10 Red Flags (and Green Flags) When Looking for an Editor

Congratulations on finishing your manuscript! You've successfully made it to the finish line and are now likely considering your next steps. Regardless of whether or not you decide to self-publish, hire a literary agent, or submit your work directly to publishers, you’ll need to hire an editor to help you fine-tune your manuscript so that it keeps the attention of your readers and publishing professionals on your journey to authorship. Below is some information on what you can expect during the editorial process and tips for pinpointing the perfect editor for your book.

How Important is Hiring an Editor?

Hiring an editor is arguably the most important part of the publishing process apart from writing. When a person picks up a book, their likelihood of finishing it depends entirely on whether or not it’s an enjoyable experience. If a book is filled with plot holes, flat characters, or spelling and grammatical errors, they’re not likely to enjoy themselves or recommend the book to their friends. If the errors are significant enough, they may even leave a negative review online which can be impossible to take down.

What if I'm Self-publishing?

Self-published authors have an even bigger obligation to hire an editor because, unlike a traditionally published author, they won’t have access to an editorial team at a publishing house or press. 

What if I'm Querying Publishers or Literary Agents?

While you may have access to free editorial services while working with a traditional publisher or press, this resource is only available once your manuscript has been accepted by one of these institutions. Until then, it’s crucial that you hire an editor to help you develop your plot, organize your main points, and sweep your manuscript for spelling and grammatical errors. This is especially important if you’re hoping to get the attention of literary agents who work based on commission.

How to Hire an Editor

Hiring an editor is much easier and more affordable than many authors anticipate. That being said, you’ll want to be cautious when reviewing your options. With the availability of gig sites such as Fiver or Upwork, there are more opportunities than ever for editors to seek clients online, but not all of them are the right fit for your vision. Furthermore, gig sites also provide plenty of opportunities for scammers to take advantage of first-time authors who are hoping to get published and find success.

The trick to hiring an experienced and reliable editor is to know what to look out for and what to avoid. The process starts with thoroughly researching your options and contacting a few editors for a consultation. Once you’ve established communication, the right editor for the job becomes clear pretty quickly.

10 Red Flags When Hiring an Editor

1. They Have No Online Presence

An experienced editor with many years in the field will have a verifiable online presence, whether it’s through an association profile, a website, social media, or online reviews. Inexperienced editors or those without an editorial background will have limited or no online presence. A simple search of the editorial agency or the editor themselves through a search engine will make it clear who the editor is and how long they’ve been working in their field.

2. Their Emails or Website Has Spelling or Grammatical Errors

   
   

One of the quickest giveaways that an editor lacks the experience or skills needed to take on a manuscript editing job is that they don’t bother to edit their own writing on their website or in their correspondences. Of course, this can be contextual – if you’re communicating by text or over the phone, incorrect grammar is likely to slip through. But when working in a professional capacity, they should be monitoring their writing carefully.

3. They Won't Agree to a Sample Edit

One way that prospective clients gauge a copy or line editor’s skills before committing to their services is through a sample edit which is usually free or signifigantly reduced from their typical rate. The sample edit will typically target a few pages from the author’s manuscript with the use of markup and in-draft suggestions to showcase the editor’s ability and to give a window into whether or not they would make a good fit. Not all editors offer sample edits, but those who have been in the industry for some time will almost always have the resources to do so. This being said, developmental editors are one exception to this as they won’t always be able to reference the manuscript’s entire plot or structure if they only have access to a few pages.

4. They Can't Provide You with a Client Reference

While most manuscript editors will not have a traditional resume or CV, those with experience will be able to provide you with at least one client reference. Keep in mind however that ghostwriters or editors who have worked with high-profile authors or have signed NDAs with publishing houses or agencies may not be able to provide you with references to their previous clients.

5. They Charge You For a Consultation

Professional editors never charge to ask questions or discuss their services. In nearly all cases, they will also never charge you to do an initial read and brief assessment of your manuscript prior to you hiring them.

6. They Don't Ask For Your Manuscript Before Addressing a Rate or Timeline

An editor needs to assess the level of work involved with your manuscript to decide how much to charge and quoting you an estimated timeline to completion. If they give you a rate or scheduled timeline before even looking at your manuscript, this is a major red flag that can sometimes result in sloppy work at best and at worst, running off with your money without completing the work.

7. They Charge Too Little/Too Much

Of course, whether or not an editor’s rate is too steep or low is up for interpretation, but if their rates seem significantly low or high, this could indicate that they are inexperienced, unskilled, or looking to take advantage of you. If you’re looking for examples of typical rates for editors, here is a table of average rates from the Editorial Freelancers’ Association.

8. It's Obvious They Haven't Read Your Work

One of the most important traits that a manuscript editor should have is the ability to process information and give feedback. When consulting with your potential editor, they should always ask to see a copy of your manuscript and to give a thorough read before offering a rate or estimated timeline. They should also provide some brief feedback on the material. This not only ensures that they have the skills and resources to help but it also gives you an idea of whether or not they have a personal interest in the content and have experience in your genre. If they’re not commenting on or referencing the work from the beginning, it’s unlikely that they’ll be thorough later on.

9. They Take Too Long To Respond

As we’ve gone over, gig sites have made it easier than ever for practically anyone to offer editorial services. But the last thing that you need as an author is a professional gig worker to edit your book. Why? Because they won’t be able to reliably dedicate their time to your book. If a prospective editor takes longer than a few hours or a day to respond, this is a red flag that they’re too busy to take on more work or that they have a full-time job keeping them from responding.

