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You get what you pay
for
Someone charging $100 for a complete developmental edit
isn’t doing you a favor by charging a fraction of the price that other editors
would—they’re actually swindling you. The same thing goes for someone you
haven’t worked with before who promises to turn around your manuscript in a day
or two. That might sound great, but if they’re rushing through it, they’re not
giving it the attention it deserves; and if they’re willing to work for almost
nothing, they’re either inexperienced (and desperate to get some experience) or
unqualified (and desperate to get business any way they can). As with so many
things in life, if an editor’s rate sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Don’t cut corners on something this important.
But be smart and do
your research
There are industry standards for editing, and if you think
you’re being charged an exorbitant amount, you might be right. The
Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) has rate guidelines publicly available
on their site, for example. These are intended to be rough guidelines, but
if someone is charging you $100/hour for copyediting, a quick glance at the
EFA’s site will tell you that that price is way too high.
I know it can be frustrating to be told not to underpay and
not to overpay. And at the end of the day, money doesn’t grow on trees and you
need to pay rent. We’ve all been there. But this book is important to you,
right? Otherwise you wouldn’t be considering this investment at all.
Here’s the big thing I can’t stress enough:
Self-editing is never
a substitute for a professional editor
Even professional editors hire editors. It doesn’t matter
how great you are at editing, there are things you just won’t catch in your own
work. Think of an editor like a manuscript doctor. Even though you’re
perfectly capable of diagnosing routine things like colds throughout the year,
you still go to the doctor for an annual checkup, or if something unusual crops
up. You might be generally healthy, but you still want to see an expert to ensure
that you haven’t missed anything—like what if that no-big-deal recurring
headache is something much more serious? Even if you were a doctor too, you
might not recognize your headaches as a sign of something more. You need that
outsider’s perspective to catch things you’ve overlooked.
Still not convinced? Maybe you’re wondering what a
professional editor might catch that your beta readers wouldn’t.
Any reputable editor will
do a sample edit for free
In many cases, this free sample will only be an edit of a
handful of pages, but often that glimpse will be all you need. Don’t hesitate
to ask for a sample edit from any editor you’re considering. Nobody’s going to
judge you for asking, and if they refuse, you might not want to work with them
anyway.
Is something else stopping you from hiring a professional editor for your manuscript? Let us know in the comments, and we'll address your concerns.
