You’re thinking about hiring a professional editor for your manuscript, but every potential editor you talk to says, “Sure, send me the manuscript and I’ll quote you a price.” That gives you pause. You hesitate. What if one of these editors steals your story idea?
Don’t worry. Legitimate freelance editors are not looking to appropriate your plot or characters for their own novel. Although many editors do also write, it’s a safe bet they aren’t trolling unsuspecting authors in order to harvest the next great story idea. Editors usually ask for a sample—and you should give them one—because they want to review your manuscript for six important reasons.
- Compatibility: The writer/editor relationship is a partnership. Every editor approaches each manuscript a little bit differently. Further, something that’s acceptable in a novel may be inappropriate in a scholarly paper. Seeing what various editors do with your writing will give you a feel for their individual approach and what sort of changes they make, as well as how well they work with you. A sample edit lets you gauge whether an editor will meet your needs.
- Experience: Some editors work only in specific fields or genres. If you’ve written a scientific study, then you don’t want an editor who specializes in children’s stories. The editor you choose should be familiar enough with your type of manuscript to feel competent in editing it.
- Suitability: There are many different kinds of edits: copy, line, substantive, and developmental to name a few. Good editors always strive to provide you with an edit that not only does justice to your manuscript but is appropriate for your writing. Editors can pinpoint what issues they will address and why they recommend specific changes. And they’ll make sure you understand exactly what you will get with their edit and why.
- Comfort Level: You may have content that some editors aren’t comfortable working with—for example, descriptions of graphic violence or explicitly erotic scenes. Giving potential editors a heads-up on your content may not be sufficient. Editors need to see enough of the text to know whether they’re willing to work on it or not. And they will let you know if they aren’t.
- Scheduling: You need to make sure the project fits into the editor’s calendar. It isn’t enough to simply indicate the word count. Seeing a manuscript gives editors an idea of the scope and range of your project, to verify they can accommodate your schedule and give your project the attention it deserves.
- Cost: Prospective editors can’t guess what the job will entail. Word count, writing style, subject matter, genre, research and fact checking, and numerous other elements all affect the cost of editing. Reviewing a manuscript gives editors a solid basis for determining what to charge.
Editing is not an exact science. It’s an art, a collaboration between author and editor, and context can be critical. So do some research on potential editors: What background, education, and experience do they have? Do they have a professional website? Can you get testimonials or references?
Letting potential editors review your manuscript is a way to help you choose the best match. When you find the right partner, you’re more likely to be happy with the final edited manuscript. And that’s something both writers and editors want.
What do you think about sharing a sample of your manuscript? What are you concerns, and how do you deal with them?