Finding A Professional Book Editor To Get Your Book Published
Whether you want to self-publish your book or send your manuscript to an agent or publishing company, it's tempting to skip the step of hiring an editor. However, a book editor can do a lot more than merely correct grammar and punctuation in your book.
Working with an editor is key to making sure your manuscript is not only readable but worth reading. Depending on your manuscript's stage, your editor can give you feedback on the flow of the story, the characters, the formatting of your text, and more.
Are you looking for professional book editors for your fiction or non-fiction book? Jae Nichelle is a professional editor and ghostwriter here to help you tell your story. Contact Jae Nichelle Ghostwriting today to get started.
How Does Book Editing Work?
Experienced editors know a lot about the craft of writing. They understand the plot and character development, have an eye for detail, and understand the genre in which they work.
When you write a book, you want to have as many eyes on it as possible. If you’re caught up in writing and putting your ideas on paper, it’s easy to overlook certain elements that a reader will notice. For example, in Twilight, all of Edward's family members go to school every year, yet he didn't trust them to be around Bella for five minutes??
An editor can:
Give feedback on what is and isn't working.
Find inconsistencies in plot or character development.
Find typos and misspellings
Provide insight on how your book compares to similar books.
Be HONEST with you
While you can (and should) comb through your book for errors yourself, it’s nearly impossible to catch everything. You need someone who will tell you the truth. That’s where professional book editors enter.
Types of Professional Editing Services
The professional book editor’s role depends on how close your manuscript is to completion. There are several types of book editing services:
Developmental Editing. For either fiction or non-fiction, a developmental editor works with you in your project's beginning stages. They analyze the big picture elements such as plot, organization, and characterization.
Line Editing. Line editing digs a little deeper into the manuscript. During this process, the editor looks at sentence structure, pacing, tone, and clarity of ideas. Line editing is not proofreading, so you'll still need a proofread after this step!
Copyediting. Some professional book editors have different definitions for this stage. Generally, copyediting refers to catching consistency errors, punctuation, and style. For example, a copyeditor would notice if you say "copyeditor" sometimes and "copy editor" other times, even though both ways are correct.
Proofreading. This should be the last stage in getting your book ready for publication. Proofreading services fix minor mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
How to Know if An Editor is Right for You
All of the steps above may or may not come from the same freelance editor. It’s up to their skillset and your wishes. Anyone who writes anything should have an editor. So, the question is not if you need professional editing services, but who you should hire.
The top three factors that should influence your decision are:
Does this person have experience editing books in my genre?
Will I trust this person enough to hear what they have to say?
Does my budget cover these professional book editors?
If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then you’ve found your editor. Additionally, you should know the answers to these questions after your first conversation with your editor of interest.
Now, if you don’t have anything written yet, you may want to find a ghostwriter instead.
Putting Your Pride Aside
When you spend months or years working on a book, you become understandably attached to the story and how you wrote it. When you work with a professional book editor, it's essential to keep an open mind.
In the early stages of editing, an editor may suggest more changes than you anticipated. That’s alright. Revising is a large part of writing, and you want to take a step back sometimes to make your book the best it can be.
At the end of the day, you may not agree with the editor's suggestions. That's fine, too! You are the author, and you don't have to change something if you feel strongly. If you aren't sure about something, get a second, third, or fourth opinion.
FAQ
Do You Really Need an Editor?
If there are words, there should be an editor. Writing a book is a lengthy and challenging process, and you don't want to go at it alone. Professional book editors are a way to get a second opinion on your manuscript and reduce the chance for grammatical and syntactical errors.
Do Publishing Companies Edit Books?
The answer to this question depends on the publishing company. Big book publishers often have a team of editors who will work on your manuscript to ensure it's up to their standards. After all, the company is putting their name on the book.
However, you want your book to be in its final stages before you look at getting a book published. To get through the acceptance process, you should have already had an editor look at your content. The publisher may not necessarily do a thorough check, depending on their budget.
How Much Does an Editor Change a Book?
An editor shouldn't change anything in your manuscript without your approval. Depending on the type of professional editing services, the editor may leave comments in your document's margins for your review. They may also use a feature like Microsoft Word's "Track Changes" feature so that you can see anything that they altered.
When it’s all said and done, you are the author of your book. All of the final decisions are up to you if you disagree with an editor’s suggestion.
Get Ready to Publish Your Book
When you put a book out in the world, you want it to represent you well. Professional book editors can get you to the next step of your project.
Jae Nichelle is an editor and professional ghostwriter. She has worked on many titles, both fiction and non-fiction. Schedule a consultation today for book editing services, proofreading services, and help writing books. Your truth can’t wait any longer.