5 Secrets to Hiring the Right Editor

Editing not only makes our writing better, it helps us grow as writers. We get to see our blind spots and improve our skills.

When you receive an edit, it's not the same as a critique, however some editors will comment on your work because they can't help it... they want to make your work better when they see an opportunity.

Here are 5 secrets to getting the best edit possible:

1. When you ask someone to proofread your work, that's what they are doing, looking for misspellings, wrong word usage (their/there), missed punctuation and other mistakes. Nothing more. Proofreading is not editing.

2. A good editor will cut parts that lag, are too wordy or repetitive or parts that detract from what you are trying to say. A good editor will pay attention when something stops the flow and they will either cut it completely or minimize it so it won't interfere with the reading experience, whether that means building suspense in a novel or making a point in a nonfiction book.

3. A critique is different. No corrections will be attempted, no edits made. You will simply receive written pages on the merits of your work, whether you achieved your aims, what you need to explain or expand upon, and where you have gotten too windy, lofty, technical or boring. The person you hire will have an audience in mind and know when you have lost that audience. They will also give you suggestions on how to improve your manuscript so it will appeal to your readership.

4. A good editor who can't help herself will fix everything she sees wrong in terms of readability (flow and pacing) and tune up what she finds grammatically, stylistically, punctuation and spelling-wise, so, even though you will still need to hire a proofreader, hiring this type of editor will get you the most bang for your buck.

5. You really get lucky when you find an editor with an "ear" who notices when your manuscript halts or goes off-kilter. These editors are attuned to rhythm, pace and timing. If there is one word in a sentence that stops the rhythm, it misses its potential to be the most effective or beautiful sentence it can be. A good editor will be attuned to pacing and flow, so you can make your point and elicit the desired emotion in your reader.

If you're open to making your book the best it can be, spend your money on an overall edit, then spend the rest of your budget on a proofreader. If you have done a first draft and you need direction, or you have written several versions of your book and you're confused or frustrated, your best bet is a critique. You will receive ideas and the big picture of where your book fits in the marketplace so your book can find its audience.