Hello all!

It’s time for another in my frequently asked questions series. Since it deals with money, today’s topic tends to get people particularly curious: How do I determine my rates? Well, the short answer is that I multiply my hourly rate for the desired service by the number of work hours required to complete the project. But where do I get that hourly rate and that number of hours?

When I was describing the editing process last week, I mentioned that I do a sample edit to help me develop an estimate for any project. That is the origin of the number of hours. I take the total number of words in the project and divide that by the number of words in the sample edit, then multiply that result by the amount of time it took me to do the sample. That gives me a fairly accurate estimate of the number of hours a project will take me. For those of you who (like me!) aren’t exactly math-brained people, here’s an example to help illustrate the point:

• Say I receive a sample edit of 500 words. The total number of words in the project is 25,000. It takes me 30 minutes to complete the sample edit.
• First, I divide 25,000 words by 500 words, which gives me 50 (25000 / 500 = 50).
• Then, I multiply 50 by 30 minutes (0.5 hours), which gives me 25 hours (50 x 0.5 = 25). It will take me about 25 hours to complete the project.

That process gets me the number of hours. But then, of course, I need an hourly rate to charge for my work. For that, I simply use the industry standard as indicated in the Editorial Freelance Association’s list of editorial rates (found at http://the-efa.org/res/rates.php). The EFA is a national organization for editors, and they offer many marvelous resources for editors and authors alike. Their rate chart helps keep a level playing field when it comes to charging for editing in the United States. So, to continue with the example:

• The author for the project wants a medium copyedit, for which the EFA suggests charging $40 per hour.
• I multiply 25 hours by a $40 hourly rate, which gives me $1,000 (25 x 40 = 1000). My estimate for this project is $1,000.

And that is where my rates come from! Next time, I’ll be talking about the different types of materials I edit. I hope to see you then!

Hello everyone!

I’m back with another frequently asked question and its answer. Today’s topic is how the editing process works; that is, how is it that things move from an author’s inquiry to a completed editing project? While I can’t claim to be speaking for all editors when I answer this one–since every editor has his or her own process and techniques–I do believe that a description of my editing process will at least give a general idea for how it works for most editors out there. So, off we go!

The process begins when I receive an inquiry from an author interested in hiring me. Generally, my first step is to obtain information about the work to be edited (its genre, length, etc.), the due date for the project, the type of editing sought, and (if applicable) whether it will be self-published or marketed to publishing companies. Finally, I request a two- or three-page sample of the work.

My next step is to use that sample to both get a feel for the author’s writing and complete a sample edit for the author. Completing the sample edit assists me in determining the estimated price of the editing project, and I am then able to send both the sample edit and the estimate back to the author for review. Once the author has reviewed everything and asked any questions he or she might have, I draw up a contract for the project for the author and I to sign. In addition to stating the cost of the project, the contract’s primary purpose is to protect the author’s rights to his or her work, explicitly stating that the author retains sole copyright to the work being edited and that any changes I make or language I write falls under that author’s copyright.

Once all those preliminary steps are complete, the author sends me the manuscript and the actual editing work begins. My process might vary slightly depending on the genre of the work or the timeline for the project, but generally, I do two or three runs through anything I edit. The first run tends to be where I catch most of the things I correct, with the second and third runs in place for me to correct anything I missed in the first run. I also read the work aloud on the second and third runs; reading aloud allows me to catch things that my eye alone would miss. I primarily use Microsoft Word for my editing because its Track Changes feature is hard to beat in terms of allowing the author to see and accept or reject each and every change I make to a document, but sometimes I also work in Adobe Acrobat or InDesign. I also frequently refer to the style guide and dictionary being followed for the work to check myself on anything from spellings to citations.

Once I’ve completed the editing, I send the work (with all my changes tracked) back to the author for his or her review. Usually, the author will then make further changes based on my suggestions and will send the work back to me again for another quick edit. That is also when I answer any questions the author might have about my changes, and we might discuss how best to handle any particularly tricky or sensitive sections of text. Finally, when the author is completely happy with my editing and the shape the work is in, we call the project complete.

And that is how the editing process works! I hope my description helps shed some light on how editors do their work. Next time, I’ll be discussing that most controversial topic: rates. See you then!

Hello everyone!

Today, I’m answering another one of those questions I’m asked most often: “What exactly does an editor do, anyway?” The short answer (borrowed from one of my wonderful copyediting certificate program professors) is that it is the job of editors to infuse any written work with consistency, clarity, and elegance. We make sure that everything within a manuscript is consistent, from usage of commas, to spellings, to characters’ descriptions, to major themes. We make sure that the content is clear for readers, smoothing out any sections where the wording has the potential to lead to misunderstandings. And finally, we make sure that the language is elegant, that it both looks and sounds as pleasing as possible without altering the author’s voice or purpose in the writing.

