How and when do I find a book editor?

I’ve been asked the question: How and when do I find a book editor? many times recently, so thought I’d answer this question once and for all!

The day that I was asked this question three times, was the day that this memory came up on my Facebook page – and the day that I started penning this blog.

Little did know, when I wrote this Facebook status update eight years ago, that this was the start of my editing journey!

Writing the first 42,000 words of my first book was a huge achievement. But it took a further nine months before the book was actually finished and published. And I was incredibly proud when I was stood in front of 70 people at my book launch party.

I often have conversations with clients who underestimate the editing process. You’ll get feedback from others, work through the book yourself quite a few times before you even find a professional editor or proofreader.

But before you start to panic, the reason I do what I do – and have a team to help you – is to ensure that it’s quicker and easier for you to write, publish and market your book successfully.

So if you’re looking for a book editor and need some advice, this blog post is for you.

There are various types of editing and most clients need all of this at some level.

Structure and feedback

As The Book Mentor, my role actually comes before the role of a formal book editor. Myself, and my some of my team, work with clients to help them to structure their writing. We help them to get clear on what they’re writing, who their book is for and how it will help their readers.

We help ensure that their book is aligned to their business and maximises the return on their investment by leveraging their knowledge, wisdom and expertise. Let’s face it, writing a book can cost a lot of time, money and energy, so doesn’t it make sense to get it right first time?

We give clients feedback on their work, ensure consistency in their message, help them to develop their story, find their process or signature system, and help them to develop it further as they write it.

Peer review

For most clients, once they’ve written the first draft and started editing their work, we also suggest they get feedback from their peers and clients.

Although not technically editing, you can get comments from people you trust, i.e. colleagues, clients or fellow practitioners.

As an author, you can be too close to your work and it makes sense to ask others what they think about your work and whether it’s pitched at the right level.

You can have peer review at any stage. Some choose to have cheerleaders as they write their book and get feedback as they go, and others decide to get feedback before the final draft is finished.

You may ask questions like:

Does it flow?

What’s working?

What needs to happen for it to work better?

You may also ask your peer reviewers to give you a quote you can use in your marketing and in the front of the book. This adds great social proof to your book when you launch it.

Developmental editing

Most authors need developmental editing at some level, and some need more than others depending upon their writing experience.

Some clients need support if they are writing their memoir or have to dig deep into their writing, especially if they’re sharing something difficult or painful. And you may find it useful if writing doesn’t come naturally to you and you’re struggling to get across what you wish to share.

The most important reason why developmental editing can help is because as an author it’s easy to get focused on what you want to read and not put your reader first.  That’s when having an objective view is essential, as you want your book to resonate with your ideal reader and sell copies!

So finding someone who may help you to re-write some of your manuscript, and help you to find the flow in your writing, will help you to finish your book.

Copy editing

Then finally there’s copy editing, which often happens alongside the proofreading stage, before you find a good designer and publisher for the typesetting, cover design and publication of your book (which is another area where we can help!)

A good copy editor will check your manuscript for consistency, repetition, style, sentence structure, copyright, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

As our copy editor and proofreader, Louise Lubke Cuss reiterates in this article, it’s not enough to write your book and expect your friend/client/uncle to the best person to review your book and spot mistakes! Someone who can support you in this area will be trained and experienced to spot even the minutest of errors. This is something that is essential if you do nothing else!

How can we help you?

If you’re looking for an editor or any help with your book, it’s important that you find someone that works for you, someone you trust and is able to give you honest feedback.

I also suggest that you get support at an early stage. There’s nothing I like least than being presented with someone’s book who could have benefited from my help much earlier, as this can then lead to substantial rewrites.

Certainly at the copy editing and proofreading stage, I suggest you find someone who is SfEP qualified, and we have a couple of people we can recommend.

Please get in touch if we can help at any stage of the process – whether you’re thinking of getting started, you’d like coaching and mentoring support, you need a book editor or proofreader, a designer or illustrator, want to get published, or you need help with PR and marketing.