10. Their Credentials Can't Be Confirmed

Another reason why gig sites are a terrible option for finding editors is that they usually don’t require gig workers to verify their credentials. So how do you know if your prospective editor is who they say they are? The answer is – you don’t.

But this isn’t just a problem with gig sites. Regardless of where you look, there are sure to be a few “editors” who lie about their clients, experience, and skills to prospective clients. An editor who is who they claim to be will never get upset if you ask them to provide a client reference, copies of their degree or training, proof of EFA membership, or sample edits to help you make a decision.

10 Green Flags When Hiring an Editor

1. They Respond Quickly

As we’ve gone over, an editor who responds quickly is always a good sign that they have the availability to take on more work and that you’ll be able to contact them if you have issues with revisions or about the editorial process as you move forward.

2. They Ask Questions

There are thousands of editors working in the industry and they all have a unique set of skills and professional backgrounds. When consulting with an editor, it’s always a green flag if they ask insightful questions about your work so that they understand the content fully. They should also be asking about your goals for revisions, your deadlines, your budget, and your publishing considerations to get a better idea of your vision for the work.

3. They Don't Pressure You

A consultation with an editor should be a relaxed and exciting experience. If at any point your feel pressured about agreeing to a specific rate or decision – run. When you begin work with your editor, the same principle applies. A professional editor may make assertive suggestions about your work if they feel strongly about something, but they will never force you or pressure you to make changes to your manuscript that you aren’t comfortable with.

4. They Give (Brief) Feedback on Your Writing Before Agreeing to a Schedule or Rate

A consultation with an editor (especially a developmental editor) usually involves an assessment of the entire manuscript before they can give you a quote on rates and scheduling. Once they take a few days to look at your work, they’ll usually provide you with some baseline feedback on the writing to give you an idea of how they could help. This might include a few sentences or paragraphs on the manuscript’s strengths, areas for improvement, and clarification on the services they offer.

5. Their Feedback Reflects Their Field

There are thousands of editors working in the industry each with a unique set of skills and backgrounds and not every editor will have the right editorial toolbox for your manuscript. For example, if you’re seeking an editor for your sci-fi thriller novel, choosing an academic language editor isn’t going to be a good fit. Unfortunately in an attempt to secure more clients, many editors may exaggerate their experience or field to attract a wider range of clients. A good editor will always be honest about their skills and experience before querying an author, and their initial feedback on your work will reflect this.

6. They Offer References or Sample Edits

While it’s not always necessary to check an editor’s references or request a sample edit, those who offer them are doing so because they’re confident in their abilities and relationships with former clients. If you’re ever on the fence about a prospective editor, it’s never out of the norm to request a sample edit or client reference to determine your final decision. If they respond positively, this alone can be good sign that they're a good fit.

7. They're Clear About Their Rates and Schedule

The first few corespondences with a potential editor often involves rate negotiation and estimations on when you can expect the editorial process to wrap up. But unless the scope of the work changes significantly, the final quote should stay the same until the editor finishes the work. If your editor is dodgy on the question of rates and deadlines, you might want to seek other options.

8. They Give You The Opportunity to Ask Questions

A good editor will give you plenty of opportunity to ask questions throughout the process. This is beneficial to both parties so that the expectations are clear and no surprises will come up during the editorial process.

9. They Have Training, a Degree, and/or Belong to Editorial Associations

There are plenty of talented and skilled editors who do not have a literary or English degree, or formal training or belong to an association. However, those who do will have a much larger pool of resources to provide you with the help you need to accomplish your goals.

That being said, while editorial degrees and training programs typically provide editors with a more thorough and diverse set of skills than experience alone, an editor with extensive experience in the industry is often a more valuable resource than an editor who has a degree and no experience outside of education.

Additionally, membership with an editorial association (such as the EFA) is often more valuable than a degree or even minimal experience as it is an indication that the editor is receiving recent and consistent training through workshops, training seminars, forums, and collaborations. Many of these associations also offer job boards that allow authors to connect with editors who have specialized training and experience that meets their niche needs.

10. They Include You During Revisions

With most editorial services, whether it’s developmental editing, line editing, or copyediting, the process happens in three steps: an initial read to go over context, a second read to add suggestions and minor revisions, and then finally, the draft is passed back to the author to make larger, more in-depth, revisions.

However, some editors (typically ones with little to no experience) will take on these larger revisions themselves without consulting with the author. This can lead to significant issues and frustration on the author’s part who receives a manuscript back from the editor that has no resemblance to the work that they dedicated months of their time and soul to. A good editor will always include the author with the use of in-draft suggestions, markup, or even direct communications if something looks off, except in very obvious situations such as spelling or grammatical errors.

How to Find the Right Editor For Your Book

As you can see, there’s a lot that can go wrong when choosing the right editor for your manuscript. But if you know what to look for, the opportunity to connect with a thorough, and easy to work with editor is within reach. Here are some tips:

-Begin your search on association websites such as the EFA or editor websites that have verifiable reviews and a public portfolio, as opposed to gig sites like Fiver or Upwork.

-Contact a few editors directly to ask them for a consultation. Make sure the consultation is free before scheduling.

-Editors who respond quickly, ask questions, and ask to see your work upfront before quoting a rate or deadline are generally good picks, while those who respond with short responses, pressure you to make a quick decision, and don’t bother to read your work before solidifying an agreement are generally unreliable or may be scammers.

-When in doubt, ask questions. Make sure you understand the editor’s process, rates, availability, and experience before making a final decision. 

Are you ready for the next step in your journey as an author? Talk to an editor now to see if UnTapped is a good for you!