A good editor helps the author turn a good concept into a good book.
As an author, having a manuscript ready is not enough. In fact, it is only the first step to becoming a bestselling author.
You may be wondering what the next step should be—hiring professional book editing services to fix typos, grammatical errors, and more.
Whether you are looking for the best manuscript editing services or don’t know what to look for in a professional book writer, this article is for you.
Read on to learn everything about hiring expert book editing services:
What Is A Book Editor?
A book editor is a person who edits a manuscript’s language, punctuation, plot, and/or formatting. They must possess strong fact-checking and detail-oriented skills.
Freelance editors accept assignments that they find on the Internet through networking or connections to book publishers.
On the other hand, traditional editors have official positions and even get to choose which books are published.
Depending on the book editor, they may collaborate with the writer from the outset, offering broad recommendations to turn it into a masterpiece.
You may have seen many bestsellers giving credit to their book editors on the dedication page.
What Are The Types Of Book Editor?
Are you considering pursuing a career in editing? You first need to know the kind of editor you want to become. You might choose to concentrate on a single area of editing, or you could decide to provide services during the whole editing process.
The following are the common types of editing:
- Developmental editors
- Copy editors
- Proofreaders
- Line editors
Developmental Editors
Developmental editors search for logical errors, dropped characters, story flaws, and methods to make an author’s work better overall.
They also point up weak arguments, unsupported claims, and structural flaws in nonfiction publications.
The priciest kind of editor is a developmental editor. These editors can earn thousands of dollars on a single manuscript, depending on the length of the book.
Some sources claim that genuine developmental editing starts even before a writer begins work on a book. Throughout the entire writing process, the editor collaborates with the author, offering suggestions for enhancements at every stage.
In actuality, once the book is finished, the majority of fiction writers just work with a developmental editor.
Developmental editors frequently handle some of the tasks that line editors do. When combined, this is known as “substantive.”
Copy Editors
Copy editors concentrate on the tone and style of a manuscript. They fix mistakes in punctuation, dialogue formatting, grammar, syntax, and spelling.
They make sure that every sentence, paragraph, and chapter flows naturally and that the book is coherent and intelligible from beginning to end.
When most people think of book editors, they typically think of copy editors.
Proofreaders
The final stage of the editing process is proofreading. They ensure that a book has accurate sentence structure, proper grammar, and no misspellings.
Numerous editors additionally reviewed the finalised formatting. When a book is prepared for printing and publication, they notify the author or publisher.
Often, proofreaders are the least expensive type of editor. It’s definitely fair, though, because they spend less time on each manuscript than any other editor.
Before engaging a human proofreader, authors should ideally use proofreading tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid to spot more common spelling and grammar mistakes. It is the responsibility of an author to deliver as full and excellent a book as they can to their editors.
Line Editors
Despite their name, line editors do not read over your book page by page. Instead, they approach the editing of your book from a broader perspective.
Because line editing and copy editing are so similar—albeit with a larger focus—this sort of editing is the least common. An author will most likely employ a development editor if they need large-picture editing.
What To Look For When Hiring A Book Editor?
Have Your Manuscript Ready
You should edit your initial draft by yourself, a nonprofessional editor, before sending it to a professional. Even experienced editors struggle to properly self-edit since your own viewpoint and innate sense of what you intended to say might make it difficult for you to see even the most obvious mistakes.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t refine your text a little on your own. Before seeking a second opinion, try to reduce it to the acceptable word count in your genre, remove any obvious problems with the storyline and organization, and quickly proofread it.
Know What Type Of Editing You Need
There are numerous types of editing, including line editing, copyediting, developmental editing, and proofreading. Make sure the professional editor you choose specializes in the kind of editing you require because various editors have different areas of expertise.
Research each category more in advance, and then evaluate your manuscript to determine what assistance it needs.
Start Your Search Soon
It’s not easy to find the best professional editor for your project. Finding the right applicant takes time, and you also need to consider their schedule. An editor is usually available right away if no one else has reserved them, which is not a good omen.
A competent professional editor might not even be able to begin working on your book for several months because they usually have a lot of other jobs lined up. Consider your personal timeline when making plans.
Pay For High-Quality Editing
The cost of hiring a professional editor shouldn’t be prohibitive, but neither should it be too low. Because they are professionals, editors have to make a living just like any other.
The editor is probably performing side editing if their pay is too meagre for them to support themselves. You will have to pay more if you want a full-time professional.
Similarly, the editor you select may not be as skilled if you go with the lowest rate that is reasonable. You get what you pay for, to put it simply.
Find An Editor Who Understands Your Voice
Everybody writes in a different way. Your distinct voice must be preserved even while you are having a professional editor polish your work—this is your book, after all.
Although skilled editors are adept at modifying their editing approach to fit the content, some can’t collaborate well with certain voices. Go for a sample edit from the potential editor before signing an editing contract to ensure they “get” your work and can produce the outcomes you need.
