• Contact
  • Account
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Sign Up for Deals

    • Login
Book Cave: Authors and Publisher promotional services and features
Book Cave
Authors & Publishers
Connecting the RIGHT readers with the RIGHT books
  • About
    • Book Cave Reviews
    • Who We Are
      • Mission
      • In the Works
      • Book Cave Logos
      • Meet the Ratings
    • Privacy Center
      • Privacy & Terms
      • Your Privacy Rights
    • Affiliate Program Agreement
    • Trademarks
  • Current Deals
    • Deals from Retailers
    • Book Cave Direct Deals
      • Overview
      • Free Ebook Downloads
      • Free Group Deals
    • Giveaways
      • Win a Free Ereader!
      • Last Giveaway Winner
      • Past Winners
  • Readers
    • Sign Up
    • Rated Books Database
    • Rate a book I've read
    • Browse Author Pages
    • Reader FAQ
    • Reader Blog
    • Giveaways
      • Win a Free Ereader!
      • Last Giveaway Winner
      • Past Winners
  • Authors
    • How It Works
    • Our Services
      • Feature Your Book
      • Group Features
      • Subscriber Magnet Services
      • MBR Ratings
      • Create an Author Page
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Pricing
    • Submit a Book
    • Create Account
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Author Resources
      • Author Blog
      • Author FAQ
      • Promotion Tips
      • Cover Guide Calculator
  • Book Swag
  • Contact
  • Account
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Sign Up for Deals

    • Login
  • About
    • Book Cave Reviews
    • Who We Are
      • Mission
      • In the Works
      • Book Cave Logos
      • Meet the Ratings
    • Privacy Center
      • Privacy & Terms
      • Your Privacy Rights
    • Affiliate Program Agreement
    • Trademarks
  • Current Deals
    • Deals from Retailers
    • Book Cave Direct Deals
      • Overview
      • Free Ebook Downloads
      • Free Group Deals
    • Giveaways
      • Win a Free Ereader!
      • Last Giveaway Winner
      • Past Winners
  • Readers
    • Sign Up
    • Rated Books Database
    • Rate a book I've read
    • Browse Author Pages
    • Reader FAQ
    • Reader Blog
    • Giveaways
      • Win a Free Ereader!
      • Last Giveaway Winner
      • Past Winners
  • Authors
    • How It Works
    • Our Services
      • Feature Your Book
      • Group Features
      • Subscriber Magnet Services
      • MBR Ratings
      • Create an Author Page
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Pricing
    • Submit a Book
    • Create Account
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Author Resources
      • Author Blog
      • Author FAQ
      • Promotion Tips
      • Cover Guide Calculator
  • Book Swag
Publishing Tips,Writing for Authors
09/26/2017 07:00 pm PDT
Updated 2 years ago

8 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Book Editor

By Catia Shattuck

Browse by topic

All Posts Author Pages Author Website Cover Design Ebook Formatting Grammar & Punctuation Mailing Lists Promotion & Marketing Publishing Tips Social Media Technical Tips Tutorials Writing for Authors

Browse by keyword

author tips avoid writer's block beginning book writing beginning writing book promotion cover creation cover design cover tips discounting your book ebook formatting ebook promotion Ebook publishing ebooks editing finding story ideas free books free ebooks gain subscribers goals grammar grammar tips group promotions grow your mailing list Jutoh loss leader making more money marketing newsletter overcoming writer's block. promote promote your books promotion realistic characters sales self publishing selling books selling more books sell more books Social media subscriber magnet tools for writers website writer's block writing writing tips

Advertisement

JutohWe at Book Cave prefer Jutoh for ebook creation because it gives us more control than most other ebook software out there, while still maintaining a friendly interface.

questions to ask a book editor

All authors need a good book editor to look over their novels—it is a fact that no one is perfect, no manuscript is impeccable, and a well-trained editor will always find errors. So how can you be sure you've found the right editor, with the right skills, at the right price? Well, you can start out by asking the editor these 8 questions.

1. What genre do you usually edit?

Most book editors specialize in genres. If your editor doesn't usually edit books in your genre, then they are not a good fit.

2. How many books have you edited, and what are they?

This gives you a chance to see the editor's past work and to take a look at the books they've edited. Are those books in a the same genre from yours? Does the writing seem clean (well edited)? Do the books have good reviews?

3. What editorial training have you received?

Not just anyone can be an editor, despite the popular belief that a love of reading makes you an editor. Real editors should have some kind of training: that can be formal training in college or night classes, or on-the-job training under a supervisor in a publishing house. A reader may find a few typos, but they are not going to find as many grammar issues or typos as someone who has training.

4. What kind of editing do you do?

There are three main types of editors, and they are known by a variety of labels. We call them developmental editors (these help you write the book), substantive editors (they check plot line, characters, story flow, etc.) and copy editors (they check grammar, punctuation, word choice, and sentence structure). You want to make sure you get the right type of editor that your book needs. We suggest at least getting a substantive editor and a copy editor—check out our blog post here for more information on types of editors.

5. How much do you charge and how will you charge me?

Some book editors charge by word, others by hour. Even if they charge by word, it's usually a price range because they don't know how much editing your book needs. Most editors will ask to see a sample of your book to determine how much to charge you.  Authors differ vastly in how much polishing they need. Some editors will have a contract they send you with terms and conditions: this is actually a good thing because it keeps you both safe and establishes ground rules.

6. How will you do your edits?

Most editors edit in Microsoft Word using Track Changes. Make sure you're both on the same page about what software is required.

7. Can I see a sample of your work?

All editors should have a portfolio of their work and are able to send you samples. If you want, you can ask them to edit the first couple chapters of your book to see if their editing is satisfactory to you (and for them to see if they like your style!). One author I know recently gave a sample to a new copy editor she was trying out, and this person came back with only two typos in the first five chapters. Another editor found several dozen things that needed fixing within the same five chapters. Needless to say, she was happy she didn't agree to have the entire book edited by this person. (Good copy editors should be finding 80+ percent of the errors in a book. No one will ever find them all, but generally three separate editors will find almost everything.)

8. Will you send me some references?

Just like any other potential employee, editors should be able to provide references of authors whose manuscripts they have edited. Feel free to call or email the other author and ask them about their experience with that editor.

What questions do you ask a book editor before deciding to hire them? We'd love to hear in the comments below. If you'd like to learn more about Book Cave author promotions, please enter your email below and click the "Learn More" button.

Do you have a blog idea or topic you know our readers or authors would love? Contact sarah@mybookcave.com to learn how you could get your blog featured.


Catia Shattuck

I am a copyeditor and a typesetter of print books, and have been editing and typesetting (using InDesign) for eleven years.

With my experience and a degree from Brigham Young University in English language and an additional minor in editing, I am a pro at giving editing and design advice, and I enjoy instructing others on how to do the very things I love.


Share this authorpost

Leave a Reply

Cancel

Comments

    Receive free ebooks on Amazon Kindle from Book Cave
    Receive free ebooks on Apple Books from Book Cave
    Receive free ebooks on Google Play from Book Cave
    Receive free ebooks on Kobo from Book Cave
    Receive free ebooks on Nook from Book Cave
    Receive free ebooks on Smashwords from Book Cave
    Book Cave
    Book Cave Direct
    My Book Ratings
    MY BOOK RATINGS
    Connecting the RIGHT readers with the RIGHT books
    • Sitemap
    • Contact Us
    • Free ebooks
    © Book Cave - All the rights reserved!