When I’ve spent 12+ months focused on the same topic and the same book, I can get tunnel vision. Sometimes I tend to add more and more detail, just to be comprehensive, when such level of completeness and thoroughness is not part of the project scope. My editors have helped me stay on track and organized in presentation. For those who struggle with writing, grammar, sentence structure, etc. an editor is even more valuable.
Editing projects are typically measured in word count. Page count is so dependent on font, page size, etc. that this metric is not very valuable. Also, with e-books it’s irrelevant as the number of ‘pages’ changes with each user’s preference. Some editors charge per hour for their services, this can range $30-75/hr. Others charge per word. For a professional editor expect to pay a total $2,000-5,000 for a 60,000 word non-fiction book.
Note that there are a few types of editing:
- Developmental (content) editing – major editing, big picture, “Does this book make sense?” This is the most comprehensive type of editing that takes a good manuscript and makes it worthy of publication.
- Structural editing – logical flow, tone, style and general quality of writing
- Copy editing – grammar, word choice, etc. Focus on overall quality of writing
- Line editing – line by line examination of word choice, phrasing, run-on-sentences, etc. Focus on clarity.
- Proofreading – final step to catch any remaining errors
In my experience an editor does more than just editing. By having someone else on the team, I was motivated to keep moving the project forward every day. A qualified editor asks probing questions, helps improve my thought process and writing, and offers some coaching and encouragement from the sidelines. The two books I’ve written would be greatly different works and maybe would remaining unpublished without the involvement of my editors!
Written by: David Gatchell
