Editors often aren’t sure how long it takes to edit a manuscript, from the first read-through to the final review of the revision letter. I’d say that editors underestimate by about 25% (sometimes more) much of the time. If you underestimate badly enough, you wind up earning less than you would shaking a fry basket…
If you’re interested in learning how to become a freelance book editor, you’re probably wondering what kind of person thrives in the environment—what kind of skills freelance editors need. Training for Fiction Editors First, you have to have training (and that’s where Club Ed comes in). Without a specific understanding of editing methodology – whether…
Getting work as a freelance editor is always a challenge, and my colleagues sometimes see an opportunity when a local business or other organization publishes a newsletter or blog post with errors. They ask me, “I’m thinking about pointing out the errors and offering my editorial services for pay. What do you think?” I think…
Back when I edited a custom magazine, I assigned and edited a package about an upcoming event (similar to a business conference) which included profiles of some of the attendees and speakers, a how-to-get ready checklist, a travel piece on side trips to take at the location, a celebration of highlights of the event over…
Typically in a manuscript evaluation or developmental edit, I focus on what I perceive to be the three-to-five most important concerns I’ve noticed in the ms. This is the approach I teach my editing students. Editing too many problems at once overburdens the author In any given ms, there may be ten or fifteen developmental problems…
There’s a fast-casual restaurant I walk by every day that has a sign in the window: Pick Any 3, Get 1 Free! That sounds clear enough, right? But below the offer, they list what you can pick from: – 1 dinner (grilled chicken, burger, ham-and-cheese sandwich) – 3 large drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dad’s…
If you’ve ever taken a class from me, you know that I have a pathological hatred of using questions in editorial queries. By this I mean asking questions like, “What is Joe’s motivation?” where you are, or think you are, asking the author to address the problem of Joe’s lack of motivation. Use statements instead…
Aspiring editors sometimes aren’t sure of the differences between different types of services they could offer. Three of the main big-picture services editors offer are beta reading, manuscript evaluation, and developmental editing. Here’s how they differ. Beta Reading Beta reading is a type of reader feedback on a manuscript. If you’re familiar with writers’ workshops,…
Once upon a time, I trained in the martial arts. When I was a brown belt, I hit someone pretty hard and broke his rib. We were supposed to demonstrate excellent physical control, and accidentally breaking someone’s rib does not equal excellent physical control. I felt terrible for causing him pain and for not having…
I once had a manuscript land on my desk was written in such an abstract way (“glorious silver moon moments brandish sparkles”) (not a direct quote) that I couldn’t figure out how to begin to edit it. This was for a publisher client who would send projects my way without giving me a chance to…