Where to Find a Self-Published Book Editor
There’s been a lot of talk on this site about why editing is important to the quality of self-published books, and how poor editing is the reason self-published books are not taken seriously. One could imagine the impulse of some writers: well, the book’s already been bought, so what does it matter if there are some typos inside – the sale has already been made. Bad impulse – if you’re at all interested in generating good reviews and for gaining any kind of reputation to sell books in the future.
OK, so it’s all well and good to say books need editing, but where can authors actually find freelance editors to take on a book? The trouble with editing services is that they can be exorbitantly expensive. This is certainly true with the editorial services offered by some subsidy services.
Check out the editing service at Infinity Publishing: .013 per word for copyediting. That’s not editing for content/theme/structure, but for nuts and bolts issues such as,
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
At .013 per word that comes out to $910 for a relatively short 70,000-word book. Generally, the editorial services that come with subsidy services are priced in this range – unless you buy an overall package that includes editing, which is an argument for getting one of these packages. At AuthorHouse line editing services are $.029 per word, but their packages do not include editorial. Llumina press offers book editing on scale from .01 to .08 cents a word for a full rewrite. At iUniverse, you can get an Editorial Evaluation for $599 that has a fairly vague description:
Assesses your work to be sure that it has fulfilled the basic requirements of a published book. The editorial evaluator will not only provide you with a general overview of your manuscript, but also educate you through constructive comments on how to write a better book.
However, with iUniverse, this editorial evaluation package comes with an overall publishing package for the premier level ($1099) and up. Given that these packages include cover design as well, this is actually pretty economical when compared to buying subsidy services individually.
One of the advantages of using Lulu is that their individual service packages are well-priced. So you can get an editorial analysis package for $299. This is included in Lulu’s publishing packages for as low as $619. In general, Lulu’s services are a better bet in terms of price than other subsidy services.
Selfpublishing.com’s got a good editorial analysis package for only $99, but mechanical analysis is .014 cents a word.
Independent Editors
The trouble with using a subsidy service is that they can be pretty cold and corporate. It’s a kind of factory line of editorial help. Of course, not all freelance editors offer the personal touch, but it is more likely. A good editor is as much an artist as a good writer, so a skilled freelance editor can be tough to come by, but there are a number of people offering these services. With editors it’s extremely important to know that you’re dealing with someone who has dealt with your genre or type of book in the past. This is why it’s not always a great idea to go with a generic service offered by a subsidy press. If you write literary fiction, this is a much different process than if you write hard sci-fi.
It’s also possible to get testimonials for independent editors that you might not be able to get about the editors who work for a generic subsidy service, and these testimonials are highly important. Editing can be a sensitive and touchy process, so if you’re not working with somebody you’re comfortable with it can be a bad experience, if not a waste of money. In the end, a private referral is perhaps better than a list like this, but if you don’t have any referrals, you need some place to start.
This post couldn’t possibly list all of the book editors available, but here are a few that are accustomed to dealing with self-publishers:
SPR’s own Erin Stropes: She charges $18/hr for copyediting and $20/hr for developmental feedback. For a 70,000 word book, this generally comes out to around $550-$700.
Book-editing.com: This service offers writers to deliver a price quote, so you can stay within budget. The site has different editors on staff that may offer different price quotes. Click on the genres on the left to find editors who are experienced in your type of book and mention that editor in your query.
Manuscript Editing: Thriller and science fiction oriented, but not entirely. Includes a free edit of 5 pages if she intends on taking on the book.
Writer’s Helper: “Editing Services Making Self Published Writers Better”
The Fiction Doctor: Offers $1.50 a page for proofreading and $2.00 a page for critique. Her quote is for 200-300 words a page, which is industry standard. For a 300 page double-spaced manuscript, that’s $450 for proofreading, $600 for critique – cheaper than subsidy services, as is often the case.
Accentuate Services: Contact the site for a price quote.
Gary Kesslar: A lot of political-leaning non-fiction, but an impressive list of edited books.
Compass Rose: Fairly expensive. The lowest rate is for express proofreading:
- $2.00/page when marking hard copy
- $1.95/page for corrected file copy
You could also put an ad on a job board like Craigslist and find editors who are more desperate for work, and so cheaper. Quality control is of course more difficult. Ask for a list of credits.
Check out Preditors & Editors list for Best Book Editor in 2008. Keep in mind that a lot of these are people working for traditional publishers, not necessarily independent editors.
Finally, here is another list of freelance book editors. There are hundreds of book editors working, and each book is different, so it’s difficult to say: choose this one. But this should help get you started.
A cheaper alternative is to use something like the AutoCrit Editing Wizard. It’s not the same as having a human read your work, but it sure improves your manuscript.
At the very least it means that you’ll get the most out of your human editing partner since you’ll have removed most problems with the Editing Wizard.
Good tip, Jay. Here’s the link: http://www.autocrit.com/
I can only speak to the science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror genres (and related genres), but authors can always search the various independent/small press publishers for an editor. And I don’t mean an anthology editor whose name appears on the front cover. I’m talking about the down-and-dirty editor/copyeditor whose name, if s/he’s lucky, appears on the copyright page of a novel or short fiction collection. The self-published author needs to find a book that they feel is well done and/or is similar in content and theme to theirs, determine who the editor is, and then contact that editor to see if they work directly with authors, and if so, what their rates are. Look for an individual editor/copyeditor rather than an editing service, which simply freelances work out anyhow in most cases.
