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How To Write A Book Proposal Library

Report #1

Book Editing:
How To Find The Right Editor For You

Many authors hire book editors to edit the sample chapters and chapter summaries of a book proposal (more of the proposal if the editor is qualified). Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon for authors to be unfamiliar with the steps that can be taken to screen book editors before they are hired to edit a manuscript or proposal.

Report #1 in The How To Write A Book Proposal Library is 13 pages of critical information every author should be armed with while looking for a book editor. This report provides an author with 29 simple tips for finding the right editor, which include:

• 6 Criteria To Look For in An Editor or Editing Service
   
• 13 Questions To Ask A Potential Editor
   
• 3 Things A Good Editor Will NEVER Say
   
• 7 Indications That It May Be Time To Run From An Editor
   

See the excerpt below for just 6 of the 29 tips found in
Report # 1 How To Find The Right Editor For You:

Criteria To Look For in A Book Editor:

1. Experience editing books. This may seem like it should go without saying, but you might be surprised. Editors that know punctuation and can edit term papers don’t necessarily make for good book editors, nor does such minimal experience provide the substance required to represent oneself as an actual book editor. Also, just having a master’s degree in English won’t make for a good editor either, although it can certainly help. The ideal is for them to have worked in a publishing house, but many good editors have not and yet still have facilitated the success of many books. The key here is to look for experience actually editing books and the track record found therein.
    
2. Availability of resume, CV, or equivalent. Of course, some editors will use a website to display their credentials, but it still should show the same types of information you’d expect to see on a resume, such as citing past projects, testimonials, education, applicable skills and abilities, familiarity with style manuals, relevant memberships, and perhaps past work experience that may be of interest.
    
3. Knowledge of specific style guides. The standard style guides used for the industry are: The Chicago Manual of Style and then Words into Type. These are the style “rules” publishers use to clean up manuscripts in-house. Any other style can even be contradictory, such as MLA or AP Style. For instance, in CMS, commas are used in a series: apples, oranges, and bananas. In AP Style, they are not: apples, oranges and bananas. A book editor will need to know CMS.
    
4. Reasonable contact accessibility. You’ll want a real, live phone number to reach them at during business hours, and you’ll want to verify that it is actually answered on a regular basis. Next, see that you get a reasonable turnaround time on e-mails, such as within 24 to 72 hours.
    
5. Willingness to provide a sample service. Sometimes, an editor will provide samples of past projects. Some editors even provide a sample edit (a page or two usually) specific to your manuscript. Others may provide a trial assessment for a reduced introductory price. Be wary if they provide stellar testimonials, yet no means of qualifying their services beforehand.
    
6. Confirmation of direct working relationship. The lack of assurance in this area tends to happen when you are corresponding with an editing company. What you don’t want to happen is for an editing service to make arrangements with you based on standards of credibility that may seem acceptable to you at the onset, and then contract the work out to high school students or the equivalent. (Yes, I’ve heard that it happened.) Be wary if they are not willing to guarantee whom you’ll be working with prior to signing a contract. It is possible to still be referred to someone within a company that’s reputable, but you’ll want to start the whole interview process over again with the person that you’ll be working with directly.
    

For 23 more helpful tips on finding the right editor, order Report #1: How To Find The Right Editor For You for $13 (via Paypal) at: The Book Proposal Depot Store. Or receive it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter!

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Free Proposal Consultation or Sample Edit

After reading the articles (or even before, if you'd like), I'd be happy to provide you with a free initial consultation or provide a sample edit for a manuscript. To set up either, simply:

1. Fill out the Contact Form to request a phone appointment (from Lori Lisi).
    
2. Include the status of your manuscript and any submission materials.
    
3. Include several possible time frames to set up a phone appointment.
    
4. If you have a draft of your proposal and/or the first two chapters of your manuscript, please upload that into the form as well.
    

You will be contacted within 24 to 72 hours. This will allow me the time to review the materials and information you might send before we set up the phone appointment. Please be sure to include times you might be available to set up the appointment.

I'll look forward to speaking with you!

Book Proposal Services

If you prefer that I write the book proposal for you, please review the Writing service.

If you would like to write the book proposal yourself and primarily want guidance for doing so, please review the Coaching service.

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If you would like general feedback regarding your manuscript, please check out the Book Critique service.

If your manuscript would be better served by an edit, check out the Book Editing service.

If you are uncertain as to the type of assistance your manuscript might need, simply request a Free Sample Edit for an initial assessment of the editing level that might be needed.

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