Manuscript Editor
Your Manuscript Is Complete – Now What's Next?
Author: PETER FREDERICK
Obviously, all your good work has come to fruition and you are finally holding your completed manuscript in your hands! Of course, you have been re-reading everything many times over and, to your dismay, have always found misspellings and sentences that need improvement. It is amazing how difficult it is to detect one’s own shortcoming. You virtually need to have a split personality and go over your writing with the eye of a different persona.
As the next step, you are looking for an editor. There are many freelance editors advertising their services in writers circles and it is a good method to start looking at the ones advertising at you state’s Writers’ centre.
There is a paramount need to ask for an editor’s references, for previous authors to contact, or writing projects they have completed, their university training and for their fee. Like with resume’s for job applications, everything needs to be investigated and followed-up to avoid financial and literary consequences.
Some editors prefer to have the manuscript sent to them printed out, some insist on an electronic transfer of the manuscript. Some insists on contacting you and discuss every word they find while others are happy if you tell them that you accept their improvements in advance. By approaching several editors, you get an idea of the standard fee. The rule here is that the height of the fee is no guarantee for quality and neither is paying a bit more for extra good work or payment in advance!
Once such editor I contacted is also the editor of a science fiction magazine and his correspondence was peppered with words like ‘new world order’ ‘astro this’ and ‘space that’! And her quoted fee, too, was astronomical! Some editors do very little work for their money, claiming that they were not ‘ghost writers’, another editor insisted on being paid in advance and then did not touch my manuscript for two months. Upon cancellation of the contract, she wanted a cancellation fee. One editor seemed to be perfect in every way, but she was booked-out for almost a year with another assignments for a large publisher. One editor quoted turn-around time two weeks which was obviously far too short for a voluminous manuscript, another editor sent my manuscript back only half- way through because he’s lost his interest. There are myriad things that can happen and it is very important that a first-time author checks and re-checks these editors before contracting one.
After the manuscript has been returned, physically or electronically. The author then needs to go over his writings once more and change the corrections into clear print.
Once this tedious work of probing an editor will not only result in getting a person whom you will enjoy working with really well and the waiting for the edited manuscript will be a joyful period instead of one filled with anxious nail-biting.
PETER FREDERICK
http://www.peterfrederick.org
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-publishing-articles/your-manuscript-is-complete-now-what039s-next-1906774.html
About the Author
ABOUT MYSELF For most of my working life I have been in Sales, either retail, wholesale or manufacturer’s representative. Because of this I have met a lot of people from different cultures and organisations and observed their psychological make-up, and how people interact with one another. This has given me a chance to observe and discover some positive and not so positive fundamentals in contact with one another. During this time an opportunity presented itself for me to start writing, and since then, I have written a lot because of the pleasure I get from writing. I like the challenge of finding the right words to craft the perfect sentences which, in turn, convey a perfect story. .Whilst I have not achieved this stage of perfection, just to think and be able to write down my thoughts, is for me something very stimulating and satisfying.
Tagged with: author • authoring • book • creating a book • editing a book • writing
Filed under: Uncategorized
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
As an experienced editor, I can tell you for a fact that it is a difficult profession to break into–even online. I have degrees in English and History, with a strong background in grammar and spelling. Those are key elements for building a reputation as an editor.
If your wife wants to become a freelance editor online, she’ll find plenty of people who want her to “take a look” at their books, but don’t want to pay for her time. If she wants to work for free or is looking to build a reputation by editing books just to get her name on a cover, that’s okay. I wouldn’t make a habit of it, though.
Fortunately, there are sites now that advertise or broker editing work, proofreading assignments and other types of freelance writing gigs. The Craigslist is one of the better ones. Do a web search for that and then email some of the registered freelancers on the site to see if/when they get paid for their work. Some websites WILL rip you off, so be careful.
Also, to become an editor, you must above all else be an expert speller and grammarian. There is no wiggle room for errors. There is no excuse for English not being your first language, either. In short, there are NO excuses for typos or misused words like “it’s” and “its” or “affect” and “effect”. You cannot rely on spell checkers or even Word functions that check your grammar. They will NOT catch those kinds of errors.
Okay, lecture over. Good luck. It’s tough, but it sure beats digging ditches.
Jon F. Baxley (Author, Editor, Ghostwriter and Proofreader)
THE SCYTHIAN STONE
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY
THE REGENTS OF RHUM (coming, fall ’07)
*****
First of all,
Is it typed in proper manuscript form? (http://www.neverend.com/msformat.htm has the details on what is needed).
