OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
I believe that every author taking indie publishing seriously needs one or more editors. The biggest criticism we face is the so called ‘lack of quality' issue, which is easily combated by professional editing. With new technology giving everyone the opportunity to become an author, guest writer Matt Gartland examines why having an editor is more important today than ever before.
“I think every writer should have tattooed backwards on his forehead, like ambulance on ambulances, the words ‘everybody needs an editor.“ – Michael Crichton
Indie authors need a serious competitive advantage to earn respect and win readers' hearts and minds. Without one, the odds of tilting the indie author playing field in their favor to attract eyeballs, establish credibility and gain loyal readers are impossibly stacked against them.
So what's a smart indie author to do?
Change the game and improve the odds by teaming up with a professional editor. Why?
Because the role of editor is undergoing a metamorphosis just as the role of author. They're companions living in the same new book economy ecosystem alive with common causes and ideals. And when you consider a professional indie editor's complementary skill sets and points of view, the net competitive advantage they offer indie authors is plain to see.
Let's break down how valuable an editor can be to an indie author.
1. Overcome the amateur stigma.
Indie authors have earned an amateurish reputation. The deluge of underdeveloped books rushed into the marketplace fuels this stereotype. As Seth Godin puts it, “When you make it such that anyone can publish a book, which is where we are now, then anyone will publish a book. Which means that the vast majority of books are going to be junk.”
While true for many, this stereotype need not be true for you. Recruiting a professional editor onto your team is a surefire way to escape this stigma.
But it's not automatic. You'll have to work hard. That's the point.
Collaborating with an editor showcases how serious you take your work. Serious work always yields serious results. You'll benefit from constructive critiques. You'll be challenged to write smarter and re-write better. A good editor pushes you on all fronts: your book's nature and structure as well as your writing style.
Here's the big secret: being indie and professional aren't mutually exclusive qualities. You can be both. In fact, given current trends, you need to be both if you're playing to surpass the competition, earn respect, and win readers' hearts and minds.
2. Gain confidence in your book and self.
Self-doubt is the deadliest threat to an author’s work and well being. It decays your confidence, which causes chaos within your manuscript and mind. That leads to any number of unfortunate outcomes including lazy books casually published, incoherent messages that don't stick or spread, or promising books that wither and die on the vine.
Good editors inoculate you from such anarchy.
They leverage honesty to validate and build upon your good ideas. They employ toughness to mercilessly nuke your bad ideas before they metastasize like the cancerous cells that they are. They help anchor your book's premise and orient its direction, steering you in a controlled fashion toward a more considered, professional horizon.
Mind you, professional editors aren't woo-woo cheerleaders; first and foremost, they are stalwart sidekicks that see your potential and push you to unleash it. Legendary editor Robert Gottlieb puts it thus: “A good editor responses to the strengths and needs of the writer. Sometimes, if the writer is particularly strong, that’s just offering encouragement.”
3. Protect your blindside.
Blindsides. We all have them and fear them. And for good reason. Left unguarded, blind spots spawn blemishes, gaffes, mistakes and other agents of chaos.
In writing/storytelling terms, we're talking about open loops that don't close, unbalanced character development, monotone voice, imprecise language, embarrassing grammar mistakes, awkward transitions, stiff messages, and insufferable detail.
Such blindsides are often invisible to writers as they're too close to their writing to see them. Worse, they're prone to apply equal weight to all their writing, believing that every word, phrase, and paragraph is of equal importance.
Good editors serve as strong defenders and reality checks against these insidious forces.
Through skilled line and copy editing, they transform ugly manuscripts fat on modifiers into striking stories fit with decisive language. And through developmental editing, they, as Gottlieb says, “get inside the text and instinctively understand the terms and the vocabulary of the writer, and make changes in those terms and that vocabulary.”
Porter Anderson puts it more bluntly: “People who chafe and complain about good editing are too shortsighted (or too naïve) to understand that what is changed or cut out is never missed by the reader. … As soon as I got hold of that idea – that the missing is not missed – I’d learned to love good editors.”
4. Prosper from competitive intelligence.
A new breed of editor is emerging in the new book economy. Driven to understand innovative technologies, publishing strategies, marketing concepts, and distribution channels, this new editor is more than an editor – he's an editor/producer hybrid.
This advanced form of editor researches and analyzes self-publishing trends like a detective investigating a case. He talks with accomplished authors, self-published and traditional both, as well as literary agents, book designers, publishing mavens, new media theorists and other thought-leaders in the publishing revolution.
