverr. For some reason a lot of editors don't offer packages that deal with my amount of words. Between those that do, and a few other self-imposed demands, I narrowed it down to two and one of them returned a message saying she liked "tongue and cheek" stories, so the choice was easy. And the editor I went with said she was a member of EFA and ACES. A reviewer did already state there was a five day delay working with her, but I could live with that, especially since people were pleased with the quality of her work. I figured if I'd let her pick a delivery date, we'd be okay. It's a developmental edit, by the way. Didn't get a sample edit. Never even crossed my mind, to be honest. I wouldn't have a frame of reference to compare anyway. Granted, she may have overestimated the quality of my work. It being my first and all. Still, the original agreed upon date was a month ago. The extended deadline two weeks ago. I don't have an actual deadline, thankfully, which is why I'm wondering if I should put the pressure on. If there's one thing I've learned in media work, it's that 'done quick' and 'done good' are never in the same room. On a side note: Is "Up Around The Corner" a play on one of the best CCR songs?
Developmental can take the most focus, effort and time. It all depends on the project and the editor. No, Up Around the Corner, is no relationship to anything by CCR. Just sort of came to me as I was thinking about what the blog would be about...what's happening and what's coming up.
