Ten Reasons You Should You Hire an Editor

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment
If you’re serious about publication, you’ll need to hire an editor before you send your manuscript off to agents. I’m directing this post mainly to fiction writers who want to be traditionally published, but this information also applies to nonfiction or who are considering the self-published route. You’ll get the best bang for your editing buck if you give your editor a manuscript that’s already revised, proofed and read by a few key readers.  If you have plot questions, place them in a separate section so she can address them head-on. Don’t give your editor a dirty, unproofed manuscript unless you have agreed you need ghostwriting and/or developmental editing and that’s another post altogether. Always know that the more work your editor does on your manuscript, the more it will cost you. Now on to why you should hire an editor: A good editor will help you with…
  1. timelines so you don’t confuse your reader
  2. keeping your plot in focus so you don’t veer off
  3. ideas you didn’t think of before
  4. making your book reader-centered
Your editor will  
  1. help you understand the writing process and its conventions
  2. show objectivity and won’t be afraid to offer gentle honesty if you get lazy with your writing
  3. give you accountability
  4. help you get published by giving you an agent-ready manuscript
  5. force you to examine your work and think about more possibilities. Are you using metaphors, does your work have a theme, what value does it provide the reader?
  6. ask the tough questions of your characters, especially if you have a habit of protecting them and not placing them in enough conflict or challenge
When you’re hunting for the right editor, look beyond their fancy website, Facebook Page  and testimonials. Try to find someone through referrals and not through an ad. Find someone who has experience with editing fiction either freelance or with a publication house. Also see if you can find someone who teaches or who has previous teaching experience. Check out their publication credits. How many are fiction? Are these credits recent? Ask for references and check out their former clients. You may not receive all of your answers, but you will get a feel for this person before you invest your time and money. Now you are ready to set up a phone conference and/or meet this person for the first time. Come prepared with questions and while you get to know your future editor, try to get a feel for their personality and work ethic. Is this someone you can trust? Do they seem to be reliable (you can check this if they respond well to phone calls or emails). When you are satisfied, ask for a contract and a deadline. Try to negotiate a flat fee if possible so you know exactly what you are paying. Ask to have your work edited in Word Track Changes so you can see exactly what you need to fix. After your editor completes your work ask for a follow-up meeting to answer any questions you have about their editing marks or their thought process. When you find the right person to edit your work, you will see your writing grow. Try to keep this relationship for as long as possible. A good editor, like a good mechanic or hair stylist is hard to find and necessary to hold on to!
Filed Under: Writing · Tagged With: , ,

How to Meet Agents At A Writers’ Conference

May 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
You need to have a strategy. If you have a manuscript that is agent-ready, meaning that is has been revised at least 15 times and you’ve gone over it with a fine-toothed comb, you are ready to travel outside of your state and comfort zone to meet an agent in your genre at a writing conference. However, you should note that you probably won’t land your agent at a conference—most writers still acquire their agents via query letters. But conferences will give you an edge over your competition because you’ll have made personal contact with an agent. OK, back to the strategy: first, you’ll need to come up with a list of writers’ conferences that offer agent and editor pitch sessions. I have listed a few for you: Backspace Writers Conference  North Carolina Writers Conference  San Francisco Writers Conference   South Carolina Writers Conference  American Society of Journalists and Authors Annual Conference  Writers and Editors One on One Conference (for magazine writers) SCBWI International Winter Conference  More Writers Conferences and Centers Second, you’ll need to scan the faculty and speaker lists to find out which agents are coming and if they represent your genre. Many conference sites offer you the chance to sign up for their e-newsletters which contain contests, conference news/agendas, articles, tips and more. You can follow these conferences on Facebook and Twitter, and you may be also able to follow an agent’s Fan Page or Twitter feed. I would caution against friending their LinkedIn or Facebook profile before you have met them. As you’re getting packed, place multiple copies of your synopsis, sample chapters and query letter in your work folder so that will be easily accessible. After speaking with you at the bar, an agent may want more information. I recommend against bringing your entire manuscript with you to the conference floor, but I would bring it from home and leave it in your hotel room. You may also want to copy your manuscript onto two or three flash drives. Label the drives and hand them to the agent if she asks for a complete copy—voila—she now has easily transportable reading material for her plane ride home. In the week leading up to the conference practice your 30-second to 1-min pitch so can recite to anyone without it sounding canned. Also make sure you have brought enough business cards. Take comfortable, yet professional clothes. Many writers (both men and women) opt for nice jeans with a belt, loafers, crisp collared shirt and a blazer, but if you’re more at ease in a dress, that’s fine too! Once at the conference, don’t act desperate, clingy or weird (no stalking in the bathroom, OK?). Agents are people, too, and that means getting to know them by asking questions such as, “What keeps you busy outside of work?” Be sure to network with other writers and faculty members who aren’t agents. When meeting someone new, maintain eye contact at their eye level and not at their chest level where their name tag is displayed. Don’t cut and run if you discover the person you’ve just met at the buffet line is like you and not a power-broker. You never know if their best friend is an agent, but even if they aren’t, anyone you interact with is an opportunity for friendship, networking or business. Networking is a process fueled by a desire to help others succeed, so make sure you are as generous as possible with links, referrals and resources. If you act relaxed and not ready to launch into a sales pitch, you’ll be more likely to be remembered…in a good way. Conferences are fabulous opportunities to gain the latest market and publishing information from the experts, make new contacts and friends, receive feedback and recharge your writing practice. It does pay to know what to expect from the conference and to take the time to “vet” the conference’s history, participants and agenda. Who knows, you may be that lucky writer who gets her lucky break at a conference!
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