Allying with such an editor provides you with a wealth of industry intelligence that many other indie authors may not have access to. From crowdfunding books to profitable book launch know-how, this knowledge is ultra-advantageous to the indie author seeking to wisely navigate the new book economy.
You should self-identify with this hybrid nature and value its usefulness. As an smart indie author, you wear the hats of writer, marketer, publisher, and more. Teaming up with others that are multi-talented and specialized will only further slant the playing field in your favor.
5. Enjoy shared prosperity.
Gottlieb once said about editing, “My impulse to make things good, and to make good things better, is almost ungovernable. I suppose it’s lucky I found a wholesome outlet for it.”
Great professional editors share this sentiment down to their core. As such, your motivations are their motivations. Your readers are their readers. Your success is their success. Your dream is their dream, namely to produce the best book possible, no exceptions.
This ethos transcends book genre, format, even publishing model. Gottlieb, for one, was an editor with traditional publishers. However, I sense that this spirit is coming alive in new and amazing ways in the throws of the publishing revolution.
Now, independent editors co-creating directly with authors have more reason than ever to share intentions. That yields stronger, closer relationships and fuels greater shared prosperity. Such editors don't have traditional publishing employers to fall back on or use as excuses. They're on the front lines with you. That's a very good thing for you.
What's your advantage?
Professional editors aren't the only competitive advantage available to indie authors. But they're a top choice by many of the most talented and successful, Joanna included. She recently said “If you get a pro editor, and take their advice, your book will improve beyond anything you could imagine.”
Ultimately, you must choose how best to compete in our highly competitive new book economy. For what it's worth, Seth Godin offers this advice: “Pay for an eidtor editor. Not just to fix the typos, but to actually make your ramblings into something that people will choose to read.”
About the Author: Matt Gartland is the founder and editor of Winning Edits, an editorial agency helping indie authors win readers' hearts and minds. For more keen writing, editing and publishing insights, join his free DIY Book Development Dispatch, or follow Matt on Twitter.
Turndog Millionaire says
A very nice write up, Matt
I’ve certainly learnt recently that i will need at least one editor if my book will ever see the light of day
If the standard of the self-pub is to get taken seriously then it needs to become of the indie author mantra
Matt (Turndog Millionaire)
Matt Gartland says
Thanks Matt for the comment. Glad that we share a mind on the subject.
Good luck with your book project!
Best,
Matt
Sarah Wynde says
“the throws of the publishing revolution” — wouldn’t you like that to be “throes”?
(Feel free to delete this comment. I wouldn’t normally be so pedantic, but errors in articles on editing always make me wince.)
Matt Gartland says
Thanks Sarah. We’ll resolve soon. Hope you’re well 🙂
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Sarah – and I will leave this in – as it demonstrates that
1) we all need editors – as we can’t edit our own work
2) blogging is a form of natural expression that is not a published work and so can be more relaxed. I use a hybrid of US and British spelling as well as colloquialisms and other things that wouldn’t be in a polished document. I also think it is critical for bloggers to be able to post quickly and with original expression, without being completely concerned about typos.
I really appreciate the quality of guest post that Matt provided – thanks Matt!
Greg says
I agree. I wrote a simple ebook for people thinking about self-publishing, and I think hiring a professional editor is an absolute must. You can learn to do most of the other tasks but you need a professional to edit a serious publication.
I read a number of $1.99 and $2.99 mysteries. Most I will never buy the same author again, and the biggest problem editing, though poor stories and writing are close behind. So I go back to my tried and true authors and pay $7.99 or I buy used.
Matt Gartland says
I’m seeing a lot of that behavior – readers choosing to pay more for books from authors they know and trust. I sense this is the publishing pendulum beginning to swing back toward the carefully constructed books that may take a bit longer to produce.
Thanks for sharing!
Matt
Joanna Penn says
I agree with this and personally, I definitely trust that books priced higher are more ‘quality’, However, this doesn’t gel with rankings which definitely slip when price goes up. I have recently raised my own fiction prices to $2.99 for the first book and $4.99 for the second in the series. My ranking has slipped but the income is about the same. I struggle with this pricing issue though, as do all indies!
Daphne Gray-Grant says
Hiring an editor is a great idea. Although some people may wince at the price I think editors are generally underpaid if you consider the level of education that’s required and how hard they work. (I have worked as a book editor myself, but no longer. I now coach writers who want to produce books or other types of writing.)
