Freelance Book Editors: Worth the Price?

Should an unpublished fiction writer pay thousands of dollars for extensive editing of plot, characters, style, POV, and so on?

The answer, as so often, is "it depends." Ask yourself the following questions: When? Why? Who? What? Where? How much? My experiences in this field, both positive and negative, are what led me to create BeYourOwnEditor.com--the suggestion to hire a freelance editor is thrown at more and more unpublished novelists and nonfiction writers these days, and too many blindly follow it because, after all, an agent said it.

I spent a few years editing fiction manuscripts by writers with whom I connected online. In some cases, we had extensive e-mail exchanges, but very infrequently did we talk on the phone, and never did we meet. Some such editing jobs came through websites that broker deals between writers and editors, deciding who works with whom and how much money changes hands; other times, I found writers on my own (or they found me) and we set a price and timetable together. Fees charged by experienced editors such as me range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, based on the manuscript's length, the extent of editing required, and other factors.

I'm confident in my editorial abilities, so I never felt my clients didn't get their money's worth. At the same time, I began to see the same mistakes over and over in the work of new novelists--many of the same writing problems that I discuss on this site, such as redundancy, cliched situations and characters, overuse of adverbs and adjectives, etc. Often, when I returned a partial manuscript to a novelist, he or she would write back to tell me that they "got it," meaning they probably could have edited the rest themselves.

The amount of money writers, including those without much to spend, will hand over to a freelance editor astounds me. Because very rarely do they take the time to get to know the editor first. Why spend that money unless you're sure the editor shares your vision? Is someone you can personally get along with? Will answer your questions, turn the manuscript around within a reasonable amount of time, and be good at the service they provide?

Let's elaborate on those earlier questions:

When?

Should you hire an editor before sending your manuscript to agents or publishers, or wait for their feedback? A tough question, since it requires you to make an honest evaluation of your novel's readiness to be released into the world, and to do so without professional feedback. Many agents and publishers aren't keen on receiving the same manuscript twice, even if it's been edited in between. Do you trust anyone in your life to give you honest feedback? Intelligent, well-read people whose opinions you also trust? If so, ask those friends or family members to read your novel and tell you whether they'd buy it--or at least can imagine it--in Barnes & Noble. If not, perform a litmus test by sending it to just a few agents. (This requires getting past the query letter stage, but that's another topic.) If none like the writing and you're lucky enough to get specific criticism, think honestly about whether you understand and can fix the issues yourself. If not, think about hiring an editor before sending the manuscript anywhere else.

Why?

"We see tremendous potential in your novel, but feel it would benefit from professional editing." Um, why? How might it benefit? Don't just take an agent's word for it. Some agents may sincerely feel that your manuscript is this close, and a good freelance editor can help it cross the line into the promised land. But it's also a stock suggestion in some agents' form rejection letters. So don't assume an agent will read your manuscript--or, if they do, like it any better--just because you spent two thousand dollars on an editor. Don't hire an editor unless you, or others who've read your manuscript (personally or professionally), can identify specific elements that need work. If you blindly send your novel to a stranger, whatever their experience, how can you predict or adjust their focus? Some editors are great with sentence structure. Others excel at character, or plot inconsistencies. Know what you need before you look for it, and talk to potential editors about it.

Who?

How to find the right freelance editor? First, never hire an editor only because an agent recommends him or her, unless you know and trust that agent. You never know the nature of their relationship; the agent might get a hidden referral fee from the editor, or they might just be buddies. Look around online and consider a service that matches up writers with editors, but be wary: because such services often take commissions, you may pay more than if you worked directly with an editor. Also, their choice of editor for your novel may be based more on availability than on that editor being the right one for the type of material you write. Some services even keep their editors anonymous. The best method is to ask around among other writers, either on Web writing communities or in workshops or writers' groups in which you participate. And always, always speak to an editor before signing any agreement. E-mail has its place. But so does a human voice.

What?

Editing is a broad term. It can mean anything from proofreading or copyediting for spelling and grammar mistakes to providing a complete critique or revision of plot, character, and pacing. The extent of editing required should be discussed ahead of time; you may feel you know exactly what's needed; if you're not sure, most editors will look at a sample chapter or two, plus a synopsis, and give you an opinion on how much work the job will entail. In fact, it's a good idea to ask them to read a chapter anyway. Often an editor will be honest and say something like, "Look, this just isn't my thing," for which you should be grateful and move on.

Where?

This idea doesn't even occur to some writers, given our global community and all, but why not try to find someone you can meet--gasp--in person? You don't have to live in New York or some other big city; at my day job I hire brilliant freelance copy editors who live all over the country. That's one reason many people turn freelance: they're moving to a place where there's no publishing company to employ them in-house. Perhaps place an ad in your local paper. If there's a college nearby, see if any of the English professors do such work. Of course, you can get a perfectly good editing job from someone on the other coast, but wouldn't it be nice to meet for a cup of coffee and watch your editor's face as she talks about your writing?

How Much?

I saved this for last because my first instinct told me money is the most important issue, but surprisingly, my experience tells me otherwise. As I said above, many writers hand over vast sums (or small sums) without doing any homework at all. Shop around for the right editor stylistically, yes, but also shop around for the right-priced editor! Just keep this in mind: sometimes you get what you pay for. But sometimes you don't. A three-thousand-dollar editor may or may not do a better job than a five-hundred-dollar editor. Don't choose the cheapest option for that reason, or the most expensive. Try to determine what they'll do to improve your manuscript, then how much that's worth to you. Negotiate. Editors might lower their fees if they love your novel, or if they're in need of a job, or simply because they're flexible. But they won't say so unless you ask. And don't give them all the money up front--you may not see the finished product for another year. If they're waiting for the balance of their fee, your novel will be in the mail next Tuesday. Editors are people, too.

Deciding whether or not to hire a freelance editor is never easy. Rely to some degree on your gut. Does your novel lack something, or do you truly feel it's done? Ask the same question of those trusted and honest friends you asked to read it. And if flaws exist, look in the mirror and decide if you can fix them. Editing is as much a craft as writing, and not all first-time novelists have learned that craft yet, or be able to distance themselves adequately from the words on the page.

The sad truth is, the business of publishing has evolved in such a way that editors who work at publishing houses have less and less time to actually edit. So they're looking for manuscripts in publishable form. And agents need to spend their time selling, since they work on commission. So a writer can't submit a potentially brilliant work-in-progress and expect to find representation and a publisher. A freelance editor might just be what you need, but approach the issue wisely and with caution.