Note to Readers: This is guest post submitted by Robert Reeve, a marketing consultant for Readers Digest in the UK.
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Finding an Editor on a Budget
Self-publishing a book doesn’t mean you should skip all of the traditional process and publish your book without an editor. There are many reasons for hiring an editor, and having a professional to look at your book can greatly enhance your publishing prospects.
Yet, hiring an editor can seem like a costly thing to do, especially if you are looking to publish your first book.
To help you out, we’ve looked at the best ways to find an editor without breaking the bank.
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Finding an Editor on a Budget
Self-publishing a book doesn’t mean you should skip all of the traditional process and publish your book without an editor. There are many reasons for hiring an editor, and having a professional to look at your book can greatly enhance your publishing prospects.
Yet, hiring an editor can seem like a costly thing to do, especially if you are looking to publish your first book.
To help you out, we’ve looked at the best ways to find an editor without breaking the bank.
Determine Your Budget
Before you start looking, you need to think about your budget. Knowing how much you are willing to pay will save you and prospective editors from having lengthy conversations only to find out you can’t afford it.
Remember that experienced editors will charge a premium, but if you look carefully you’ll be able to find inexperienced editors that can still do a good job but will be a little cheaper.
Outline Your Editing Needs
As well as defining your price range, you should also think about what kind of editing you are looking for. Your budget might restrict you from going for a complete editing package, so you want to carefully consider what type of editing is most important to you.
Perhaps you aren’t as interested in tweaking the flow of the book or the character creation, but just want someone to correct your grammar or vice versa. Think about your book and the aspects that worry you the most to narrow your editor search.
When speaking to editors be sure to clarify what you want. If an editor is going to try and re-write your whole book and that isn’t what you want, working with them probably won’t be a good experience.
Search in the Right Channels
If you go to Google and search for editors, you’ll most likely end up spending a week or two going through all the options. This is not a good idea since we all know time is money.
It’s much better to head down to freelancing websites instead. The most common platforms are Elance and Odesk.
You can either advertise your job on the platform or contact editors directly. The key is to be upfront with what you are looking for and about your budget.
On top of this, you should look at some editing companies. It’s easy to think professional editing houses would cost more, but in fact, you can often find editing companies offering cheaper prices than independent editors. This is often down to better resources, so check out your local editing companies and search for them in Google, remembering to be specific with your search.
Take Advantage of Your Connections
Networking is a crucial skill to master, especially for creative people like writers. Your connections can not only open new doors for you, but also help you save a bit of money.
If you are part of a writing community, then see if your fellow writers have suggestions on good editors. You might even be able to get a referral discount.
Furthermore, you could even consider bartering. If you are great at proofreading, but want someone to look at your plot building, exchange services with another writer!
Non-professional people can often be a great help in providing you an honest reader critique, whilst being a cheaper option to professional editors.
As long as you define your budget, know what you are looking for and take advantage of your network, finding an editor won’t be a struggle and you won’t break the bank in the process!
If you are looking for self-publishing opportunities, you can find more resources from the Alaska Dreams Publishing website.
Before you start looking, you need to think about your budget. Knowing how much you are willing to pay will save you and prospective editors from having lengthy conversations only to find out you can’t afford it.
Remember that experienced editors will charge a premium, but if you look carefully you’ll be able to find inexperienced editors that can still do a good job but will be a little cheaper.
Outline Your Editing Needs
As well as defining your price range, you should also think about what kind of editing you are looking for. Your budget might restrict you from going for a complete editing package, so you want to carefully consider what type of editing is most important to you.
Perhaps you aren’t as interested in tweaking the flow of the book or the character creation, but just want someone to correct your grammar or vice versa. Think about your book and the aspects that worry you the most to narrow your editor search.
When speaking to editors be sure to clarify what you want. If an editor is going to try and re-write your whole book and that isn’t what you want, working with them probably won’t be a good experience.
Search in the Right Channels
If you go to Google and search for editors, you’ll most likely end up spending a week or two going through all the options. This is not a good idea since we all know time is money.
It’s much better to head down to freelancing websites instead. The most common platforms are Elance and Odesk.
You can either advertise your job on the platform or contact editors directly. The key is to be upfront with what you are looking for and about your budget.
On top of this, you should look at some editing companies. It’s easy to think professional editing houses would cost more, but in fact, you can often find editing companies offering cheaper prices than independent editors. This is often down to better resources, so check out your local editing companies and search for them in Google, remembering to be specific with your search.
Take Advantage of Your Connections
Networking is a crucial skill to master, especially for creative people like writers. Your connections can not only open new doors for you, but also help you save a bit of money.
If you are part of a writing community, then see if your fellow writers have suggestions on good editors. You might even be able to get a referral discount.
Furthermore, you could even consider bartering. If you are great at proofreading, but want someone to look at your plot building, exchange services with another writer!
Non-professional people can often be a great help in providing you an honest reader critique, whilst being a cheaper option to professional editors.
As long as you define your budget, know what you are looking for and take advantage of your network, finding an editor won’t be a struggle and you won’t break the bank in the process!
If you are looking for self-publishing opportunities, you can find more resources from the Alaska Dreams Publishing website.