Get It Edited: How to Find, Vet, and Work with the Right Editor for You

When it’s time to hire a professional editor there are more options available than ever before, and it can be hard to sift through the “noise”: What’s the difference between a developmental edit and a line edit and a copyedit? How do you know what you need or when? What should an edit cost—and is it worth it? How do you know when—or whether—you need a professional edit?

Not all edits are created equal, and there’s no official governing body or certification process for editors—anyone can hang out their shingle. Where do you find an experienced, reputable editor, and how can you determine whether they’re right for you? What does a good edit look like? How do you avoid the editing “horror stories” some authors have experienced?

This course will show you what you need to know to determine when and whether to hire a professional editor (you don’t automatically need one!) what kind of edit you need; how to find reputable, experienced professionals; how to pick the right editor for you and what you can expect of your working relationship; as well as other options if hiring an editor isn’t in your budget right now.

I’ve worked as a freelance editor for nearly three decades, both through major publishers and directly with authors, and I’ll teach you everything you may not have even known you needed to know about hiring an editor. You’ll learn how to determine whether and when you need a professional edit; what to look for in a good editor; specific resources for finding the best in the business and your perfect fit; red flags to watch out for, and much more.

This session will keep you from wasting time and money on the wrong editor, and show you how to find the right one, who will help you develop, fine-tune, and elevate your story.

Authors will learn:

• When to consider a professional edit

• The types of edit commonly available, and how to determine which one you need.

• How to find a good, reputable, experienced editor, and determine which one is right for you

• Where to find reputable, experienced editors

• How to vet an editor to make sure they’re the right “fit”

• The sample edit: what to ask for, what to look for (with specific examples)

• What should it cost?

• What to look for in your contract (with an actual contract as an example)

• Questions to ask before you sign

• What to expect of the editor/author relationship

• Red flags to watch out for

• Alternatives to a professional edit

Difficulty level: all_levels

Speaker(s)

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