Be Clear About What You Want
All editors are not the same, of course. They all have unique editing styles and ways of working. Regardless of skill level, some authors and editors aren’t a good fit, so discuss everything with your potential editor before making the final decision.
Describe your objectives for the book and the things you want the editing process to accomplish. Indicate the level of editing depth you like. Would you rather suggest more substantial structural improvements, or would you like the editor to correct only blatant errors? Can you take constructive criticism well, or do you prefer more mild comments? Clearly state your expectations for the professional editor’s approach to the project.
Trust Your Editor
Once you’ve located a professional editor you like, have faith in their abilities. Editing your priceless manuscript can be excruciating since it will highlight all of its flaws, and you may even need to remove portions that you have laboriously created.
But every recommendation made by a qualified editor is made with the book’s best interests in mind. Revision should be approached logically, and remember that the editor is only attempting to assist you in writing a better book.
Review The Edit Promptly
Don’t delay making changes as soon as you receive your edited text, which is usually a Word document loaded with Track Changes. It’s normal to have questions because you might not agree with all the modifications or understand the reasoning behind the recommendations.
However, respond promptly to the editor’s modifications since they may have begun on other assignments and may not remember the specifics of your manuscript if more time elapses. Also, be considerate of the editor’s time.
Advantages Of Hiring Professional Book Editing Services
Here are the benefits of hiring professional manuscript editing services:
Eliminates Errors
The book editor you choose will ensure your writing is devoid of errors, flows smoothly, and is simple to understand. The book editor will proofread your work for spelling and grammar errors, make sure the terminology you use is appropriate, maintain the consistency of the tone throughout, and format it in accordance with the publication’s style guide.
Saves Time And Efforts
Professional book editing services use experts with the necessary tools to complete the assignment by the deadline. Editing a book can seem intimidating after devoting so much of your time to its writing. You can save time, frustration, and effort by hiring professionals from a book editing service to handle it for you.
Cutting Edge Editing
Hiring a professional book editing service may help you produce work that is comprehensive, interesting, and simple for readers to understand.
Book editors are adept at straying from popular vocabulary and substituting less frequent phrases that convey the desired tone or mood of the literary work. A skilled editor might substitute the term “said” with “retorted,” “exclaimed,” etc.
Valuable Feedback
When it comes to editing, professional book editing services typically have an organized procedure in place. Giving the writer insightful criticism will also help them write better, steer clear of similar mistakes, adopt a new perspective on the writing process, and other things.
This expert criticism will help you write better, educate you how to make your work better, and improve the clarity, structure, flow, and readability of your writing.
Editing For All Writing Types
Whether it’s a book, magazine, paper, essay, college assignment, thesis, journal article, research project, stories, case studies, business documents, posters, brochures, cover letters, professional letters, documents, etc., the editor will assist you with all of your written work.
Thus, you can always get it proofread by an editor to improve the appearance of your work if you need to send a crucial email or draft a paper.
Your Work Will Get Recognition
Your editor will ensure that your writing style makes it stand out from the crowd. A well-written and edited manuscript grabs the reader’s interest and will do the same for the publishing house reviewer.
Tips To Become A Great Book Editor
The following are the traits to become an excellent book editor:
Humility
Editors don’t do this to bolster their egos. A competent editor is modest in providing criticism and reading the author’s answers.
Though it’s challenging, the most skilled editors manage to provide constructive criticism in a humble manner.
The key is to realize that writing and editing are two quite separate professions. It’s the writer’s responsibility to put their thoughts down as clearly as possible. The editor’s role is to assist the writer in making those concepts more understandable.
Writing Skills
Editors ought to be experts in the written word. While being a great book writer is not a prerequisite for becoming a good editor, having exceptional writing skills is.
Editors are obsessed with syntax and grammar. They must have hawk eyes for passive voice and repeated word usage and be obsessive spellers and punctuators. Their social media posts and communications should appear flawless.
The final line of defense standing between the author and the reader are these essential members of a writer’s team. A keen eye for detail is essential.
Errors that elude the editor become public knowledge and damage the reputation and sales of a whole book.
Communication Skills
Although they deliver their criticism with grace, competent editors don’t hesitate to be blunt. Effective communication skills, including candour, honesty, tact, respect, compromise, and maturity, are required for this.
A book’s editor should assist it in realizing its full potential, so editors must be able to provide candid, straightforward criticism.
Having said that, some writers dislike receiving candid criticism, so editors need to be ready for this.
A competent editor understands when to give in and prevent conflict, when to respect the author without offending them, and when to gently insist on a change that is required.
During the editing process, writers and editors may get into arguments since a book is the result of a great deal of love and labor. However, some conflicts might be beneficial when working creatively.
A professional editor should be able to convey in order to minimize conflict and know when to give up.
If you want to be an editor, be sure that every recommendation you make fits into the larger goal of making this book the best it can be.
Conclusion
After investing a lot of your time and efforts into composing a manuscript, you must invest in professional book editing services so you can have an expert polish it and help you succeed as a bestseller.
Having said that, we hope that you find this article informative and hire the best editing services for your manuscript.
