by
Kathryn Page Camp
What do you think of when you hear the word, “self-published”?
I think of substandard work. While there are many great self-published books, they
aren’t the ones I remember. As a self-published author myself, I’m ashamed of
anything that gives the category a bad name.
I like to support my fellow authors, and I’ve bought my
share of self-published books. I also download those “free” Kindle books when
the description sounds interesting. And some have been a pleasant surprise.
But most are riddled with typos, inconsistencies, and just
plain bad writing.
That’s why every self-published author should hire a
freelance editor.
Yes, I know it’s expensive, ranging anywhere from $500 to
$10,000 for a 60,000 word manuscript. The actual price is based on a number of
factors, including the type of edit and the experience of the editor. And the
poorer the manuscript, the more it will cost to edit. But if your goal is to
produce a professional-quality book you won’t be ashamed of five years from
now, it’s well worth the money.
What types of services do editors provide? For our purposes,
we will concentrate on three.
Proofreading
is the cheapest and most basic service that editors
provide. A proofreader looks for typos, misspellings, and grammar errors. If
your book has been typeset or reformatted, a proofreader can also check the
final copy against your original manuscript to make sure they match. The cost
to proofread a 60,000 word manuscript may average from $500 to $950.
Copyediting is
probably the most common. I always pay for a copyedit before finalizing
a book manuscript, even when I am submitting to a traditional publisher. After
all, why wouldn’t I want to submit my best work?
Like proofreading, copyediting
looks for typos, misspellings, and grammar errors. But it also looks for
inconsistencies and for words and sentences and paragraphs that are confusing
or awkward. I own a self-published non-fiction book that is easy to read and
gives me interesting information, but it mentions that a woman was 12 in 1817
and 76 in 1871. That means I can’t trust the facts without double-checking them
with another source.
That error is evident on the face
of the manuscript, and a good copyeditor would have caught it. If you request
it, a copyeditor will also check other sources to verify facts and references.
Obviously, however, the more you ask a copyeditor to do, the more it will cost.
For that 60,000 word manuscript, a copyedit may average anywhere from $750 to
$2,500.
Substantive editing—sometimes
called line editing—is the most expensive, but it is also the most
comprehensive. Although it includes some of the elements of a good copyedit, a
substantive edit also looks at the contents and tells you what works and what
doesn't on both a macro and a micro level. The editor may go so far as to
recommend that you reorder your chapters to make the plot more suspenseful or eliminate
your favorite passage because it’s irrelevant. For a 60,000 word manuscript, a
substantive edit will average between $2,000 and $10,000.
What type of edit you need depends
on your human resources. Do you belong to a writers’ critique group that
includes knowledgeable members and provides honest feedback on both craft and
clarity? Do you have someone (preferably not a family member or good friend) from
your target audience who will give you candid comments from a reader’s
perspective? And do you take full advantage of these resources? If so, you may
not need a substantive edit.
I’m a grammar geek and, given time
to do a careful read, am also good at catching typos and confusing words and
phrases. Even so, it’s hard for me to edit my own work. I know what I wanted to
say, and my mind reads it that way. And I’m not alone. Very few people can edit
their own work and end up with an acceptable product.
Of course, not everyone has the
financial resources to hire an editor. Still, there may be a way. What about
giving up that cappuccino you always buy on the way to work? Or do you have
skills you can barter?
Start by asking yourself why you
are writing and publishing. Because if you want to produce your best work, you
will find a way to polish it before releasing it to the public.
__________
Kathryn Page Camp is a licensed attorney and full-time
writer. Her new book, Writers in
Wonderland: Keeping Your Words Legal (KP/PK Publishing 2013) is available
from Amazon.com and other retailers. Kathryn is also the author of In God We Trust: How the Supreme Court’s
First Amendment Decisions Affect Organized Religion (FaithWalk Publishing
2006) and numerous articles. You can learn more about Kathryn at www.kathrynpagecamp.com.
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