That’s the answer in a nutshell, but the actual process of bringing those three elements to a manuscript is a bit more complicated and varies depending on the type of work an editor is hired to do. Every type of editing, however, involves at least two (and often more) very careful and detailed readings of a written work. It’s not like reading a book for pleasure, though it can indeed be quite an enjoyable process; it’s not even just checking to make sure things are spelled or punctuated according to the “rules,” though that is part of it. It is a meticulous consideration of every word and every punctuation mark to ensure that they are the words and marks best suited to convey the author’s meaning consistently, clearly, and elegantly. When the task is done right, an editor will be able to justify each and every element of the text, whether a suggested alteration or the author’s original work left as is.

And that is what an editor does! Hopefully that helps solve some of the mystery in an admittedly nebulous profession. Up next time, I’ll discuss what the editing process involves. Until then!

Hello all my fellow literary lovers!

This is the first in a series of blogs that answers the questions I’m asked most often, and the first question I’ll address is “How did you become an editor?” I get this question a lot because, I’m guessing, editor is something of an unusual career. It’s not something that most kids grow up wanting to be someday, and even many adults are not sure exactly what an editor does. And since many editors work for themselves, it’s not a career one just falls into. So, how did I become an editor?

It started with my deep and abiding love of books. As far back as I can remember, I loved to read. I spent hours in my local public and school libraries, and it was no surprise to anyone when I decided in sixth grade that I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up. I chased that dream through much of the rest of my education, earning my undergraduate degree in English, two teaching credentials (so that I could be a school librarian), and a Master of Library and Information Science degree. My dream came true when I was hired as the librarian for a San Diego high school, and I had a wonderful time sharing my love of books and reading with the students and staff there. The downside, though, to working in a public school system is that staffing is determined largely based on seniority, and as the rookie librarian in the district, I ultimately lost my position to somebody with more seniority when budget cuts forced many of the district’s librarians out of their jobs.

That left me with a choice. I could work as a substitute librarian and hope to someday be hired back as a school’s permanent librarian. I could seek employment in one of San Diego’s public libraries. Or, I could go to work on the other end of the literary spectrum, helping people prepare books for publication instead of recommending them to people once they were published. I had worked as an editor for various companies on a part-time basis since college, not to mention the countless papers and essays I’d edited for my undergraduate classmates, family members, and students along the way. I’d also gone back to school while working as a librarian to earn my copyediting certificate, just in case I ever wanted to do more editing.

After many long conversations with my husband, I had my answer: I was going to see if I could make it as a full-time editor. I was fortunate to still have those companies around, happy to hire me for editing services once more, and I was able to build my client base from there. I also realized that I loved being an editor as much as I’d loved being a librarian; without expecting it, I had transitioned from one dream career into another.

And that, in short–well, really, in long–is how I became an editor. Stay tuned for next time, when I’ll talk about that mystery of what exactly it is an editor does. See you then!

Hello everyone!

This past week, I had the distinct pleasure of recording two interviews with fabulous author and teacher Kitty Bucholtz. Kitty is currently gearing up to teach a series of online classes about self-publishing, and she asked me if I’d lend a little insight into the editing portion of the process…which, of course, I was more than happy to do! The experience got me thinking two things: first, that I should let you all know about Kitty’s classes, which will be an excellent resource for any of you considering going the self-publication route, and second, that perhaps I should do a blog series answering some of those editing FAQs about which many of you may be wondering. So, with that in mind…

If you are looking to self-publish but aren’t quite sure where to begin, look no further! Kitty’s got a class for you starting as early as this June that will guide you through each and every step of the process and lead you to self-publication success (not to mention that you’ll get to see her interviews with me!). Visit her at http://writerentrepreneurguides.com/classes/ to read more about her classes and to sign up.

And…

Have you heard that you should hire an editor but aren’t quite sure how that will help you? Are you wondering what exactly an editor does or how the editing process works? Never fear! My next few blogs will answer those questions I’m most frequently asked by friends and clients alike, including:

• How did you become an editor?
• What exactly does an editor do, anyway?
• How does the editing process work?
• Where do your rates come from?
• What types of materials do you edit?
• Why do I need an editor?

If you have a question not on this list that you’d like answered, please don’t hesitate to let me know! My goal is to take some of the mystery out of the editing process so that you can reap all the benefits of having an editor and end up with a manuscript that’s the best it can possibly be. Watch for the answer to the first question in the next week. In the meantime, happy reading and writing!