I was contacted by iUniverse as a potential freelance editor. I had to undergo an “evaluation test.” The manuscript that was to be sent to me as part of this evaluation test was just short of 170,000 words! I had 5 days and was offered a fee of $100.00 — yes one-zero-zero! — to fully evaluate this novel given the following 8 criteria:
1. Is the basic premise or theme interesting?
2. Is it believable?
3. Is it unique?
4. Is the point of the novel presented clearly and is it apparent to the reader?
5. Is the focus of the work revealed early in the novel?
6. Does the author set a tone early that’s appropriate for the genre and consistent throughout?
7. Are general facts and information accurate and consistent throughout?
8. Is the language level (word choice, syntax, sentence structure) appropriate for the genre and consistent throughout?
Overall: Is the basic premise of the novel appealing and well executed?
170,000 words in 5 days for $100.00. But you can bet that iUniverse was making a lot more than that! Even at a minimum penny per word, iUniverse made a minimum of $1,700.00 (minus my $100). Dare I say it, but I turned the opportunity down.
As an author, do you want someone evaluating your novel in 5 days for a mere $100?
Something to think about, at least.
Marty Halpern
martyhalpern.blogspot.com
Twitter: @martyhalpern
http://sfeditorwatch.com/index.php/Marty_Halpern
I’m a freelance editor, on retainer at City Image Press in Santa Monica, CA, but I can always use some work.
Lori Stassi
I realize that software and such may seem like a “cheaper alternative,” but the problem with software is that it can never add feeling or tone to your writing…..especially if you are looking for someone to modify your fiction for you. However, there are a lot of very costly professional copy and content editing services out there, some ranging up to $75 an hour!
I have been professionally copy editing since the late eighties, and my rates have never gone up – they are $1 a page, regardless of how comprehensive a copy edit or proofread you require. Because I have kept my rates so low over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with businesses, students, publishing houses, and independent authors in a variety of formats and genres from all over the globe. As a published author myself, I think it is important not only to focus on proper grammar and where to put that comma, but also on making sure the writer’s “voice” is being amplified properly and not hindered by poor word choices or organization…
…and on that note, I’m always looking for work too! I can be reached at autiej@gmail.com if anyone needs a copy editor!
[...] and the gatekeeper role. I agree that publishing houses have editing experts, but there are also increasing numbers of these professionals available for hire freelance. If all self-published authors committed to hiring a pro editor, what is left [...]
Cheaper is not always better–make sure you are getting a professional if you want professional-quality work.
I recommend looking for organizations like the Northwest Independent Editors Guild (http://www.edsguild.org/) for advice on finding an editor, freelancers for hire, and job boards on which you can post your project. You can be more sure you’re getting a professional who will do quality work, and most will provide a cost estimate based on the level of editing your project needs.
Wendy Wetzel
Freelance editor
wetzeledit@gmail.com
Twitter: @wetzeledit
[...] Why authors need to use professional editors if they are going to self-publish – and the challenges of writing in Australian (or British) English for the US market! (here’s where to find an editor for your book) [...]
Hello there, Henry. Very informative post.
I’d to throw my hat in the proverbial ring. My company, inWrite, offers copy editing and proofreading services for around $20 an hour. The price includes quality control, so you don’t have to worry about your manuscript not being checked thoroughly enough.
We have just won a contract with a major US publisher, and we edit and proofread thousands of words every day, so you can be assured that we know what we’re doing.
Check out our Web site: http://www.inwrite.org
[...] Where to Find a Self-Published Book Editor Henry Baum navigates us through the options of employing a freelance editor on our novel. Stating that it is important “if you’re at all interested in generating good reviews and for gaining any kind of reputation to sell books in the future.” [...]
[...] Finding an editor – great post here from Self Pub Review [...]
[...] The moral: hire an editor. [...]
I recommend looking for freelance and editing organizations in your area, like Authors Guild, which can give proper, reputable advice on how to approach the process from the start. Schiel & Denver Book Publishers, also offers editing and proofreading services, drawing from a pool of experienced editors that have conducted regular freelance work for NYC publishing houses such as Penguin, Inc.
For US & Canadian authors, http://www.schieldenver.com
For UK & European authors, http://www.schieldenver.co.uk
Hi,
I’ve been enjoying editing novels for self-publishing authors for two years now. I wanted to give it a go (I had been asked before and turned it down) in the recession. I’m a female English freelance journalist usually – full-time for around 20 years. I write a lot of true stories for national women’s magazines (www.storieswanted.com), have a psychology/health expertise and a Masters Degree in Screenwriting.
I think you do get a personal touch with using a write like me as your editor. Everything is highly bespoke and works really well – in polishing up the copy/manuscript and also dramatically improving your writing skills. It’s one-to-one tuition direct from an expert. I really enjoy doing it too!
I’ve set up a webpage – http://www.noveleditingservices.com for anybody with a novel they want editing.
Susan Wallace.
I couldn’t agree more that self-published books need professional editing. One of the advantages that commercial publishing provides is the understanding that the book will have been professionally edited (and proofread!). For self-published books to have that same credibility, they need to be edited well.
Nobody can catch all their own mistakes, whether we’re talking about typos or entire concepts that somehow don’t make sense. A professional editor brings that essential “reader’s perspective” that no author (no matter how good) can bring to his or her own work.
Most of my book editing experience in the last several years has been with non-fiction self-published books and ebooks. The quality has ranged widely. Some manuscripts are already beautifully clean. Others are a confused mess. But every manuscript always benefits from editing. Since I also have design experience, I can bring that understanding to self-published books and ebooks as well, which enhances the editing experience.
You can’t expect to get careful, accurate, professional work on the cheap. By hiring an independent editor, you get the quality you need without the extra expense of the “middle man.” I offer those services through my website at http://www.santorecommunications.com. I try to keep my rates as low as I can afford, and offer bids on a project basis based on word count and complexity (lots of footnotes, endnotes, long bibliography, etc.).