Matt Gartland says
Good editors do work a ton. They’re arm-and-arm with the writer throughout the process. I agree that, generally speaking, their value remains under appreciated. Hopefully this is changing as more indie authors strive to stand out, get noticed and attract loyal readerships.
Best!
Matt
Joanna Penn says
Editors are definitely underpaid but unfortunately, they are also undervalued. I think editors who have testimonials from well known authors can charge more though.
Allena Tapia says
Some of my absolute favorite clients are indie authors; they’re so passionate about their work! I would tell a new author to look for an editor who has experience with both mainstream publishing houses (because that’s the best place to cut your teeth) AND with indie authors (because your needs are different).
Matt Gartland says
Good thoughts Allena! The more diverse experiences the better.
Rich Weatherly says
Hello Joanna, once again you’ve shared a compelling post. It’s good to have you around. Your thrillers definitely thrill and your writing advice is always spot on.
After years of technical writing I understand the value of professional editing.
As someone not so experienced writing fiction, I appreciate the advice even more!
Ryan Hanley says
Matt,
I know you get what you pay for… But How much should a good editor cost?
Non-fiction.
Thanks,
Ryan H.
Joanna Penn says
There are some prices on this page http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/ and Matt has information about his pricing here http://winningedits.com/book-editing/
It’s 6c per word.
Matt Gartland says
Hi Ryan,
Depends upon the level of editing your interested in. If it’s only copy editing, then a lower price point (either per-word or per-hour) can be expected. If it’s more strategic developmental editing, then it will be higher.
Some editors provide all levels of editing – developmental, line and copy – which is what I do.
Anywhere between $.04 and $.10 per-word (depending on your needs) is fair for an above average to good editor, higher for elite editors.
Hope that helps.
Matt
T.G. says
I agree with much that was written here, however, a lot of the most important information is missing.
How much should an indie author expect to pay?
What are the criteria for good editor?
How can you interview an editor so that you get your money’s worth?
Are editors willing to work for a percentage of sales?
Many indie authors face the situation of being hesitant of investing lots of money upfront in addition to the time they spent writing the novel. More specific information please.
Joanna Penn says
Hi TG, we obviously can’t cover everything in one post and Matt has a lot more on his site. There have been a number of editing posts here over time – you can find some of them here as well as interviews with editors
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/
That covers how much different editors are (Matt is 6c per word as above) and also criteria for a good editor. Yes, definitely interview editors and see if they are a fit for you. Many of them also choose projects that interest them so you may also get turned away by a busy editor. I haven’t heard of any editors who would work for % of sales. That would be more of a joint venture. You can always ask though!
Matt Gartland says
Hi T.G.
All good questions. Thank you! As Joanna said, we couldn’t tackle everything in one article. Hopefully this article anchors the main themes and orients a line of thinking that engenders further research and learning.
Joanna does have several quality articles here about editing and/or with editors. I linked to a few in the article.
A good way to approach an editor is to provide a segment from your manuscript and ask for an editorial review. That way you can get a feel for the editor’s approach/process to editing as well as some initial constructive critiques.
For criteria, here’s a short list:
* Levels of editing: developmental, line and/or copy
* Niche of material: non-fiction, non-fiction [specific niche], fiction, fiction YA, etc.
* Referrals and/or recommendations
The “work for a percentage of sales” is a model that is beginning to be experimented with by some editors. It’s a big risk on their part for a first time author. But for those authors that are more established and/or have a larger audience, then that model may work.
Ultimately, look around and compare options. It’s okay to ping a few editors to compare and contrast what levels of editing they do and how they approach the process.
Hope that helps.
Matt
Allena Tapia says
Here is a good source for realistic pay rates: http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php
A good editor for an indie author will have experience in both indie and regular, because of the reasons I gave above. Other criteria other than experience is that they are approachable, communicate well, and have excellent references (which show that they can truly undertake an edit).
Interview: well, to know you get your money’s worth, see the above. But an interview should focus on you being comfortable with the editor.
No, professional editors won’t work for a percentage of sales. However, they will be willing to take a down payment (portion) and then a final payment, or even more spread out.
Investing money upfront
Allena Tapia says
Oops, hit send too fast. Investing money upfront is the trip up in ANY business venture!!
T.G. says
Matt,
I just checked out your website regarding prices.
However, for an 80,000 work novel x 6 cents, $4,800 is a lot of money.
This seems like a steep price to pay for an indie author, and unlikely for most to break even. This pricing automatically eliminates most people, doesn’t it?
