How to Find an Expert Copy Editor for Your Book? A Step-by-Step Guide
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Nowadays, it’s quite easy to write a book or self-publish it. Once you’ve written your book, you will need to move to the next step in the process—editing. The majority of writers are dreadful of this step.
Are you also worried about how to edit your book? Are you thinking about should you hire a freelance copy editor, pay for a book editing service, or do something else? If so, rest assured. Finding a professional copy editor for your book isn’t a major headache and is also not an expensive option at all.
If you want to publish a book like a pro and by staying within your budget, get ready to find out how you can get assistance from an expert copy editor.
Step #1 – Get Familiar with Editing
Numerous factors contribute to the price you’re about to pay a copy editor. First, it’s necessary to know the difference between proofreading and editing.
Proofreading means catching minor mistakes and typos in your book. On the other hand, editing means overhauling your book and filling the structural and contextual gaps.
Making yourself aware of the availability of different editing options will assist you in finding the right book editor. Below are some of the most desirable editing options;
- Developmental Editing – also considered the first yet heavy editing as it examines the big picture and overall structure of a book.
- Line Editing – also known as stylistic editing because it refines each line to make your text smoother and clearer.
- Copy Editing – not only addresses grammatical, word usage, and punctuation-related mistakes and flaws but also checks for internal facts-based consistency.
- Proofreading – defined as the final check for typos, repetitive words, spacing and formatting uniformity.
Now, we solely focus on the major need of book writers, which is a copy-editing service. Once you are sure about what copy editing is and how it differs from other sorts of editing, move forward to the next step.
Step #2 – Bid Test-Drive to Multiple Copy Editors
A few book writers choose a copy editor by sharing a page from their book and asking for a sample edit. It’s wise to realize whether a copy editor can catch errors, improve word usage, and maintain a tone of voice.
On the other hand, what if you send a copy editing quiz to prospective resources? This way, you can compare the outcomes of multiple editors to determine who will be the best fit for your book’s copy editing.
So, be sure that a copy editor will edit and improve your overall book. Never hire a copy editor just based on their industry experience. Otherwise, you will have trouble self-publishing your book.
Step #3 – Look for a Copy Editor Within your Niche
It’s no surprise that the most successful book writers are well-versed and have hands-on experience in their respective niches.
Find book editors who are experienced in your niche, ask questions accordingly, and know where to find the best resource. Professional book editors usually have a grip on multiple niches.
When it comes to finding a professional copy editor for your book, make sure they understand the niche you are writing in. So, you can hire a copy editor who has the most competent and niche-relevant experience for making necessary changes to your book.
Step #4 – Ask Your Prospective Copy Editor to Read the Fine Print
Another major skill that a book editor must have is to pay attention to details. How would you work with a copy editor who doesn’t know the use of a red pen to catch typos, grammatical, punctuation, and other errors?
Posting a job ad for a copy editor will give you a chance to include some fine print in the job description. You can place a random thing to do, like “Respond with Hey, David!” in the middle of the job description to hire a copy editor for your book.
If you do so, finding a detail-oriented copy editor — who thoroughly reads all the details about editing your book would be a matter of minutes. You can then assign a fine print of your book to your prospective copy editor and ask them to edit it thoroughly to make it error-free and easy to read and understand.
Once your book editor submits a final version of your assigned task, you can better decide whether they would be a detail-oriented resource for you or not. This strategy will enable you to make an informed decision to finalize one that best fits your book editing needs and demands.
Step #5 – Enquire about Referrals from Other Writers & Publishers
Enquire about referrals from the people in your network to assist you in finding a professional copy editor for your book. So, invest your time in contacting someone who already has the same service as you need.
On the contrary, you can also ask other writers to provide you with references. While getting references for a fellow author, you may ask a few questions, such as;
- What sort of project did you handle together?
- Did you feel unsatisfied at some point?
- Did your copy editor fulfill agreed-upon targets and deadlines?
- Did the final project pricing and initial quote the same?
- Would you like to hire that copy editor ever again?
All these questions majorly contribute to your efforts to find the top-level copy editor to make changes. An edited book ensures your work is error-free, saving more time and effort while also elevating your write-up with clarity and excellence.
Closing Note
After writing a book and before publishing it, getting assistance from a professional copy editor would be a one-time excellent investment that offers you a greater return on your investment. So, get ready to follow all the steps mentioned above to find the most experienced copy editor who will best edit your book.
As a result, you’ll gain a straightforward, error-free, marketable, and engaging book for your valued readers to gain more insights and develop an interest in reading it over and over again.
