Whether you’re self-publishing or just trying to get your manuscript in decent shape to float by an agent, it’s a good idea to hire a professional editor.” />
I edit books for independent authors pretty frequently, and there is one thing they all have in common: not much of a budget.
Whether you’re self-publishing or just trying to get your manuscript in decent shape to float by an agent, it’s a good idea to hire a professional editor. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you have to. I’ve seen many a manuscript that “my friend proofed for me,” and although it’s a great idea to have a friend read your book (see #2 below), unfortunately, it’s not enough. You need an impartial, professional outside eye (ahem) to really critique and perfect your words before you make them public.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on an editor. There are a few things you can do to get your manuscript further along in the editing process before you start doling out the dollars. This will save you money, in the long run.
1
Read the entire thing out loud, to yourself. Does it make sense? Are you missing words? Do your sentences string together? By the time you’re ready to hand this thing off to an editor, you’re probably pretty sick of it. But one good solid read-through might help you catch crucial things.
2
Have someone else read it. You’re too close to it. A friend with a fresh eye might catch things you didn’t or offer perspective you haven’t considered.
3
Make sure any statistics or facts that you mention have citations. If you claim that “90 percent of mailmen are on crystal meth,” you have to tell your audience where you got that information. Doing the research on your stats is tedious and time-consuming, but it’s just as tedious and time-consuming for your editor. Instead of paying your editor to Google, do the dirty work yourself.
4
Make sure your chapter and header formatting is consistent. Does every chapter have a title? Are the headers and subheads formatted consistently? If you’re using Microsoft Word, take advantage of the header formatting properties. This will also help you create a table of contents later.
5
Get rid of the double spaces after your periods. While two spaces after a period used to be the standard back in the days of manual typesetting, advances in computer typography have rendered the two-spaces thing outdated. Read more about this here. Fix it by performing a search and replace in your word processing program.
6
Check for serial commas. In the grammar world, nothing is so hotly contested as the necessity of the serial comma, aka the Oxford comma. I am open-minded about using them versus not using them; but I am a stickler for consistency. If you’re using them, you have to use them every time. (If, like me, reading about punctuation titillates you, read on.)
7
Format your fonts. To make it easier for your editor and all subsequent manuscript readers, make sure it’s in a standard, readable font (Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Cambria, Calibri) and a consistent font size (12 is the norm). Double-space your entire document.
8
Vanquish redundant metaphors. One of the most common mistakes I see new authors make is overdoing it with the metaphors and similes. Like everything, metaphors are terrific in moderation, but when you start using them so liberally that there are multiple metaphors within a sentence, you lose your audience.
9
Get rid of all your extra words. This is arguably the hardest step for writers, and one of the reasons you are hiring an editor—to “kill your darlings” for you. Still, streamlining and simplifying ahead of time will put you ahead of the game.
10
Summarize your intention. Creating a short description of your book is a great way to set your editor up for success. Let her know what your book is about and what message you are trying to get across. This gives her an angle with which to read your words. It’s also the beginning of a book pitch, which you’ll need soon.
You might be thinking, if I do all of this, do I really need to hire an editor? Yup. You still do, I’m afraid. But the good news is that your editor will be affordable.
Contact me for rates on editing books, ebooks, and other types of content.
