A Sample Edit: Your Tool to Find the Right Editor

The proverbial landscape has changed many times over the 15 years that I have been a freelance editor, but the current situation can only be described as chaotic, a dancing landscape in the jargon of complexity theorists. The terrain is changing rapidly and in very complicated ways. I won’t bore you with a map of the current flux except to say that, from a writer’s perspective, it has never been more difficult to find the right freelance editor for your novel, memoir, business book, white paper, or etc.

So where do you start? First, although a big caveat is going to follow, credentials count. I just looked at one of the generic directory sites listing editing services, and most advertisers there are painfully honest about their lack of experience and qualifications. Self-publishing a couple of books or being a retired English teacher are not adequate preparation for the many levels of textual attention a freelance editor needs to provide, let alone liking to read or finding typos in the local paper. Real editing is more than mere proofreading. It includes improving syntax, rearranging text to better effect, providing developmental assistance and much more. In other words, an editor must have knowledge of far more than grammar. An editor must understand how a given kind of text works and be able to improve any piece of writing at a profound level without altering the writer’s voice.

By contrast to those in the directories, the editors at my service have bona fides that mirror my own: an advanced degree in a writing field, publications in the genre(s) they edit, college or university teaching experience, editing experience at a publishing house or in a corporate setting before going freelance, at least 10 years experience as an editor, among other requirements. The standard to work here is admittedly extreme, and there are certainly very good editors who do not have such an extensive background; but I offer you the comparison as an example of the kinds of bona fides you will want to check for: level of education, degree(s) in a writing field, years of experience as an editor, and so on.

That said, the promised caveat: how do you know an editor has the qualifications he or she claims? I verified the background of every editor on my staff (as well as tested them), but most writers do not have that capability (time and money the operative inputs). I am not saying such fraud is rampant, but the very nature of this profession makes the question of qualifications more complicated than for other services you might seek. Unlike lawyers or CPAs, for example, there is not a certifying board or test, no standardized degree. And enough clients have told me they were disappointed by an editing service or individual freelancer they hired previously to indicate it happens sufficiently often to be wary of all stated claims.

Likewise, however, how do you know, even if those listed qualifications are real, that the editor has the skills such experience would seem to indicate? I considered hiring two former Big Five employees some years ago when those publishing houses were laying off editors in droves. Let it suffice to say neither joined this service’s staff because they did not have the “chops” their experience indicated they should have. Again, I am not suggesting this is the case for all former Big-Fivers but only raising an important question by way of example: how do you know anyone’s stated experience adds up to a high level of skill?

The answer is a sample edit. Pick your prospective editor(s) because of their education and experience, but then get a sample edit of your manuscript from every person on your list along with their price quote for the project. If you choose only those who advertise a sample edit as part of the process, you merely send them your sample pages as an email attachment and the word count for the entire work. If the person or service in question does not mention a sample on their website or in an ad, you will have to ask. Some will agree if you are willing to pay for their time (your call whether to pay or not, of course), and some will refuse outright (and should be avoided), but most legit editors and editing services of my acquaintance will gladly show you what they can do for your writing project for free because they understand the quandary you face. This is, after all, your “baby” you are entrusting to an editor, along with your hard-earned money, and you want only the best.

At this service, we provide both a marked-up copy using Word’s tracking changes tool, so you can see each change clearly, and a clean copy, so you can better discern how the edited text reads. There are also notes for the writer, explaining changes or verifying the accuracy of a specific edit or offering variations, provided via Word’s comments tool. All aspects of the sample are what you will see in the actual edit should you choose to go forward. The sample files are accompanied by a per word price quote so the writer knows the exact amount the edit will cost.

In addition, you will want to make sure, upfront, that the person who provides the sample will be your actual editor. Like the other nefarious acts mentioned here, this very old bait and switch (this particular con precedes the internet by decades) is not a pervasive practice, but it happens. And if you like the sample and the price, you will also want to make sure a service agreement that spells out the work to be rendered and the procedures the editor follows will be provided.

The current editing services landscape may be confusing, but you have access to what amounts to a very effective compass with which to navigate it: a sample edit of your manuscript. Whether you are preparing to enter the publishing fray for the first time or you are an old hand (and whether self-publishing or seeking a traditional publishing deal), you don’t need to spend your money on an unproven editor. You can in fact find a talented expert to nurture your “baby.”

For a free sample edit or a free consultation regarding your manuscript, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or at [email protected]