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We're back with another Friday blog, and I think this one will be of interest to any writers out there. Editing is one of those things that is both exciting and terrifying for a writer to face. The idea of a professional reading our work is thrilling, until we remember that they are there to find flaw. In addition, we get the pleasure of paying them to do it. If you are self-publishing, this happens up-front, if traditionally publish, it takes the form of lower royalty payments. The first thing to understand is that there are numerous forms of editing. The three most talked about are developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. As the title implies, I hired an editor to perform a copy edit. What does that mean? A copy edit dives into the nitty-gritty of your manuscript. It is meant to find errors with spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, word use, and more. I've included a screenshot of my editor's website, detailing what a copy edit includes.  This is just what I needed for Book 1. Then came the matter of finding someone to do it. To put it mildly, there are a shitload of people and companies out there advertising editing services for sale. Their qualifications and price points vary dramatically. It can be quite overwhelming, trying to figure out where to start. I had one rule right off the bat. If I found simple grammatical errors on their website, they were out. If an editor can't be bothered to be professional with their web presence, I'm not trusting them with my work. I've spent years on this, I want my editor to take it as seriously as I do. Doing a quick Google search now, I'll list a few examples of prices I have found. We have one editor offering her services for $0.015 per word for a single pass, or $0.019 for two passes. I've found another editing business offering copy editing services starting at $0.023 per word and going up if you want your work back sooner. A third site offers services for $0.02, $0.04, or $0.06 per word, depending on the level of detail you want from them. I'm not naming these people because I do not want to attack them. For all I know, they offer outstanding services. But based on their web presence, I would not hire them. So how do you choose? For starters, I would recommend looking for an editor willing to offer a free sample edit. This will give you a feel for how they will edit your work, so you will not be going in blind. It also gives the editor a chance to get a feel for your work. They may not feel they are the best fit for your genre or writing style, and ideally, they will be ethical enough to tell you this, rather than taking your money. Next, look for reviews of their work. Do they have books they have edited listed on their site? If not, to me, that's a red flag. If so, consider buying one or two and reading them. Are the books filled with errors? Again, red flag. As you can see above, this is a significant investment you are making, and you want to be sure you are hiring the right person. I'll be transparent here. I paid $762.00 USD for the copy edit of my book. That's not a small amount of money to me, though it is far more affordable than I would get from any of the examples listed above. If I'm going to spend that much money on anything, I want to be sure of what I'm getting in return. So who did I hire? While searching, I came across Enchanted Ink Publishing, which is owned by Natalia Leigh. I saw she offered a free sample edit and a list of works she had previously worked on in the past. Also, she had a YouTube channel, where she discusses writing topics, including editing. I listened to a few of her videos on the editing process, and it was clear from the start that she took her business very seriously and was quite knowledgeable on the subject. So I e-mailed, asking for a sample edit. Natalia responded promptly, and I sent over my first chapter (well over 3,000 words) for a sample edit. It was returned a few days later, right on the date she had promised. I was extremely impressed, both with her work and her professionalism. I booked a July edit and was now feeling quite at ease with the process. I paid 50% of the fee at the time of booking, and then the rest at the end of the edit. From what I can tell in my searches, this seems fairly standard among editors, and some even request full payment up-front. My edit was booked to start on July 6th, and the week before, I received a contract to sign. It was very straightforward and included the date my edit would be completed, August 3rd. It was completed right on time, and returned to me on August 3rd, once I had sent the remainder of my payment. When my book was returned, it included a document tracking all changes, and another with the changes already applied. Also included was a reader report, and style sheet. The reader report included a breakdown of things she changed consistently and her general thoughts on the story. For example, it turns out I used the word "unadorned" a ludicrous number of times(I went back to my original file and CTRL-Fed it, it's true). The style sheet included the standard to which the work was edited. As stated on the sheet:  It also included a list of characters, places, etc. that Natalia used for reference during the edit.
As for the edits themselves, I honestly couldn't be more satisfied. I should note that not every edit is automatically applied. There are instances such as "I suggest rewriting this sentence to avoid repetition" that I had to go in and do myself. Also included were occasional notes on things she liked. So, obviously, it's important to review everything for yourself, but I would recommend that in any case. Ultimately, the right things in an editor will vary for each and every once of us. After my experience, I hope to work with Natalia on every one of my books going forward. I could not be more pleased with my choice. If you are interested in checking her services out for yourself, I will include a link to her website down below. She books out early for good reason, so don't wait too long! Look, like I said above, editing can be intimidating. I have only my own experience to draw from, but I found it to be a painless and even enjoyable process. I've talked to others who have had the opposite experience when hiring an editor, it happens. If the topic causes you to feel anxious, just know that it is normal. When hiring a professional, the best thing you can remember is to do your research and be sure the person you are hiring is the right fit. I hope my experience is at least a small bit reassuring. I'll probably go into a more in-depth breakdown of the various types of editing in a future blog, so make sure to stay tuned for that! Until next time! ~Pete Visit Enchanted Ink Publishing at www.enchantedinkpublishing.com/ Follow me on social media! Instagram Youtube
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