First-Time Authors: What to Expect During the Editing Process

FIRST-TIME AUTHORS (like the truncated image above, belonging to yours truly with Book #1) are always very curious about what to expect of an editor and how to stay informed during the editorial process. What are some things you need to know going into this very specialized relationship; what are the questions you can and should ask; and how do you get your money's worth?

The selection process is enough to give any newbie author some legit jitters. Whether you find your (potential) editor on social media or through word of mouth via a colleague or friend, this is a dicey time. You have wants and needs, prime among them somebody honest, reliable, skilled and easy to work with.

Never engage an editor sight unseen; that is, without asking for references and looking at their work. For example, you should ask if you can contact some of their past clients; you should ask for links of books they've edited; and if the editor is also an author, ask for links to their books. TIP: Be sure to read a few pages of each of these books via Amazon's "Look inside" feature. This is the best way to see their actual work.

Consider the contract. It should be in plain language with very little legalese. Make sure there's a "kill" clause or some other way to get out of the author-editor relationship without any penalty. They will be responsible for sending you all the work they have performed up to when you say to stop, and you are responsible for paying for that work. If you've prepaid, you should get a pro-rated refund. If this is not in your contract, ask them to add it. Also, the contract should indicate the "scope" of the work, i.e. copy editing or developmental editing; formatting; uploading; etc. and it should indicate deadlines and clear expectations of both parties. A good editor has an easy-to-understand contract/agreement which is vetted by an attorney. Whether or not you need an attorney to look out for your interests is up to you (no legal advice is being given here), but definitely question anything that isn't clear or doesn't make sense. TIP: Some editors don't use contracts. In that case, make sure anything that is of interest to you is encapsulated in an email with their express agreement.

Ask about pricing, but don't be all about pricing. After all, a good editor is worth a lot, and if you are asking for an aggressive deadline (i.e., two to three weeks), there is a premium for that too. Do some due diligence and google "how much should I pay for editing?" This is typically expressed with word count, not page count. Great editors will read through your manuscript several times, having gotten a sense of the story from the first go-through and only then can they go back in and look at all the things that can go wrong (in copy editing, for example, this includes but is not limited to spelling, punctuation, grammar, verb tense, POV [point of view] consistency and chronology of events), which is often followed by a third reading of the manuscript. These add up to a lot of person-hours. Some editors work with full payment up front; others with half up front and the remainder upon delivery. You need to feel comfortable with your arrangement, and if you're not, speak up. TIP: Consider asking for an incremental edit at first (and their prorated bill to go with it, rather than the full bill) to make sure you like their style and they aren't cutting material that compromises or changes your voice as the author.

How will you be able to see their edits? Make friends with the "Track Changes" function in Word. Your editor should use this as a means to show you their edits as well as suggestions and comments. You do NOT have to take all their changes/suggestions etc. as golden. In many cases, the editor does not "need" your response to the edits (nor do you have to specifically "accept" or "reject" the edits) but your editor absolutely needs to be open and available to your questions. A good editor will be very happy to explain why they changed something or made a certain suggestion. TIP: After you've reconciled all the edits and suggestions, make your changes, and then read through it by selecting "Show No Markup."

How often should your editor be in touch with you? Not daily. Maybe weekly. Of course, if you have A Specific Question, you can reach out...but let the editor get immersed in your story without any competing thoughts about it. You are understandably excited, but good things take some time and you don't want to interrupt their flow. TIP: This is the time to work on your marketing strategies, building your "author platform" such as a blog and identifying opportunities for interviews on podcasts or with book reviewers.

What if you found a mistake in the plot or want to make other revisions? These changes are the bane of an editor's existence, but not for the reason you think. A good editor truly does not want to charge you for multiple minute additions and changes, nor do they want to charge to re-edit many of the same parts of the book or worse yet, the whole manuscript; and that's why you should be 99.999% sure when you send your manuscript over. This is messy for both parties. TIP: There are often going to be minor tweaks after the editing is complete, but especially for new authors, it's important to know when to let go and float the book out into the world.

AMA: MANUSCRIPT EDITING - I have many more tips up my sleeve for dealing with editors. Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

(c) 2021 Debbie Burke

Editor/Jazz Author/Blogger

On Amazon: https://bit.ly/DebbieBurkeAmazon?

Blog: www.debbieburkeauthor.com