In this last post in my series with Carin Siegfried, she shares her insider’s view of why and how a writer might use an independent editor.
Carol: When do you need an independent
Editor?
Carin:
o
If
you aren’t able to find a writer’s group or get any other free feedback.
o
If
you have exhausted your free feedback and still feel like your book has a long
way to go
o
When
you are self-publishing, and then you also need a copyeditor and proofreader.
o
A
good editor will see problems and suggest solutions.
Carol: Where do you find one?
Carin:
o
Publishers Marketplace or the Editorial Freelancer’s Association. Membership to the Publishers
Marketplace is $20 a month and can be cancelled at any time.
o
Look
for what major publishing houses the editors have worked at, a list of projects
they have worked on, their education background, and their general tone and
voice on their website/in their listing. In other words, you are looking for
someone you can get along with.
Carol: How much does an editor cost?
Carin:
o
I
charge $100/hour for developmental and/or line editing, and also for publishing
consulting, which covers things like writing or editing a query letter, a
proposal, descriptive copy for the book, or an author bio; researching literary
agents; sending queries and monitoring responses; getting an ISBN and
registering copyright; any production or trafficking work.
o
Standard
pricing for copyediting is about $5.00-3.00/page and proofreading is a little
less.
o
Be
wary of anyone who seems too cheap. You often get what you pay for.
Carol: What is the biggest reason that manuscripts are rejected?
Carin: Writers must do their homework! A manuscript
will be rejected quickly if it is sent to the wrong genre for the particular
house or if the editor’s name is misspelled.
****************
It has been my pleasure to host Carin on this blog and from the comments I have received, you have enjoyed learning more about the writing and publishing industry.
If you missed the previous posts, here are links:
- Part I: Carin's insights into the different types of editing.
- Part II: Common editorial problems
- Part III: More editorial problems.
- Part IV: Show, Don't Tell
- Part V: Can you over-describe?
- Part VI: Why do you need an agent?
- Part VII: What do you do when an agent offers to represent you?
**************
I'll be switching gears and highlighting three North Carolina authors whose books are coming out later this month--complete with giveaways too!
Thanks for stopping by!
5 comments:
As we have discussed, Carol, editing becomes increasingly important as self-publishing takes a more prominent role in the publishing industry. Thanks for this series of interviews.
They've been timely, haven't they?? Thanks for reading and following.
Thank you Carol and Carin for this series. It has been most informative and helpful.
Carol and Carin,
Thanks for this series. It always good to know where you can find help. A polished manuscript can make all the difference, I hear.
Thanks, Linda and Lisa. Yes, from what I hear, agents are looking for well-polished manuscripts!
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