Tales from the Desk: Bad Editor
Before I knew what I was doing, I knew I didn’t know what I was doing, and I’d need to hire editors to help me refine my first book before I sought out publishers. I had started using self-editing software that was really helpful for in-line editing. The software was extremely beneficial, and the company provided a lot of informative seminars aimed at writers just starting out in their writing careers. I took one of their classes and regularly attended their weekly seminars. For a long-time reader and a writer that was looking at publishing for the first time, their help was invaluable.
So when the company started to offer editing services, I was intrigued. I decided to start off slow by submitting my first chapter (5k words) for $200. Their advice seemed professional and I took to heart the guidance they provided. The next service I would probably need would be a full-developmental edit, a service they provided. Before booking, I did my research on what a developmental editor should cost. Most sights put the price between $0.03-0.06 per word. At 100,000 words in the first novel and 100,000 in the second, that was a huge price tag.
But the company that had editing software was offering a developmental edit for a mere $0.01 cents per word. That was still a large investment (~$1,000) but much more palatable for a writer just starting out. I started saving with that price tag in mind for the first novel.
Now, there should have been a couple red flags that I missed because I didn’t know better: 1) the service was advertised to return the book in two weeks. 2) The return time was not based upon the length of the book. 3) The price was way below market value. 4) The editor had no industry experience. 5) The editor’s credentials were being a self-published author.
Once I had the money saved, I booked the service. Two weeks after booking, I didn’t have my book back. Two weeks later, I sent an email asking about when it would be back. I received a reply that it would be another two weeks due to volume. No problem, I understand that their service is new and they probably had a rush of orders.
Six weeks after submission, I receive my manuscript. There are 76 comments and a two-page summary of the book and changes I need to make. I notice something odd, all 76 comments are time stamped the day before. But maybe they made comments on a physical copy, then transferred those comments the night before giving it back. At the end, the editor says I’m ready to hire a copyeditor and get my book out there. I make my changes, simple ones really. I cut a POV chapter, a bunch of the background world building, and a few other minor changes. I get the feeling that the editor really didn’t like my book, but not every book is for every person. I start shopping for a copyeditor.
I can’t find a cheap copyeditor. The copyedit is going to cost more than my developmental editing, which is odd since developmental editing is supposed to be the most expensive editing. All the copyeditors are hovering around $0.014-0.02 per word. I choose an editor and find out that it will be three months before they have time in their schedule to take on my project. After looking around, it seems like that is pretty standard.
My copyeditor gets to work, and they were fantastic. They included a style sheet and went above and beyond a copyeditor, telling me that certain parts were confusing or weren’t well described. After they return my manuscript, I either accept or deny the changes they requested and return the manuscript for a second round. At the end, one thing is clear to me, they went above and beyond what a copyeditor is paid for and that my developmental edit was subpar.
I want to be traditionally published, so I’ll have to go through editing with the publishing house anyway, so I send my book out on submission. Crickets. I still have several outstanding questions about my manuscript. Is my end satisfying? Does it feel like a real conclusion since I split the story into two books because it was too long? Was my developmental edit a rush job?
I reach out to a company that offers editing services just to talk. When I tell them about my previous developmental edit, I just see the trepidation in their eyes. They let me know that what I got done is not a real developmental edit. A true developmental edit is much similar to the copyedit I received. They read the book, return it, I make edits and resubmit, they do another round of editing, and rinse and repeat as much as wanted/needed.
Despite the cost and having already sunk money into a bad developmental edit and a copyedit, I come to the conclusion that I need to do this to develop as a writer. My experience was phenomenal. My editor told me exactly what they liked about the book, where I needed to work on the story, the background, character development, and setting a scene. I got to work and made some very big changes in the story. And I found myself putting a lot of the background world-building back into the book. My final edit resembled more of my original draft before the previous developmental editor than what I submitted.
I resubmitted and received a manuscript evaluation. On top of the praise for the changes I made, the editor let me know how I had good instincts for what might be wrong with the book and how receptive I was to making changes based upon editorial feedback. More than just helping the book be a better book, I felt like I learned a lot about my writing style and what types of stories I wanted to tell.
I booked the same editor for my second book and felt like the finished product was equally improved and I learned even more about the stories I wanted to write. I also learned that sometimes big changes are needed in a story and I shouldn’t shy away from them. But, having made big changes in the story, I needed to hire another copyeditor. And that’s how I wasted $3,800 dollars by hiring the wrong editor.
I hope when I finish writing the third and fourth book my first two have sold enough to afford to hire my editor again. If not, I know that my experience working with my editor made me a better writer and storyteller. I may step away from this series and try and get stand-alone novels published until I get the funds necessary to afford an editor for further books in my series.
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