After you’ve done all that you can, and you feel like you’ve read this book far more times than you care to count…you’re ready to find yourself an editor. First, allow me to point some things out quickly. And they are not fun to point out, but I need to say them. Yes, editing is expensive, there is no getting around it. And yes, if you want to be taken seriously, you will have to pay for some form of editing. Even if you are a grammar wizard and editing master, you’ve now read your book so much by this point, that you will inevitably miss things. Obvious things. And that can become even more frustrating to deal with. All that said, I’ll repeat…yes stroking that cheque for editing ALWAYS HURTS.

Moving on, the first thing to consider when you are looking for editors is what type of editing you need. For this particular document, I will focus on what I believe will be the two types of editing that you should be looking at.

Developmental editing

Developmental Editing focuses heavily on the content development of your book. This would include such things as the plot, points of view, character development, tone, voice, dialogue, pace, setting, readability, organization, and more. It is the most in-depth editing service available for storytellers.

Line Editing

Line Editing is the writing industry standard. Publishing agents and university professors recommend this as the minimum level of professional editing prior to submitting for review and consideration. Line Editor improves the continuity and flow of your writing and supporting statements. You also receive in-line editorial remarks, suggestions, and feedback throughout your manuscript.

Personally, I only use line editing and skip developmental editing. I find that through beta readers, and careful attention to detail, I can handle the story aspect of things. I am not looking for outside help to develop an idea; I enjoy doing that myself. And I think most authors probably feel the same way. Plus, Developmental Editing is just really expensive.

When it comes to hiring an editor, remember, these people are human too. They aren’t perfect, and sometimes even they miss things. I know it can be tough, and when you pay so much money, you expect it to be perfect, but in my experience, this just isn’t realistic. So set your expectations accordingly. And just like beta readers, if you manage to find a good editor, they will still do everything they can to help you get your story in the best place it can be. You want to work with your editor, find one who asks questions, communicates potential issues with you, and works with you as they edit your story. You don’t really want an editor who just takes your book, and then you hear back from them in a month and they send you a file and call it finished.

Also, there is no shortage of editors in the world, along with websites, and companies that will promise you perfection…for a price. In the resources, I have highlighted two specific services, along with my personal editor who I can vouch for. But because he is one man, and can only edit so much at one time, I thought it best to include some other sources. I have used both “First Editing” and “Upwork”, with varying success. That said, the reason I feel comfortable recommending these two sites, is because they are the safest bet with your money. When spending upwards of $1000, you want to make sure you approach it with some caution. There is no shortage of scammers, or people who will offer to edit your work on the cheap, and then do a horrible job. It can be worrisome, so always ask questions and do your due diligence.

First editing.com

First editing will match you with an editor, and walk you through the process. They make it very easy and have on average a two-week turnaround. They will also give you a sample edit of your work, and give you various quotes depending on your word count. You can investigate the website yourself, but in terms of editing companies, they always seemed to have the best price, compared to most other editing companies I’ve looked at in the past.