Matt Gartland says
Hi again T.G.
I don’t discount that, per the hypothetical scenario you describe, such an investment isn’t significant. It is. But so to is the time and effort of a good editor to undertake such a project.
You can certainly find cheap editors, though I’m a firm believer in you get what you pay for.
My price point includes all levels of editing: developmental, line and copy. When you consider that range of effort, then my price is absolutely fair. Certainly do look around, as I advised before. Joanna’s editors page is a great place to start. You’ll find different models there. You can then compare and contrast.
Keep in mind that some options are editorial factories (for what of a better word), where you may not know up front which editor you’ll be assigned. Others are personalized editing studios run by single or very few editors. That’s what mine is, for example.
Finally, all smart businesses do use price to a certain extent to filter an ocean of possible clients into their “ideal” target clients. No business – services-based or product-based – can appeal to all customers. Price helps to distinguish this.
I hope these expanded thoughts prove useful.
Thanks again for your questions.
Matt
Allena Tapia says
Matt’s 6 cents per word is a fair price for heavy copyediting or “hand holding” developmental editing given by an editor who has built and proven experience in editing as evidenced by being able to point to years of titles to his name and many happy authors or publishing execs, AND/OR an advanced degree in a related field (Journalism, English, an MFA, publishing, etc).
Authors looking for a “polish” should look for specific proofreading rates.
David Byerlee says
Yes Matt a thorough editing is very important indeed. I had to do quite a bit of editing for my soon to be released crime novel ‘London’s Falling’ with my publisher Caffeine Nights Publishing in order for it to be publishable. Much time thought and energy went into this yet the novel is much better for it. A writer does need an objective analysis and a professional editor can provide this.
Matt Gartland says
Well said David. The objectivity that an editor provides is among the most valuable contributions made to the develop of a book. Good luck with yours!
Matt
T.G. says
I find this discussion interesting, and by no means have disrespect for people earning a living, and in this discussion editing, but realistically, $5,ooo is too much for normal people to pay, isn’t it?
What are the price differences for proofreading versus editing. For example, looking at each scene to make sure that the POV doesn’t change etc…does that fall under proofreading or editing?
From a cost perspective, $5,000 could be used for education (books, DVDs, seminars about the craft of writing). Then the next step is polish, which I view that it’s beneficial for an editor/proofreader…but aren’t they priced the same? If they aren’t, and a proofreader just looks for grammar errors, a more cost effective option would be to have a few friends or friends of friends read your work and provide feedback, with the idea that they won’t provide any structural advice.
At the prices listed above, I have serious doubts the 99% of first time indie authors are paying this price for the service.
My hunch is most indie authors edit and proofread for their peers, and exchange services that way, and only handful of people pay 6 cents or upwards.
Editors services are worth as much as they are able to get, but at these prices, it seems that this industry is ripe for disruption. I have a hard time believing an indie author couldn’t find help finding holes in their novel and proofreading from $500-$1000 on the high end, and even that sounds like a figure most indie authors would also find high.
Joanna mentioned somewhere on her blog that she had a couple editors for her last book. I seriously doubt she paid $9,600 for this. Joanna, if you read these comments, I would like to hear what you have say about this. However, since this article was a guest post, it might put you in a difficult situation to give solid numbers if they happen to be lower than 6 cents a word.
Joanna Penn says
As per my replies above, please check this page for other pricing.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/
Personally, I have paid for structural edits that have involved comments about the text and not line edits in the first instance. I have paid $1000 – $2000 for this. I have had a number of these edits and also used beta readers who are pro authors.
Then I used a line editor for the final review which is generally cheaper – so under $1000.
T.G. says
I think this is what people do to cut down on the cost…beta readers and other authors do an edit pass for each other.
Again, thank you for the information.
Monica Leonelle says
Hi T.G.
I was trying really hard to stay out of this conversation, but I have to admit your comment struck me and I couldn’t help but respond.
I 100% agree that indie authors typically can’t afford these prices. The only reason I say that is because if you are treating your book like the business that it is you would have to sell a ton of copies of your book to make that kind of investment back. And few indies can, even with a great book due to competition and marketing and the time it takes to build an audience.
For my first novel, I hired three editors total and paid around $7500. However, I had a six-figure job at the time and the payments were spread out over 6 months or so. (I worked with each editor in turn.) I was very fortunate and blessed with a good income and was not concerned with making back that money quickly (though obviously I wanted to).
