You’ve finally finished the rough draft of your manuscript. Yes! Is there any better feeling in the world??

That rush can be fleeting though if you find yourself shopping for editors, without a clue of what to look for, or what to expect. Will she take the time to really get to know your characters? How involved will she be in your story? Is she qualified? Can you afford it?

To help you get started, here are three things you can expect from your book editor. Remember that these are basic expectations. Meaning: if you find an editor who doesn’t possess these three qualities, then she is not an editor worth your time, your money, or your partnership. You can insist on these:

1. A good editor knows her stuff. She can spot errors because she knows the rules of composition, and she knows how to break them. She combines detail-orientation with creativity to look at your story from a mile above it, as you have had to do. A good editor watches the industry, too. She’s a reader, and she knows what sells.

2. A good editor understands writers. And while writing is a one-man job, editing doesn’t have to be. She empathizes with you because she’s been in your shoes. This shows itself tangibly in her patience with you, her understanding of your process, and the working friendship that develops between the two of you. She is more than an editor – she is a partner.

3. A good editor steps back. Always remember that it is your manuscript, not your editor’s. She knows her place, and you should too. Expect your editor to combine her subjective opinion with objective advice, but in the end, every final decision is yours. The story is yours, and only you can decide to change it.

***

So you’ve done your research, and you think you’ve narrowed it down, maybe you’ve even found “the one”. Here are a couple ways you can be sure:

1. Always insist on a sample edit. Just as you have your own writing “style”, your editor will have a style of her own as well. For both your sake and hers, ask her to send you a sample edit, and that means you should be ready to share a sample of your writing with her up front. A sample edit is the only way to find out how you and a prospective editor might work together. Notice how long it takes her to complete the sample – a day, a week? See how involved she gets in your story, in your characters. How thorough is she? Did she miss any errors in the line edit? Do her comments open up a dialogue between the two of you?

In other words, is your editor good at what she does, and do the two of you have working chemistry?
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2. Agree on a fair price. A full-length edit can range anywhere from $100 to more than $5,000. This price is based on simple economics. The better an editor, the higher her demand will be, the higher the cost of her services. Your editor may have a standard rate, or she may customize her rates for different projects. Don’t allow a prospective editor to bully you into breaking the bank, but remember that a detailed edit is also an investment… after all, your end goal is to sell books, right? Or if not to sell, then at the very least to help make your book the absolute best version of itself it can be.

And as is true with anything, is true with editing: You get what you pay for.

Finding a good book editor can be stressful. Remember to just take it one step at a time, do your research, and ask lots of questions.

Ready to start a discussion with a prospective book editor? Email me at michelle@mjbookeditor.com, and I’d be more than happy to chat with you.

Happy writing!

MJ

“I write for the same reason I breathe – because if I didn’t, I would die.” | Isaac Asimov

The first thing I did when I started to get serious about writing, when the written word had become more than just a hobby, more than just something I liked to admire from the sidelines from time to time, was come to the realization that this was a craft and that I would need to learn. That it doesn’t necessarily come naturally, and even if it does, why wouldn’t I do everything I could to learn how best to improve? Why wouldn’t I take my natural ability, combine it with some professional insights and education, to be the absolute best writer I could possibly be?

(Okay, that’s all a bit of a lie though. The first thing I did when I started to get serious about writing was… freak out.)

Once I got over my little freak-out, and after a few deep breaths and a steaming-hot cup of chamomile, I got some sense and put my thoughts in order. (I mean, I called my friends first to apologize for my bout of temporary insanity; they were very forgiving.) Yes, this would be one of the most challenging endeavors I thought I’d ever face. There would be a lot to learn, and I would have to work really hard. But no, this was not beyond my capability. I could do this.

But how?

The first thing many new writers (should!) do, is take some advice from the experts. Don’t assume you know it all. Don’t assume you can’t improve. I didn’t.

The expert I’d chosen was the king of fiction himself, Stephen King. If you haven’t read his book On Writing, and you really want to get serious about your craft, pick up a copy and read it. Now.

I’m serious. Do it now.

Then you’ll know what I’m talking about when I repeat this golden sliver of advice: Write the first draft with the door closed; rewrite with the door open. It might as well be his mantra for the entire book. At least, that’s the thing I took from it.

For a new writer, that advice can be a pretty tough pill to swallow. When I finally read King’s book, I was already chest-deep in a story I was just flying through. My creative juices were spilling out of me, and the first draft—as far as I was concerned—was absolutely perfect. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t finished. It didn’t matter that it was full of plot holes and POV-slips and under-developed characters, or that it lacked enough research to actually make any sense. That unfinished first draft was perfect, and I had to share it with everyone I knew—and even some people I didn’t.

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Because, obviously, King’s advice did not pertain to me.

Needless to say, I was quickly put in my place. The feedback I received was so discouraging, I completely gave up on the project. Even to this day. Now it sits in some distant digital file on my computer. Sad and alone, abandoned by its creator.

There’s another side to that coin though. After that experience, I am now super private with my writing. My standards of perfection are exponentially higher than they were when I first got started, and I’ve seen what happens when I get discouraged. It isn’t pretty. My writing improved, but my ego took some time to heal. I finally got to a place where I was able to share my writing again, and I did so with confidence because I made sure the first draft was finished first.

I might even be ready to shake off the digital dust from that story I’d abandoned so long ago.

Are you a new writer who’s hesitant to open the door? If the timing is right, I’d love to help you. Maybe you’ve been discouraged in the past; I’m here to encourage you. Maybe you’re not sure what your next step should be; I’m here to guide you. Let me be the first set of eyes to look at your manuscript the moment you’re ready to open that door.

And let us polish it together.

-MJ

“Writing is not life, but I think sometimes it can be a way back to life.” | Stephen King, On Writing