I get asked how to choose an editor a lot. Usually I just make obvious pointing gestures toward myself with a goofy grin on my face but there are real reasons to ask this. Besides, someday I might be pushing up daisies and you'd need to know how to find another editor you could trust. So, you need to do your homework.
Any freelance editor worth their salt is going to want to show their worth, especially these days. They should have an online presence that makes them fairly easy to find. Go through their websites. That should give you a clue to whether or not they know their stuff.
If so, are they active on it or was their last post five years ago? It's okay if they get busy editing and can't post all the time, but if they don't post for quite a while or have very few posts of little or no value, move on. I started posting on my original site, Unbridled Editor, in 2010. I moved here in 2011. Some months I was pretty busy and didn't have a lot of time for posting, but I've been working on that. I want to build up a good resource base for all of you as well as work with those of you who choose to hire me.
Do they have a page of client testimonials? This will tell you if other people liked working with them. I have a page linked at the top of my site here called
Client Praise. I also have a page listing books I've worked on called
Our Book List. It lists the titles of the books with their authors.
Do they tell you about themselves? We do! On our
about page, you'll find information about me and all the other family members who work here at Rakestraw Book Design. We want you to know who we are so you feel comfortable with us.
I will always post our
rates. Editing isn't cheap (although compared to a lot of editors, my rates are rock bottom), and it's up to you whether you can afford to work with me or not, but why would you spend time with someone who won't post their pricing? It's like going to a restaurant that won't put the prices on the menu. I'm being upfront with you, so you can trust that I'm not hiding anything. There are no hidden fees. You worked hard on your manuscript...you don't want to hand it off to just anyone.
You can find me on
Twitter,
Facebook,
Google+ and even
Tumblr. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
I tend to be shy, but I do get interviewed every so often. When I do, I usually post about it on my blog. The interviews will help you get to know me. Here are links to some as well.
Slushheap 6 5/28/13
Interview at Luscious Literaries 5/23/13
Radio Interview at IndieReview Behind the Scenes 3/23/13
Radio Interview at Edin Road 1/17/12
I want you to get to know me and what I can do. Any good editor should want you to get to know them and what they can do. That's what you look for. Sales pages? Pffft. They're all hype. I spend a good deal of time writing posts every week to share my knowledge so you can read what I've written and make an educated choice.
The best marketing any editor can do is show you what they know. That's what I try to do.
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