Writing Tips: Starting Work with a Professional Editor

It might seem daunting to take your book from the writing phase to the editing phase, but it doesn't have to be. Professional editors understand their role in the publishing process and are equipped to ease writers, especially first-time and self-published authors, into the next stage. Reaching out to a prospective editor should be exciting, not intimidating.

Still, it's understandable why writers might be concerned about handing their creative work to someone whose job is to find its flaws. So here are a few tips on how to navigate the pre-editing stage, when you are ready to get your manuscript out into the editing world but still feel a bit hesitant.

Editors are not enemies

Some in the writing community might think otherwise, but editors don't sit in dark lairs like comic-book villains, stirring up elaborate schemes to coax fresh manuscripts from your grasp and tear your work and confidence to pieces. Professional editors work with you, not against you, to enhance your voice and elevate what you've written. That initial hurdle becomes easier to clear once you understand an editor's job is not to rip your project apart.

Be ready to be open about your work

Editors can only work with the information they are given, so be clear and honest about what goals you have for your book, what motivated you to write it, what your limitations are (if any), and what feedback and insight you've already received. Since I specialize in copy editing and proofreading — the later stages of the editing process — it is very helpful to know if a developmental editor, manuscript evaluators, beta readers, or others have advised you along the way. It's also helpful to know if nobody has seen it since you finished typing. Withholding important information for lack of confidence or imposter syndrome will only muddy the process.

Have a sample ready

Choose a chapter or two, maybe one from the beginning and another from the middle, to provide as samples, because inevitably an editor will ask to see them. Most editors prefer to view a sample to assess the quality, writing style, and other factors so they can offer you an accurate quote and preliminary feedback. This is also a valuable opportunity to see how a prospective editor marks up and provides commentary about your work.

Communication is key

Reviewing how an editor works with your sample serves a broader and more important purpose: demonstrating communication style and effectiveness. The relationship between writer and editor cannot flourish without strong communication. That doesn't mean you need to be best friends who speak every day. It does mean the messaging from one side needs to resonate with the other, whenever and however you speak.

For example, an editor who prefers to talk through the important details will not vibe with a writer who just wants to accept all the in-text edits and move on. And a writer who needs explanation and discussion on all creative suggestions in weekly 60-minute Zoom sessions will not pair well with an editor who does their best work quietly behind the scenes. Ask a prospective editor about their typical communication style and use the sample edit as a demo to see if it fits.

Prep for (some) paperwork

A formal editing proposal on professional letterhead is another intimidating barrier if you allow it to be. But it's just standard procedure when entering into a professional partnership. Don't let it overwhelm you. Editors typically send official project proposals that outline all the services to be provided; some might also include documents that detail what is and is not covered by their particular level of editing.

Ask questions

Don't hesitate to ask editors about their communication style, delivery timelines, pricing and fees, availability, experience, style guides, specific work in your genre, and anything else that is relevant to your decision to hire them or move along to someone else.