15Seconds WebLog

Is it Worth Paying a Professional Editor?

A reader who wants to self-publish a book asks me for my thoughts on hiring a professional editor.

I'd have to say generally it's a good idea. It's always good to have extra sets of eye balls validate and criticize text and code. Of course, it depends on who you get. I am not familiar with the freelance editors in the market, so I cannot provide personal recommendations. On more than one occasion, I've seen references to Melanie Spiller's blog and "content consultant" services.

I'd like to ask readers,  fellow bloggers, and book authors to leave their recommendations in the comments section of this post.

Also, it would be helpful to distinguish whether the editors' strengths lie in writing, development, or both.

Thanks!

 

Posted: Aug 18 2004, 09:32 AM by FifteenSeconds | with 37 comment(s)

Comments

mike said:

A good edit pass is invaluable, and frankly, I've never seen a piece of writing longer than a sentence that didn't need editing. (Even by professional writers.) And a whole book? Oh, man. Editing strongly recommended ...
# August 18, 2004 12:18 PM

mike said:

In fact, at the risk of sounding strident -- and I do not mean in any way to offend anyone -- the question itself suggests that the author probably does not have a lot of writing experience. Isn't it true that writers who've done a lot of writing know already that they need editing? Here's a quote from Roger Angell, who has written for the NYer for 50 years (and whose stepfather was E.B. White):

"Every writer needs a good editor. All of them, even the best. It's interesting that the older and best-known and most professional writers are the ones who really appreciate an editor. Young writers are terrified. They think, 'What I've done should not be touched.' "

Ok, I'll shut up now. :-)
# August 18, 2004 12:39 PM

don@ghostdev.ca (Don Newman) said:

One of the best forms of editing is peer review. Depending on the content of the book it could be hard to find a qualified editor, a technical manual requires editing by those that know the topic where a book of personal stories could probably use just a general editor for readability and grammar use.
# August 18, 2004 9:36 PM

Minh T. Nguyen said:

It's me who asked that question, and I am actually more interested in finding a good programmer/editor who would be interested in proof-reading and editing the book, not whether I should.

I think we all agree that I should. ;) But finding good ones without robbing a bank is a bit harder. Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Minh T. Nguyen.
# August 19, 2004 1:22 PM

brooks_abi@hotmail.com said:

I agree about needing a sound editor BUT do you have any idea of the cost? It would really help to have a ball-park figure on this, if possible.
Thaks
# September 15, 2004 9:27 PM

TrackBack said:

^_^,Pretty Good!
# April 10, 2005 2:15 AM

Carla said:

We have been negotiating with an editor in Canada who comes highly recommended.  You may contact her directly at:

http://www.writershelper.com/

Her goal, as she says on her site, isn't to make your writing easier to read, but to also make you a better writer.  I'm not sure if she posts her prices on her site, but she responds quickly to email.

~Carla

# August 2, 2007 12:13 PM

Audrey said:

Today I stumbled upon the reference to my editing services in the comments here. It's always gratifying to hear that I've been 'highly recommended."

I'd like to comment on the issue of posted prices.

The short answer is that I don't post mine. But it may help you to know why...

Every writer has unique editing needs. When I was setting up my business, I decided right away that it wouldn't be fair to charge the same per word fee to edit the work of a writer with excellent English skills as I would to edit the work of someone for whom English is a second language.

Then I thought about posting an hourly rate. But that didn't seem fair, either. What about the times that I run into a problem that is nuanced and I can't quite put my finger on the solution? What I often do in situations like that is head out to the garden or tackle a back closet that needs attention. The solution to the client's problem usually surfaces in those off-task moments. Do I charge for my gardening time or not? There are arguments on both sides.

In the end, I decided that to be perfectly fair, I would need to see someone's work before knowing the level of editing it would need.  I offer a sample edit that allows me to see the writer's work and allows the writer to see what I do.

When I do a sample edit, I do an educative edit, the most expensive editing I do. It is more like being tutored in writing than like being edited.

This has advantages for both me and the writer. I get to show off my very best editing. Most people who contact me begin by wanting a simple spelling and grammar check. When a writer sees what I can really do with a piece of writing, at the very least, they understand that they can have confidence in me as an editor who really knows words and how they work. Often, however, the writer realizes that a different level of editing is what is called for.

What Carla said above is true. I do reply to inquiries quickly and I welcome any questions you may have about writing or editing in general, or about your own project in particular.

# March 29, 2008 5:46 PM

Namita Kumari said:

Hi,

Ppl I do agree with the idea about the importance of editors but want to ask about the cost of editing in India.

Thanks,

Namita

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