You betcha, baybee!
Every writer I deal with for the first time asks this question in one form or another. However, it means different things to different writers, especially new writers. If you’ve worked with an editor before, you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect – what a good editor can and cannot do. If you’re new to working with an editor, here’s what you can expect from me.
Getting A Quote
When you first email me about editing your book, I will not automatically take on the work. I’ll need your first two chapters as a writing sample, and the word length of your book.
I use the sample to judge whether I’m the right editor for your book. If I don’t feel I am, I’ll thank you for the opportunity and wish you luck. This does not mean there is a problem with your book. It simply means I don’t feel I can do the work justice. For example, if you submit a horror novel, I can almost guarantee I’ll turn it down. Horror is totally not my thing.
If I do think I’m a good fit for your book, at your request, I’m happy to do a sample edit on your first chapter. When I return the sample edit, I’ll also give you a quote based on the sample and using the word length of your manuscript.
For example, if your manuscript is 100K words long and the writing sample is good, I might quote $0.02 USD per word, which comes out to $2,000 USD for the book.
What Kind Of Edit Do You Need?
We haven’t broken down what sort of editing you might want:
- Developmental
- Line edit
- Proofread
You can absolutely specify which sort you’d like me to focus on. But unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll do all three. I know editors who, when hired to do a proofread, only do a proofread, even if they come across a character that had blue eyes in Chapter 2 now has hazel eyes in Chapter 4. I couldn’t, in good conscience, not put a comment or highlight the issue.
If you’re happy with the quote, I require the completed manuscript as a Word .docx file, and a 50% deposit to add your book to my queue. I am open to arranging a payment plan if you need one, but I won’t add your book to the queue before the 50% mark. (Fair warning: my queue can sometimes be up to three months long. And no, you can’t pay me extra to jump the queue. That wouldn’t be fair to the people that have been waiting patiently.)
What’s Next?
Once your book is “up next”, I’ll email you the day I start. Generally, it takes at least two weeks for me to do the full job. But, you’ll hear from me before then, especially if you’re a first time client.
When I don’t know your work, I will first read through the entire book. Once I’ve done that, I’ll write a report on what I call the 20,000 foot view. Positives and negatives. Issues that would normally be addressed during a developmental edit. Things to watch for when writing the next book, techniques, repeated mistakes.
Next, I’ll do the markup stage which covers logic problems, continuity, word choices, plus the usual spelling and grammar. Once all that is done, I’ll send the manuscript back to you for your assessment. At this stage, you can ask as many questions to clarify as you need to. I’m also happy to go back and forth brainstorming solutions to issues I’ve picked out.
The one thing that I always make sure to tell writers: It’s your book. Your name will be on the cover, not mine. You don’t have to make all the changes I recommend. Just make the changes that you feel are necessary.
Wrapping It Up
Only once you’re happy with all of that will I send you the invoice for the entire quoted amount, with your deposit subtracted. I have worked with various people online who, the instant they’re finished the work, send you their bill. Sometimes it hits the inbox before the work itself arrives. That’s just rude, in my books, so I won’t do that.
Even after the invoice is paid, I’m happy to give the manuscript a quick once-over as a final proofread and double check the changes you made.
That’s pretty much it, except to say this: I do this for a living. It’s how I pay my mortgage, it’s how I pay for groceries. It’s in both our best interests that I make you happy with the job I’ve done. Because not only do I want to edit your book, I also want to edit your next book, and the book after that.
If you’d like to discuss my editing your book, email me at editor@storiesrulepress.com