# Editing/proofreading



## Carl75 (May 10, 2019)

Hello everyone! I was wondering how & where you find your editor/proofreader. 

Thanks !
Carl


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## Carl75 (May 10, 2019)

Hello meegads & everyone,

   I’m just wondering ...at what point do you look for an editor/proofreader or do you try to do it yourself ?

Thanks 
Carl


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## Aquilo (May 10, 2019)

Ideally, you need a good few beta reads first! Then if you're not going the trade route, where an editor comes as standard (or should at least), then you need to do your research.

You need to know your genre and target audience. It's no good taking a fishing manual to a sci-fi YA editor.  You also get what you pay for. There are editors out there who'll say they're professional and they'll do it for half of the price. Most times they'll have only handled a handful of scripts, and they'll do more damage than good.

I've been a contract editor with a publisher for over 8 years now, and have only recently gone freelance. I've edited nearly 400 epic novels, novels, novellas, and anthologies. But I have my own editing comfort zones: I only edit crime and suspense, mm romance at that. If you write horror, I wouldn't be what you're after and always be wary of an editor who say it's not their speciality but they'll take you on anyway. It's usually not a good sign.


So -- get an editor in your genre, who specializes in what you do. Check out their website, see who's on their client list. Look at their testimonials page. Check out their work on Amazon etc and see what readers are saying about it. Do they complain about the editing? Use the Look Inside option and read the sample. If you see glaring mistakes, avoid.

Talk to other authors in your genre and see who they recommend.


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## Carl75 (May 13, 2019)

Thanks so much Aquilo for your thorough answer. You mentioned some very interesting points to note. I should’ve mentioned that I’m  not an author myself though but you helped me understand some key things 

I’m creating a project where I match editors like you with book writers & I’m at the research stage.

I want to  understand the frustrations & problems that book writers face in regards to editing their work. 

You mentioned already a couple of points. From your experience what other problems and frustrations do they face?

Thanks so much Aquilo
Carl


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## Aquilo (May 13, 2019)

I think one major issue is that authors don't know what type of editor they need, and it's a catch 22 situation: they won't really understand the difference between the edits until they've been through it. Or most authors think they've checked the novel well enough, and it only needs a proofread, bypassing the major stage of edits at content and copy/edit level. This industry doesn't help with offering synonymous titles for the same level of edit (e.g., one's content edit is another's structural edit).

There are very few authors I've worked with who only need a basic proof to bring their work up to scratch with house style etc. In fact, I can name two only. The rest have needed an in-depth content edit, followed by a copy edit.

There's a way around this, and that's to take full advantage of the samples that editors offer to do. Most will ask the author to submit X amount of words and they'll edit it for you to give you a sense of what they do. With this, an author is well within their rights to test out a number of editors like this before they decide which editor to work with. So -- try before you buy!! Always.

But it's like with everything else: research what the different editors do, ask other authors about their experience with editors, check on the editor's website to see exactly what the editor does.


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## Carl75 (May 13, 2019)

Thanks so much for your thorough answer Aquilo. I’ve learned a few things.

Carl


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## shyla (Sep 12, 2019)

I write for international nonprofits and religious organizations, so I can share a little bit of the challenges we have in matching up written works with editors. Our biggest issue is editors who don't understand PR concerns (for example, a human interest story that mentions a person's interaction with the Middle Eastern group Hezbollah, are they a "national resistance group" or a "terrorist group?" It depends who you ask, but editors who are unaware of an organization's PR needs will try to write the word "terrorist" in there to make the story more sensational, which may be counterproductive to the intent of the piece). Our second biggest issue is having too many editors for the same piece, which is like the old adage, "too many cooks in the kitchen..."


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## Aquilo (Sep 12, 2019)

Yes, you definitely need an editor who specializes in your genre, shyla. Otherwise it's like getting a mechanic to edit a cookbook.


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## J.T. Chris (Oct 7, 2019)

Aquilo said:


> Yes, you definitely need an editor who specializes in your genre, shyla. Otherwise it's like getting a mechanic to edit a cookbook.



"Not enough oil in this recipe. Fixed"


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## Ralph Rotten (Oct 7, 2019)

Carl75 said:


> Hello everyone! I was wondering how & where you find your editor/proofreader.
> 
> Thanks !
> Carl




My editor was very expensive.
First I had to marry her, then buy her a big house with a white picket fence, an SUV, and 3 kids. Not only that, but for the last 30 years she has made a point of taking all my money every payday.


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## Aquilo (Oct 9, 2019)

J.T. Chris said:


> "Not enough oil in this recipe. Fixed"



Cook on radiator for ten mins, then flip. I see a paradoy coming on here, lol...



Ralph Rotten said:


> My editor was very expensive.
> First I had to marry her, then buy her a big house with a white picket fence, an SUV, and 3 kids. Not only that, but for the last 30 years she has made a point of taking all my money every payday.



That's a good hourly rate if ever I saw one!


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## Ralph Rotten (Oct 9, 2019)

According to BB King, it's cheaper to keep her.
He should know, he was Chairman of the Board after all.


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## Cavex (Nov 8, 2019)

Ok, what on earth is going on here? Maybe I should have read the whole thing instead of jumping to the last page.


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## EthanWarwright (Nov 19, 2019)

Usually I'll try to go through my work on my own and make changes as I see them. Reading my work aloud also helps with detecting mistakes. Getting a friend, relative, or whoever else is available to read my stuff is even better.


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## Cavex (Nov 20, 2019)

I use Texthelp read and write, Grammarly and looking for beta readers to help with my current book.


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## EntrepreneurRideAlong (Jan 11, 2020)

I found a few editors on UpWork and my full time editor (the one I use for all of my articles now) I found on a Facebook group. It was a Facebook group for VA's and Editors looking for work. I posted my job, talked to about 10 editors. And found the perfect fit after interviewing a few of them


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