My book was around 125k words and if I have paid $0.06 per word from one editor it would have been $7500. (Remember, I paid this much for three editors.) At $0.99, I would have needed to sell 21,498 books. At $2.99, I would have needed to sell 3,750 books (much more doable, but still a challenge).
About 8 months later I had read something like 50 books on writing and decided to apply the concepts to my first novel, which didn’t have great sales to be honest, even after my huge investment. My professional background is in word-of-mouth marketing, so I married those concepts to the writing elements I had read about and focused solely on marketability within a manuscript. Since 90% of books are sold through word-of-mouth, I figured the best way to sell books was to focus on building word-of-mouth elements into the manuscript.
I spent the weekend on the book and ended up rearranging scenes and cutting about 25k words. I put the book back up and it very suddenly started selling five times what it was selling before. And this was only after applying a few simple word-of-mouth concepts.
I’ve been doing a ton of work on exploring the idea of word-of-mouth in books since then. I came up with a 100-point marketability analysis and applied it to my next book, which is definitely gaining more steam than my first book ever did. People are so excited about my second novel compared to my first. I did an experiment and hired NO editor for the second book, because I wanted to see what kind of difference it actually made. There were several more errors in the book when it went to press (though, to be fair there were still a few errors in the first novel too) and people did notice them. However, the initial feedback was still more positive for the second book, because the second book had that addictive quality to it that generates word-of-mouth.
I’ve started offering my marketability analysis to other authors paired with a full substantial and line edit of their book (because the marketability analysis isn’t as helpful without the latter) and several other reports. I charge a flat fee of $2500, which is still a huge investment for a book, but not an investment that you won’t see back (about 1250 book sales at $2.99). My reasoning is that the insight I can provide and the value I can create within a manuscript is not proportional to the length of the manuscript. I’m not a fan of charging on a per word count because I just don’t see the value. I get it from my standpoint—because I have to read and comment on a longer book, which takes me more time—but from the customer’s side, it doesn’t make sense. In my first novel, all the editors had the most input in the first half of the book. By the second half, they were repeating the same comments and pointing out the same things they’d already pointed out. When I noticed this trend, I realized that charging by the word count is a disguised way of charging by the hour, which I also feel is more editor-centric than value-centric.
I’ve probably written way to much already, but to summarize, my experiences in indie publishing have taught me:
– copyediting to correct grammar and spelling is important but not worth (from a *business* standpoint, if you focus only on sales) paying more than a $1000 for
– marketability within the manuscript is 100 times more important if your goal is to sell books (from a *business* standpoint this is where you should invest more money because you will see more return)
– manuscript length does not determine the value and insight an editor can provide
– *translate* any editing investment into # of books sold to get return on investment before purchasing (this is a *business*)
– indie authors may need to raise their prices to make an editing investment worthwhile (I know it’s a tangent, but I definitely had to raise my prices and I’ve found that anything below $5 is still considered a good price… I started pricing at $4.99 and people are happily buying still)
I mean no disrespect to Matt as he is a good friend and has edited my work before. He is 100% the best editor I’ve ever worked with. We do have slightly different philosophies on the topics of editing and pricing and value, however, if you can find room in your budget to use him as an editor he will do a great job.
My comment is merely meant to point out that if you are focused on *sales* you might make different decisions. There was an awesome movie about baseball that recently came out, called Moneyball. I feel like editing needs to undergo a similar change in philosophy. Yes, it sounds revolutionary to charge a flat fee and to focus on marketability over anything else. But if you are looking at the right metrics, you can apply a more systematic approach that trumps years of experience. People probably think I’m nuts now, but maybe a couple years I can help set a new standard 🙂
Joanna Penn says
Thanks for this very substantial comment Monica – I really appreciate the time you have put into this. I am personally focused on sales and also reviews, so I consider editing to be critical because I want people to rate my books as professional. Marketability is also critical to consider as a very well edited literary fiction novel or poetry series won’t sell as well as a romance that hasn’t been edited at all.
But we also have to have personal standards in terms of what we want to put to our names. So I choose expensive editing 🙂
T.G. says
@David Byerlee: You felt it was worth the money. Can you go into more detail? How many pages did you pay for? What specific examples did the editor find with your work? How much have you spent on your still unpublished novel.
Allena Tapia says
I am kept pretty busy with indie clients; there seems to be a steady stream willing to pay between $500 to about $6000, but I will say that the higher level, $6000 authors are generally 1) Repeat authors (this is not their first book) and 2) Few and far between for me (maybe two per year) and 3) Generally nonfiction and a career professional in that nonfiction field and 4) Authors I’ve worked with in the past on other projects, such as their website, or cleaning up their research for submission to academic journals.
