Whether you’ve just wrapped-up that manuscript that you’ve been working on for what seems like an eternity, or you have a great idea for a book and after getting your ideas out on paper (or computer), you have reached a point where you’re stumped and you need some help, you’re going to want to find a manuscript editor for hire.
Fine-tuning a manuscript can be overwhelming, frustrating, and just plain hard, but a manuscript editor can take that stress off of your shoulder. Thanks to online marketplaces, finding talented professional manuscript editors for hire that you can rely on to help you enhance your book for your readers, ensuring that you produce a book that is engaging, informative, captivating, and a real page-turner. If you’ve never looked for manuscript editors for hire, however, and the experience is completely new to you, you are in the right place! We’ve put together this handy overview for you, which details some simple, yet super handy information that you can use to find quality manuscript editors for hire that you can rely on to make your book shine.
Tips to Help You Find Quality Manuscript Editors for Hire
Whether you need help fine-tuning your manuscript or you’ve reached a point where, try as you might, you just can’t seem to improve your book any further, hiring a freelance editor is a must. But how do you do that? Just stick to the following tips and you will be well on your way to finding a reputable, professional, and experienced book editor for hire that you can count on to improve your book.
Determine What Kind of Editing You Need
When it comes to hiring a manuscript editor, a lot of authors are confused about the type of editing they need; in fact, any writers don’t even realize that there are different types of editing. If you’re looking to hire a professional editor to assist you with improving your manuscript, it’s imperative to understand that there are different types of editing and to familiarize yourself with each type.
Creating a manuscript can be seen as layers of the writing process, and just like the writing process itself, each layer of editing becomes more and more fine-tuned and specific. There are five many types of editing, including:
- Editorial assessment. The first type of professional editing an author would need with their manuscript is an editorial assessment. As the name implies it involves an editor providing you with broad, yet thoughtful and detailed feedback about your manuscript including its strengths, as well as any weaknesses, that pertain to the plot, the characters, and the overall storyline. In this phase of the editing process, you won’t receive a manuscript that is covered with marks and comments; rather, the editor will provide you with a letter that highlights broad points of your manuscript. Finding a professional that specializes in editorial assessment as early as possible will simplify other phases of the editing process, such as copy editing.
- Developmental editing. Also referred to as content or substantive editing, developmental editing entails a manuscript editor providing you with in-depth feedback that pertains to big-picture issues; shaping the narrative, refining ideas, and fine-tuning any obvious inconsistencies with the characters or the plot. Developmental editing is similar to an editorial assessment, but it’s a lot more detailed.
- Copy editing. The next phase in the manuscript editing journey is copy editing. You’re ready for this phase when you’ve resolved bigger picture issues with your book. Manuscript editors for hire that specialize in copy editing will read through your writing, looking for any issues that negatively impacts its readability; repetitive words or phrases, or inconsistencies in the plot, language, or characters, for example. In short, the job of a copy editor is to make your completed manuscript more professional. Copy editing is also referred to as line or mechanical editing.
- Proofreading. The final key stage in the manuscript editing journey is proofreading. Manuscript editors for hire that specialize in proofreading will look over your work with a magnifying glass, so-to-speak, checking it over for grammatical and spelling errors, and making sure that these issues are cleaned up so that you book is ready for print.
- Fact-checking. Last but certainly not least is fact-checking. During this final stage of the editing process, an editor will double-check your research, making sure that all information matches up with source materials, and that your manuscript is, indeed, factual.
Look for Experienced Manuscript Editors
Once you’ve determined what type of editing you need, the next thing you’ll want to do is find manuscript editors for hire that are experienced. Reedsy is a great resource for this, as this online marketplace features some of the most talented and experienced editors. In fact, Reedsy only accepts the top 1 percent of professional editors who apply on their online marketplace. Plus, they verify the work history of all editors, and offer professionals that specialize in all types of editing for all genres of writing.
You don’t want to choose the first manuscript editor for hire that you find; rather, you want to find a few prospective candidates. Ideally, you should look for at least three potential editors that pique your interests to look over your manuscript.
Make a Shortlist
Once you’ve created a shortlist of prospective manuscript editors for hire, the next step is looking further into each one. Reach out to each editor and ask key questions about their experience; for example, find out how long they’ve been editing on a professional level, what type of editing they specialize in, as well as the genres they specialize in. You should also ask what authors they have worked with in the past, and ask if you can see samples of their work, too. Inquire about the process they use, too.
Find out as much information as you can about each of the editors you’re considering and move on from there by sending the editors you are still considering hiring a manuscript synopsis for them to go over. Assess what each editor returns to you, check the quality of their work, and determine which one best suits your needs. Next up, you’ll have to make sure you’re prepared to work with them.