Have you started writing that story yet?

If you have been busily churning out your new novel since we last chatted, know there will be much to consider when you feel it is finished. It is never finished when you think it is. The following question will be one you need to answer for yourself:

Do I need an editor? Can I afford such an investment.

These are a very legitimate questions. Of course, the answer is another question: can you afford not to employ an editor?

Employing a professional editor is costly, particularly when you are on a limited budget. The truth of the matter is there are very few successful businesses out there that have required no capital investment. Writing books is no exception. Even if you strike it lucky the first time and make some crazy sales, capital investment will be needed, from those profits. Sometimes, the writing business seems like a monster, gobbling up the little bit of extra cash you have saved to plow into it. But great patience is required in order to weather the storm and in time, bear fruit.

The wisest decision you can make is to establish a certain amount of capital for  investment in an editing service. Editors do not come cheap but they are well worth the sacrifice. If well versed, successful writers use them and keep on using them, then how much more should us newbies.

Before employing an editor it would be worth your while to get some recommendations from those who have lived through the experience. Editors are like shoes, they need to fit properly. Particularly, in the beginning stages, a substantial edit is worth the money paid. Readers do not tolerate badly written books. Authors often do not see their mistakes, even after several proofreads.

The editor I use offers the following services. Most editors will offer a variation of these:

·        Proofreading:         Spelling, typos, grammar, errors and punctuation.

·        Line Editing:            Proofread; word usage; Clarity; Redundancies; Flow; Sentence variety; Post revision.

·        Comment Analysis:          Includes a full line edit plus a substantive edit.

·        Substantive Edit:   Overall critique; Conflict analysis; Use of voice; Point of view issues; Narration verses dialogue; Word choice suggestions; Sentence structure and Post revision proofread.

Each of these services costs a certain amount per 250-word page and can range from $2.50 per page up to $3:00 per page.

Your manuscript might go back and forth several times and entail some rewriting of either sentences or even changes to the plot. Editors, worth their salt, know what readers want.

If you would like to make contact with a great editor you can email me at setterfield@shaw.ca and I will happily give you her details.