Your stop for book editing and publishing success.
Book Editing:
13 Questions to Ask a Potential Book Editor
By Lori Lisi
- “What past projects have you worked on? How many?” If the editors you’ve narrowed down appear to have experience of substance, watch to see if they’ve worked on books similar to your genre or market. It doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be a good match if they’ve worked on a diverse set of projects, but it certainly can help if they’ve really focused on your market. In the long run though, remember that a really good general book editor will be much better than a so-so specific one.
- “How many books do you edit a year?” Some say that over 50 books a year would be an indication that the editor doesn’t do top-notch work. To edit 50 books a year, it would mean that the editor was working on one book nearly every week of the year. Since most books average a length of 80,000 to 100,000 words, it would take most editors about 35 to 85 hours (depending on the editing level and hourly rate) to complete the editing process of one book in just one week. Obviously, that would be quite a demanding rate to keep up all year long, while still trying to maintain quality of service. No matter the exact number of books they edit per year, you can probably weigh the overall quality of service against the factors given above.
- “How many of your past projects are published?” If they’ve worked on books that have been traditionally published, it helps to establish their professional acceptance and standing in the industry. However, some editors do specialize in working with self-published or Print-On-Demand publishers where the acceptance criteria are less stringent. If possible, ask for a sample of a published manuscript or where you might pick up a copy.
- “Do you have any references or have you been listed in the Acknowledgement pages of any books?” Then check the references and try to verify at least a few of the cited Acknowledgements. It’s also not uncommon for some editors to display testimonials from previous clients on their resume or on a website. These can be quite valid and helpful, but be sure to look for some sort of verification, like a link to the quoted author’s website if available. Some editing services have even copied testimonials off of other editing websites and changed the names attributed before displaying them as their own.
- “May we visit on the phone before, after, or during the edit?” This doesn’t mean you get free pass to drive the editor crazy, so don’t abuse this privilege. But still, it would be wise to observe how the channels of communication are in the beginning, because that exchange will give you some idea of the accessibility you’ll have in the future—especially if it is minimal to start. You may also want to weigh the communication mediums between the two of you against what your own preferences are. For instance, do you prefer e-mail, and if so, does the editor respond within 24 to 72 hours or less? You may not want many phone conversations, and if so, that should be fine, but you may want to discuss this issue first. Many editing projects are completed quite satisfactorily with no verbal correspondence at all. However, it’s still highly recommended for you to have a real, live working number to contact them if needed.
- “How do you charge?” There is no standard measurement of cost among editors. Some charge by the job. Some by the page, the word, or hour. Still, others give an estimate instead of a flat rate. It can often be quite difficult to extract some sort of a common denominator for price while shopping editing services. Although you can attempt to equate the variables, the most important issue about cost is that the editor does provide some means of quantifying it, such as giving a per-word or hourly rate. Beyond that, it is often most wise to go with the editor that will serve you and your manuscript the best and is reasonable for your budget.
- “What level of editing do you recommend?” Much like how editors charge, there also appears to be degrees of variance for distinguishing levels of editing. For instance, what one editor would consider a medium level of editing, another may see as a heavy level of editing. Even so, there are some terms used in the industry to differentiate the level of service you might expect to receive, such as proofreading, copyediting, formatting, stylistic editing, fact checking or reference editing, substantive or structural editing, developmental editing, critiquing, or just providing a general assessment. The editing level needed, whether in general or for a specific type, may also be identified as being “light, medium, or heavy.”
- “What is your scheduling availability? How long do you think it would take for you to edit my book?” Most editors probably couldn’t answer this question until they’ve provided you with some sort of an initial evaluation of your manuscript, which also gives them the ability to determine the editing level needed and thus the amount of time that’ll be required. Still, sometime after assessing a sample of your manuscript, they should be able to give an estimate and project when they’d be able to work it into their current projects. It's not uncommon for a professional editor to be scheduled for several months at a time.
- “Do you use a contract?” You probably won’t need to look at the legal specifics until you’ve both agreed to everything informally and are ready to schedule the project (Many good editors are scheduled months in advance.), but you’ll still want to make sure that a contract is used and that you’ve read and understood what it says. Of course, most contracts are designed to help minimize problems between the parties by detailing what work will be done and what the cost will be, but it’s also important to understand that an editing contract should also serve as a preventive against any confusion surrounding your copyright ownership of the manuscript. This can sometimes be affected by the depth of revision (especially rewriting) an editor may do for you, especially if there is not a clause specific about the editor’s degree of involvement in relation to your copyright. If at all in doubt, consult a literary attorney.
- “How does most of your work come to you?” This answer may include, but not be limited to: referrals from agents or publishers, referrals from other editors, word of mouth from past clients, and direct contact with the writing audience, such as through public seminars or over the Internet. It seems that word of mouth is often the most powerful form of marketing anyone in ANY business can get, which is also probably why it can be the hardest to secure. So, if they do get a fair share of their work this way, that’s an even greater bonus.
- “Have you ever been published or been paid professionally for writing?” First, let it be well understood that a good writer doesn’t necessarily make a good editor. Part of the reason that most writers go to editors is because it is very hard, if not nearly impossible, to edit your own work, so it can be a rare individual that is truly good at both. Even editors need someone else to take a look at their work when they write. With that being said though and the quality of service among two potential editors being equal, it’s not hard to say that an editor who has been published or has been paid professionally for his or her own writing wouldn’t be an even greater asset to your overall publishing endeavors.
- “Do you belong to any editing associations?” If they don’t, it doesn’t mean they’re not good editors, but inclusion, past or present, in the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Independent Editors Group, the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders, or something similar does help lend credibility. Most of these organizations have some requirement of professional standing before allowing membership.
- “Can you help with anything beyond the manuscript process?” While the primary focus definitely should be finding an editor that will serve you best for the editing phase, it’s certainly an added benefit to find one that can help with guidance and materials for the submission process. If an editor can also assist with query letters, bios, book proposals, etc., and help with the agent research process, you probably have more than just an editor—you probably have a publishing coach or mentor that can help with your long-term endeavors.
For more help on how to find the right editor for you, check out information found in our report about this topic:
The Serious Writer's Report #1: How to Find the Right Editor for You.
Direct any requests for reprint rights of this article to the Contact Page.
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