Edit it many, many times to make it as good as possible. Put it in a drawer, and don’t even think about it, for a month or two, then take it out and edit it some more. Don’t try to say “It’s perfect. It does not need editing.” Yes, it does.
Get it proofread by someone who knows what they are doing (do not rely just on spellcheck).
There are a tiny number of publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts (those that don’t go through a literary agent), so getting an agent is a really good idea.
Visit http://www.agentquery.com or, at the library or bookstore, look for Bowker’s Literary Marketplace, Writer’s Market 2011 or Jeff Herman’s Guide to Literary Agents. Look for agents that handle your genre, and are looking for new clients. Read, and follow, their submission guidelines.
Those books will have something about writing a query letter, which is what you send to the agent first. It’s half synopsis of your book, and half explanation as to why your book deserves to be published. You have only that one-page letter to wow the agent, so take the time to make it a good one.
Expect the whole process to take lots of time, and expect many rejections. When you are accepted by an agent, they will send your book to publishers, not you.
Except for postage, the entire process of getting an agent is FREE, until a publisher buys your book. That is when the agent gets their cut, usually 15%, of the money that goes to you. Run away from any agent who asks for money upfront.
Good luck!
You can find many editors online, and you will get a wide variety of prices and quality of editing feedback.
The trick is to submit to an editor who offers you a sample edit for free (typically 1000-1500 words), and determine whether their feedback is worth the price they’re asking. The cost for editing your manuscript will vary based on how close it is to ready (lots of grammar/spelling/typos will typically force the price up), and what type of editing you’re looking for.
You’ll likely pay more for developmental editing (looking for inconsistencies in plot, characters, setting, etc), and less for just proofreading. I’d personally recommend looking for someone who you feel you can trust.
Services will often charge by the hour, page, or word count for your manuscript, so costs can sometimes be difficult to compare between services. Resubmission of material may also increase your costs. For example, if you significantly revise a work after getting feedback, and you want to ensure that the changes didn’t introduce any new problems. Resubmission rates are typically less than editing a completely new work.
However, the cost of not having your novel edited may be that you simply don’t get published. Using an editing service will allow you to get specific feedback that will help you improve your manuscript and therefore increase your chances of getting published.
I work for an editing service, so you can feel free to submit a sample to get edited there (I’ve included a reference below). Whether you choose to use the service or not, best of luck as you work on your novel!
I can help u in getting on line home based job. For this u need to be resident of India and proficient in ms word. This work is sponsored by govt of India so it is meant for residents of India only. In this job, u shall hv to convert pdf file into ms word doc. If u think u r eligible and can do the job. Click on my avatar and contact me thru email or yahoo messenger IMs. Make sure that u hv verified ur email and send ur email ID also to send d details
Unfortunately, the chances of you getting your manuscript published is slim to none. I am speaking of legitimate publishing not the on line garbage and vanity publishing. No one sits and edits manuscripts unless YOU PAY THEM! And even then, you will find it difficult to get someone to do it. Understand that legitimate publishers received thousands and thousands of manuscripts each year and only a handful (if that) actually get published). New writers are even more rarely published. It’s a very difficult and often nearly impossible field in which to succeed. And I hope your book is written using better grammar than you displayed here!
I want information on becoming an online proofreader/manuscript editor?
I want some part-time work that I can do from home.
What credentials are required to be an on-line manuscript editor ?
My wife is interested in freelance manuscript editor part time . She is well qualified in engish and grammer etc and would be interesting in any credentials , requirements, hints, or info on doing for supplemental income. Although she has written manuscripts and has done line editing and critique work she has not be published.
Do i give my manuscript to an editor right when im finished with it or after i finish editing it myself?
I want to publish my first book but i dont know if im supposed to give it to an editor right when im done writing it, if not should i give it to an editor after i finish editing it myself?
I need an editor to edit my manuscript can anyone help me?
I’m writing my first novel and I need help to edit my manuscript, and I was wondering how do I go about getting an editor, and how much would it cost ?
What is the process of sending a manuscript to an editor/publisher?
I need to send in a manuscript to an editor or publisher and I have never published anything before. I would liketo know the process (with and without getting an agent), Who should I send it to first? If it’s a teens fiction and about 100-130 page long book approx what is a proper estimation of my pay? When should I worry about a sequel? Should i send it via email or mail?
Regards, Rachel