Follow up on Fiction Editor

In her last post, Meredith Efken, freelance fiction editor and friend, shared about what a freelance editor can and can’t do for your! You might want to check it out first, then jump back over here and read what other great tips she has for us!

As a freelance editor, I have seen my editing help writers grow in their skills and I’ve seen my editing even help published authors refine their manuscripts to the point where they are receiving awards and great feedback from their in-house editors or their agents. A good editor, one who is an expert in fiction editing, will be able to provide you with a level of personal feedback and suggestions and analysis on your ENTIRE manuscript that no critique group can. You can read lots of how-to books, and go to lots of workshops and conferences, but there comes a point for most writers when you need to know if you are applying those concepts effectively in your particular manuscript. That’s where professional editing does what few of those other options can do—give you personalized, expert advice—and it does it in a powerful, in-depth way.

Editing does not guarantee that a manuscript will end up publishable. That depends entirely on how the author decides to implement the feedback they are given. Newer writers who get professional editing before they have the skills to implement that editing will not end up with a publishable manuscript. They WILL gain new skills and new insights into the fiction craft. But not even the best editor can make a writer publishable before they have actually gained the necessary experience and skills. All we can do is help you reach the next level in your development.

Acquisitions editors and agents do not care whether or not a manuscript has been professionally edited prior to submission. As long as the work is verifiably your own, all they care about is whether or not it’s a well-told story that fits their publishing needs. They aren’t really interested in the process you went through to get it that way. So telling them it’s been “professionally edited” in your proposal won’t help you—and it might make you seem a bit insecure or amateur, as if you have to provide outside credentials for the quality of the work. The story has to stand on its own, and if it doesn’t, it’s going to get rejected regardless of the amount of editing work already done on it.

I was published without the benefit of receiving a professional edit of my manuscript. So I’m proof that you don’t HAVE to have one to get published. However, there have been many times when I wished I had set aside the money (or arranged a swap) for a professional editor of my own. I have an AWESOME critique group—made up of nearly all published ACFW authors. But none of us have the time to do a full edit of an entire manuscript. Critique groups are limited in that way. And the further I get into my writing career, the more I find myself wishing for that level of feedback on a regular basis.

I did have a professional freelance editor take a look at a proposal recently—a proposal that wasn’t getting the sort of enthusiastic response my agent and I had been expecting. This editor very kindly looked at it for me and was able to give me exactly the feedback I needed. I redid the proposal based on her suggestions, and now I am anticipating a possible offer in about a month. THAT’S the power of professional feedback from an editor who is a specialist in fiction.

…yes, it’s expensive. But we have to remember that we are all entrepreneurs who are creating our own businesses. Businesses require significant financial investments. We’re lucky that we can get started in our writing businesses with very few upfront costs. But too many writers expect that they should be able to build a solid business with almost no financial commitment! That’s just not reasonable. We all have to live within our budgets, but there comes a time when you have to put money into your writing—whether by conference tuition, dues, books…or for professional editing or coaching. Most full manuscript edits will cost $1500-4000. But when you consider that you might be doing this maybe once a year, and perhaps not even every single year, it’s actually quite a small investment compared to the financial commitments of the vast majority of start-up businesses.

My suggestions would be the following:

If you are a beginner writer, invest your money in books, workshops, writing groups (like ACFW or RWA), and online courses such as Randy Ingermanson’s Fiction 101 series (http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com) or Margie Lawson’s courses (http://www.margielawson.com). Join critique groups. If you need one-on-one help, consider a coaching service like the one I offer where you can get individual help and advice on whatever aspect of the writing craft you need to work on. Get your manuscript finished and work as hard as you can to polish it on your own.

If you are an intermediate to advanced writer and you’ve finished a manuscript or two and are getting proposal requests and lots of rejections, THEN consider a full manuscript edit. It might be just the nudge and fresh perspective you need to push you into the “publishable” category. If you are truly unable to save up the money for the edit, then look around for editors who offer proposal reviews, partial edits, or coaching/mentoring. These services may be easier for you to manage, and a little is better than none at all.

If you are recently newly-contracted or a published author who has outgrown your critique group or don’t have time to participate in a critique group, professional editing and/or coaching would be a good option for you as well. At this level, the editor works with you as a partner, a fresh pair of eyes—someone to walk through the writing process with you and give you encouragement as well as a balanced perspective. They’ll tell you which parts are brilliant, when you think it’s ALL rubbish. And they’ll point out where you are missing opportunities or weakening your story. The best part is that unlike a critique group, you DON’T have to reciprocate!

The name of my editing business is The Fiction Fix It Shop, so I like to use tool metaphors when I can. I tell my clients that professional editing is just one of the many tools available to them to help them improve their writing craft and build their writing career. It’s not a tool you MUST use to reach your goals, but it is a very specialized, powerful tool. Well worth the investment.

MEREDITH EFKEN is the owner of the Fiction Fix-It Shop, specializing in editing and coaching services for fiction writers. She is a multi-published novelist of humorous fiction. Her clients include Christy-award winners and nominees such as Randall Ingermanson and Maureen Lang, RITA winner Deborah Raney, and HOLT Medallion winner Carol Umberger.