DO YOU REALLY NEED TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR?

Hiring an experienced editor will lend credibility to your manuscript—credibility that is gained through a strong, error-free manuscript that is written in accordance with publishing standards and that is written in a way that meets readers’ expectations. This is what the professional editor provides.

But let’s look at some questions authors have about editing.

Why can’t I just use my neighbor’s son who is an English major at the local university? My niece, Jane, who is getting an “A” in high school English, can edit it, and she’d love $100 to do it.  My former Freshman Composition professor loves redlining papers, and he told me he’d be happy to edit my manuscript.  Do I really need to hire a professional editor?

Let’s start with the first two questions.

The reason you can’t use just anyone to edit your manuscript is fairly simple. As with any industry, the publishing industry has standards that are expected of all manuscripts. It uses the Chicago Manual of Style, which is rarely used in schools, especially not in high school or undergraduate studies. It doesn’t matter if you are publishing with one of the Big 6 traditional publishing houses or if you’re self-publishing. The readers expect publishing industry standards.

If you have Johnny edit your manuscript, then nine times out of ten, he will edit academically rather than by publishing standards. If you let Jane edit the manuscript, you are getting a high school paper—at best. And as for your former college professor—out of the three options, he’ll be the most ideal, but it’s more than likely that he’s not well-versed in the Chicago Manual of Style.  You can tell any one of them to edit for publishing, and unless they have been in the field, they may not get it. They can research how to edit for publishing, but that takes time on their part; and the turnaround may take longer.

So yes, you can use Johnny, Jane, or Professor Jackson, and you are getting your editing done for a much cheaper cost than that of a professional editor. However, you are probably not getting the work you actually need done and that your manuscript deserves. You would still need to hire an editor who is experienced in publishing industry standards if you want to ensure the integrity of your book.

Now, let’s answer the question “Do I really need to hire a professional editor?” The answer is “yes.”

These are people who have knowledge of and experience in the publishing industry. They can give you recommendations and often do on how to make your manuscript better. For example, they tell you where you have gaps in your information or plot line, they help you word things better to help your readers understand your concepts or story better, and they catch and correct grammatical and mechanical errors.  (Make sure you are clear on the type of editing you want/need:  substantive, developmental, or mechanical.  Don’t hesitate to ask an editor which she/he performs and the differences among the three, or research the differences on your own.) You are paying editors to help you make your manuscript shine!

Professional editors charge more because of their knowledge and experience. But just like with anything, you pay for what you get. If you want your plumbing fixed fast and within code, then you hire and pay for an experienced plumber. If you want your manuscript to shine, then you hire an experienced editor.

On the Editorial Freelancers Association’s website is a guide of reasonable rates for editors. It shows the hourly, per work, and pace of work rates so you can see how your editor works.

For example, an editor who has less experience will charge approximately $41/hour for copyediting a nonfiction book, whereas an experienced editor will charge approximately $45 an hour and will edit four to six pages an hour. If you have 100 pages in your book, then you’ll pay as much as $1,025 for editing by a newer editor. For the more experienced editor, you’ll pay approximately $1125. Yes, professional editors charge more, but they have a faster turnaround and can, thereby, save you a little money too.

If you don’t want to use a private editor or agency, the other option is to find an editor on a freelance site such as Fiverr or Upwork. You can offer your project to a beginner who may charge even less than $41/hour or less than $0.03/word, but you will have a longer turnaround time, which can add to the cost, especially if they work by the hour.

One other factor you should consider is the industry standard for the error rate. Most professional editors guarantee a 95% clear error rate by industry standards. Your neighbor’s son may be 95% error free, but it may not be to industry standards. The standard states that a manuscript with 5% errors will still be readable and the errors will not distract the reader. However, most professional editors prefer to have a higher clear error rate and often meet their own personal error-free rate.

This doesn’t mean you will ever have a perfect, error-free manuscript, but it does mean that you will have the best manuscript with the least number of errors.

When you realize that hiring that professional editor may cost a little more but the end results are what you are looking for, then the choice is simple. You hire the professional editor and have the comfort of knowing it is the best manuscript you can give to your readers.

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Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Clem Onojeghuo