Most of my new authors do elect a more affordable “polish,” as do many fiction writers.
Hope this helps for context!
David Byerlee says
I think that charging $5-10,000 for editing is well over the top. I once paid about $800 to get a novel of mine edited and they sent back one chapter with red lines and markings all over it. All up it would have cost about 10 grand for a full edit, money I didn’t have now or then. Whether that original edit would have led to publication is open to question and unknowable now.
Also, “professional editors” unattached to publishers may have their own agenda and it may not be in the author’s interests. The best editing and rewriting is done by the author of the book in question although guidance from professional editors, especially within the context of actual publication can be useful in my experience.
David Byerlee says
The “professional edit” I speak of here was decidedly not worth the $700 or so. What I meant was the edit I have had with my publishers, Caffeine Nights Publishing, for my novel ‘London’s Falling’ (to be published in August this year), was useful and necessary and didn’t cost a cent. The novel improved out of sight and more importantly, became publishable. Paying or charging a five figure sum with only vague prospects for publication is not kosher in my view.
Simon says
There are countless articles around like this one, urging indie authors to use editors. But when you scroll down, they all seem to be written by people selling editing services…. I totally agree with some of the comments here, that writers need to be their own editors first of all. They need to learn craft so they can analyse their own scenes, own plot structure, own writing style etc etc. There’s a lot to it. It takes time. But money spent on some of the excellent writing books that are around these days would definitely be money well spent. The really big problem I have with editors and ‘book doctors’ is establishing up-front what their credentials really are: have they written novels themselves? Were they published? Do they have an in-depth understanding of plot structure? Scene structure? Or did they just work in publishing for a bit, and they think that makes them an expert? It doesn’t, because the standard of most published novels is – on average – appalling, IMHO. Indie authors should set higher standards for themselves than trad publishing, and that starts by learning everything they can about their craft, and making themselves a better writer. An editor can’t do that for you.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Simon and others – but I really don’t think that an author can completely edit their own work. Sure, we can do a lot of self-editing and then edits based on beta reads, but we also need other eyes that challenge us and pick holes in the books. I haven’t regretted any of the money I spend on editing and the books are better for it. Yes, it’s our responsibility to write well, learn the craft and self-edit as much as possible, but after we have tried our best, we need an editor to work with us to take the book to a new level.
Matt Gartland says
Hi all-
Good thoughts and themes developing here. This is clearly an important conversation.
Simon, you raise a few keenly important points. First, that self-publishing authors need to mature their craft as a measure of self-responsibility. Very true, and not limited to self-publishing, but in our digital age this necessity is more integral than ever.
Second, you probe about editors being published authors as a measure of credibility. I find that curious in the sense that editing is a very different skill set from writing. Can you possess both? Absolutely! And a strong writer would do well to be a sharp editor. The opposite is also true. But I don’t feel that having a published book in and of itself is a valid measure to being a good editor.
Third, you and others have mentioned having worked in traditional publishing as another measure of authenticity. It can certainly be one if the experience was meaningful and the person leveraged that experience to the fullest extent. However, just become someone came “from industry” doesn’t automatically mean they’re highly talented. In any industry, you’ll find a bell curve of talent. There are plenty of other professional indie editors who have not come from industry that do a bang up job.
The big point here, as I see it, pertains to high-standards, as you say. Ironically, self-publishing as a market is the one criticized for low standards. Hence, I agree and am very vocal about the need for self-publishing authors to raise the bar on themselves and their work so that they can escape the negative stigma of “amateurish self-publisher.” A professional editor that is well fit for your niche and writing style can absolutely help achieve that goal.
Kirstie says
I already knew I was definately going to use an editor before sending my book out into the world, but this gives me a whole bunch of arguments to present to my tight-fisted husband so he can see the value in parting with the money for the service.
Joanna Penn says
To pay for my edits, the first amount was out of my savings and then the sales of each book has paid for the edits on the next.
Matt Gartland says
Glad this article has helped advance your thinking, Kirstie!
gina says
I agree with this article. A good editor is invaluable. But now I would like to see a post on how to go about finding the *right* editor. Thanks!
Kirstie says
I second that motion!
Joanna Penn says
sorry for late commenting on all this – but here’s the info you need
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/editors/
gina says
Thanks!
Matt Gartland says
Joanna’s editors list is a fantastic starting point. Good luck 🙂