Today’s writing advice is something that is a crucial part of the writing process and can seem like the most terrifying: how to find a professional editor. And before anyone asks: getting your work professionally edited is mandatory if you want to be published in any sense. No exceptions.

Finding an Editor

When looking for an editor, the first thing you should consider is if your book is even ready for an editor. I would recommend self-editing and sending your book through at least one round of beta reads before you shoot your MS off to someone to edit. Please please please do not send your first draft to a professional editor. 

But where to start looking? Searching for editors in your genre online is a good start, but I found my current editor through word-of-mouth via Goodreads. Other writing communities are a great start to see if other writers are pleased with an editor’s work. If they are willing to recommend them to other authors, then you know you’re on the right track.

So your book has been beta read and you’ve edited it to the best of your own ability? Yay! Now it’s time to find an editor that edits your genre. If you are writing fantasy, you wouldn’t send your MS to an editor who specializes in non-fiction, so be sure to check to see what their specialties are. Some editors will even edit across different genres.

Your next plan of action is to find out if your editor is credible. Once you find their website, they should have a page that lists their editing credentials. They may have a degree in English or a related field, but usually they will also have separate editing certifications and will be part of editor organizations. If they don’t have their credentials listed or refuse to give them to you, or even worse, say they have none, then you don’t want them as your editor.

Types of Edits

So you’ve found an editor you’re interested in contacting that fits the above criteria for you? Great! What kind of editing do you need for your MS? 

Developmental edit– This type of edit will cover your plot and characters. Developmental edits will find plot holes, characterization problems and inconsistencies, and ways your story can improve. Even if you had beta readers, this type of edit is usually required before you can move forward with a copyedit, and depending on how edited your story is so far, you may need more than one of these.

Copyedit– This is essentially the proofread. Any punctuation, grammar, or spelling errors will be found here.

When I got The Moon-Eyed Ones edited for the first time, I wasn’t sure where the story stood because most of my beta reviews were highly positive. Don’t be afraid to ask their opinion! Most editors will provide a “test run” edit where they will edit a small segment of your MS for free or for a smaller charge to see if they are a good fit for you. My editor for TMEO and TFG actually won’t do a copyedit before she does a developmental edit. After the developmental edit, she will go through the edits with me personally over the phone and we can discuss how we want to proceed. Most strong books will only need one developmental edit and can then move on to the copyedit, but most editors won’t stop you if you want more developmental edits before you continue with the process.

Price

And now we come to the part that I’m sure most authors are worried about: price. How much does an editor cost? Most professional editors are expensive to an author’s budget. Another red flag is if your editor’s price seems too good to be true. But remember, too good to be true and affordable for you are not the same thing. A super cheap developmental edit is a huge red flag, as a developmental edit will usually run several hundred dollars to a thousand depending on how long your MS is, as most prices are based on word count. Copyedits are always cheaper than developmental edits, but that doesn’t mean you can just skip straight to the copyedit because you don’t think you can afford a developmental edit. If you’re serious about publishing, start saving so that you can give your MS the treatment it deserves. And remember: you get what you pay for.

The Aftermath

To be completely honest: when you get your MS back from the editor for the first time, it will hurt. Your pride may take a hit when seeing all that red and all those comments on that Word document, but take a little time to breathe and decompress, then get to hacking and reworking your story. Your editor should want you to succeed as much as you do, so remember that you are both on the same team! You may not agree on every single change, but at least think about their comments. Their job is to make your book better than it was when you sent it to them, so after the sting dies down, hopefully you’ll feel better knowing that you are improving and one step closer to your goal.

Finding an editor may seem scary, and it definitely is, but trust me when I say that getting your book professionally edited and seeing how  much your book and your craft can improve is definitely worth it!