When you search the internet for advice and information about hiring a freelance editor or writer, you will find many myths. Often an aspiring writer has come to me for help after spending thousands of dollars on editing or ghostwriting services and still not having a manuscript to publish. I get angry when I hear about such bad editing. So I want to bust some of the myths I’ve heard on the internet about editing and agencies so you don’t hire the wrong freelance book editor.
Myth 1: If you want to publish a book, a good editor can help you publish any type of book.
Reality: Editing majors. They can’t possibly know everything, and honest editors will tell you if she’s not the right person to help you with your book. She may recommend a trusted colleague, but she may not know of editors who do your work. You should ask a lot of questions and do your research before deciding to hire a freelance book editor.
Myth #2: Editors at publishing houses no longer edit books.
Reality: Editing is part of the publishing process for traditional book publishers, who choose books to publish and pay you for the rights to publish them. If the “Book Publisher” does not edit your book for free before it is published, you are working with “Vanity Publishing”, not the “Book Publisher”. A vanity press basically prints your book for you, along with other services, some for free, some for a fee, and maybe not good quality. Do your homework and see if you work with a publisher or Vanity Fair. Still, book publishers want the manuscript to be changed only slightly rather than completely rewritten.
You or your agent may decide to hire a freelance editor, book doctor, or writer to fix your manuscript before sending it to the editor.
Myth 3: Freelance editors who help you prepare your book proposal for sale to traditional book publishers don’t need market knowledge.
Reality: If you’re thinking, “I want a book deal,” you need to talk to someone who knows what publishers are looking for and is always up to date on the latest trends, including books that are “in the pipeline” (not yet released but signed contract). By working with a smart, professional freelance book editor, you can get your book published as quickly as possible.
Myth 4: Every editor does the same job.
There are many different types of editors. Some editors work for book publishers as internal purchasing editors, and they may not edit the rules or structure of your book. Their job may be to find book ideas that they think will sell well, and they often get them published (sometimes this job is done by someone else in-house). Most freelance editors are development editors, who reorganize manuscripts, clean up clunky text in the margins, and add headings and transitions (often referred to as heavy text editing or book revisions).
They will also improve your grammar and sometimes give you writing tips so you can do the work yourself. Freelance editors can also be light editors or copy editors that don’t change much of the book’s structure and mostly fix grammar, style (such as when to put hyphens between words), and mechanics (spelling and punctuation). Development editing isn’t something a great copy editor (or light editor) needs to do. Developers do not need to copy the entire content. Development editing isn’t something a great copy editor (or light editor) needs to do. Development editors may not always do copyediting. When hiring an “Editor”, make sure you know exactly what kind of “Editor” you want.
Myth 5: A good editor can do heavy structure and line editing, as well as proofreading and copying at the same time.
Reality: Proofreading or editing a book that requires major structural changes and extensive line editing before the work is done is a waste of time. A good editor cannot focus on spelling and grammatical errors while focusing on the big picture. That’s what the last paint is about. There’s no point in worrying about typos in sections that you can delete or write from scratch.
Myth 6: With so many great writers and editors, you can always find one at the last minute.
Reality: Good writers and editors often book months in advance, and like everyone else, they like to take a break around summer and holidays. If your dream is to have a great book with your name on it, then you should start early and find a professional editor or writer.