Every author needs an editor. No matter what you’re writing, no matter how great your prose is, having an editor is a must.
But hiring an editor can be complicated. Where do you find one? How do you figure out a working relationship? How do you know they really know what they’re talking about?
My friend JoEllen Nordstrom founded FirstEditing to make writers’ lives easier. She understood the importance of finding the right experienced editor to authors at all stages of their book and in their career, and she created a simple, elegant solution to connecting them.
I’m so grateful that FirstEditing has again joined the Women in Publishing Summit as a bronze sponsor. We love their company for creating a more connected world, and we appreciate their support!
What does FirstEditing do?
FirstEditing is a one-stop shop to connect writers with editors. Rather than needing to search out your own editor on the dozens of freelance websites out there, First Editing makes hiring the right person for your work simple.
But what really sets this company apart is that every editor on the team has been vetted – they’ve got the professional credentials, AND they can back it up. So you’re not just getting a self-proclaimed “expert,” but someone who’s been proven and screened to be an effective industry professional.
You can even get a certified story coach, who brings expertise on the 38 story elements to evaluate your novel. You’ll get actionable feedback on your story arc, structure, characters and so much more.
In addition to traditional editing, FirstEditing offers academic editing as well. This means they have subject matter experts with the verified educational credentials to help prep your work for journals, nonfiction publication and peer review. So even if your work isn’t fiction or creative nonfiction, you can still find an editor who can dig in and make sure your final work is as good as it can be.
What kind of author needs FirstEditing?
Any author in search of editing support will benefit from working with FirstEditing and their team of trained industry experts. No matter your genre of publication goals, every author deserves a great partner in a qualified, experienced editor. First Editing can make that happen for you.
How can I learn more about FirstEditing?
I’m excited to introduce you to JoEllen and her business at a FREE webinar titled “Your Editing Journey: How to Navigate Your Story Edit, Copy Edit and Professional Edit” on December 7 at 1pm EST – you can register by clicking right here, and we’ll send you a recording, if you can’t watch it live! She’ll be joined by ProWritingAid’s Lisa Lepki and Fictionary’s Kristina Stanley. You won’t want to miss it!
We had a great webinar on with JoEllen Nordström of FirstEditing, on the right time to find an editor. If you missed the live webinar, you can watch the replay on our Webinars page.
In this webinar you will learn:
WHO you can you trust for editing
WHAT determines your editing prices
WHEN should you approach an editor for services
WHERE can you find editing help (for free!)
WHY professional editing is necessary (and when it is not)
HOW editing helps you reach your goals
Ten steps to successful editing, according to JoEllen:
Evaluating what your manuscript needs
Getting the best price for qualified editors
Determine where you are in your editing journey
Knowing who to trust with editing
What factors play into the cost of editing
When should you approach an editor?
What kind of services do you need?
Getting help with editing
Getting a professional to help you
How does editing help reach your goals?
JoEllen walked us through these ten steps, and answered some great questions from attendees, so be sure to watch the replay!
How Much Does Editing Cost?
The cost of editing is probably the most frequently asked question from authors. The answer is: it depends. In the webinar, JoEllen goes over the different types of editors and what factors play into the cost of editing. One tip for lowering the cost of editing is to first do a self-edit, with a tool like ProWritingAid. The less work an editor has to do, the lower the cost.
Another strategy for lowering the cost of editing is to use beta readers. Beta readers are not a replacement for editors, but they can be helpful is pointing out egregious errors such as plot holes and repetition. Learn more about beta readers in this WPS blog post.
Another frequently asked question is, how do I find the right editor? The author-editor relationship is more personal than you'd think. JoEllen recommends shopping around to find the editor that will serve your book the best. One tip she shared for finding the right editor is to think about who your favorite writers are? Whose style would you like to emulate? Ask a potential editor if they are familiar with the work of that author.
You'll also want to take your genre into consideration. Every genre has it's own conventions, and you'll want an editor that is familiar with those conventions. Don't hire an academic editor for your romance novel, for example.
More importantly, you'll need to determine what stage of editing you are in, which JoEllen covers in the webinar. Different editors fill different needs. A developmental edit is much different from a copy edit, both in purpose and in cost.
Learn more about FirstEditing at firstediting.com, and use coupon code WIP19 to get 19% off services, until May 31st, 2020.
Head over to our webinars page to view the replay, and register for our upcoming webinars.
