Choose an Editor who Understands Your Genre
Do not hire a novel editor for a werewolf novel set in the post-apocalyptic world who specializes in peaceful home dramas. When you write spicy romance, avoid using a thriller editor. Their recommendations will be completely at odds with what you want the book to be. This is only important for developmental editing, of course. Proofreading, copyediting, and line editing are all genre-neutral services.
- Determine your timeframe
When do you need the book to be edited?
From our perspective, we always appreciate receiving speedy feedback, and dislike having to wait more than six months to get a response on a project. We wouldn’t like to edit a previous project, having already started the second one by that point. Editors’ waiting times can vary. Some editors are available right away, while others must be scheduled six months ahead of time and can edit the book within the next month.
- Choose the Editing You Need.
Some editors provide all the services, while others only focus on one or two. You should be aware of the editing services each novel editor offers in order to choose the best one.
The four principal editorial services (from biggest to smallest changes)
- Editing for development, often known as content editing: Character, plot, and pacing are some of the major aspects of editing.
- Editing lines: improving voice and dialogue, word choice, removing extraneous phrases and paragraphs, and editing sentences.
- Copyediting: editing for consistency, consistency, spelling, and grammar
- Proofreading: editing for misspelt words, incorrect grammar, and spelling, and occasionally formatting
If you plan to self-publish and do not want to make any revisions or rewrites, you might just be interested in copyediting or proofreading. We advise developmental and line-editing if you are looking for a publisher or if you want self-publishing, and want to produce the best work possible.
- Detective game
You search on Yelp before eating at a new restaurant. You get a recommendation or consult Angie’s List before hiring a handyman. And you research a book editor’s background before hiring them. A great tool for avoiding terrible editors is Predators and Editors. You should look for critiques of independent novel editors, by making a quick search on the internet, on the prospective editor to see whether any other authors have critiqued (or complimented) them. Positive reviews are gold. Send your book editor many emails to gauge how they react and whether they answer inquiries promptly.
- Obtain a second revision if required
You might require a second edit if your first edit revealed serious development or content problems and you made major changes to your manuscript. If you enjoyed working with your editor, consider hiring them to review your manuscript again. Hire a separate operator for this second cycle if you want a new set of eyes and possibly a new strategy, but hiring a new editor has the risk of getting conflicting opinions or being guided in a different direction than the original editor.
- Choose an Editor who Understands Your Genre
Do not hire a creative editor for a werewolf novel set in the post-apocalyptic world who specializes in peaceful home dramas. When you write a spicy romance, avoid using a thriller editor. Their recommendations will be completely at odds with what you desire your book to be. This is only important for developmental editing, of course. Proofreading, copyediting, and line editing are all genre-neutral services.
