So you’ve decided it’s time to hire a book editor or a writing coach to help you take your current work in progress to the next level. But a quick Google search for book editors quickly overwhelms you. There are so many options out there — how can you be sure you’re hiring the right one for your project?
It’s an important question for a couple reasons: First, hiring an editor or coach is a significant investment, and the right teammate is not a choice to take lightly. Second, no matter what your genre, opening yourself up to criticism on your writing is a very vulnerable, intimate experience, and it’s not one you want to enter into with just anybody. I encourage you to talk with several different editors. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions, and don’t — don’t — feel compelled to sign on with the first person you talked to. Be ruthless in your search for the right fit. You’ll be happier and your manuscript will be better for it.
As you get started, here’s are twelve key questions to ask a potential editor or coach.
The Logistics
This first set of questions deals with the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts. And the conversations you have around these questions will help you suss out whether an editor can meet your needs, but they’ll also give you an indication of how she works — whether she’s organized or winging it, whether she’s thinking carefully about your particular project or simply applying a formula that may or may not fit your work.
1. What is your availability?
Editors and coaches may be booked out for several weeks or several months, so the first thing to determine is whether or not an editor can meet your desired timeline. If you’re in no rush, that’s great — you can afford to be flexible here. But if you do have hard deadlines, be sure you’re doing your research far enough in advance that an otherwise perfect editor or coach won’t be eliminated by availability alone.
2. What kind of editorial services do you offer?
Editing services come in many flavors, from the big picture to the nitty gritty. If you’re looking for a manuscript critique, there’s no sense engaging with someone who only offers proofreading. Conversely, if you’re looking for a copyeditor for your final drafts, someone who specializes in coaching authors through the book development process likely won’t be the right fit for you.
If you’re still not sure what kind of editing you need, don’t hesitate to let a potential partner know that! Most good editors and coaches are happy to talk with you about your journey and your process, read a sample of your work, and make recommendations based on their experience.
3. What genres do you specialize in?
Some editors will work in a wide variety of genres, but beware any editor who says they can do “anything.” If you’re looking for someone to help you develop an academic text, a fiction editor is likely not a good choice, and vice versa.
Even if an editor does work in several genres (like I do), she may exclude certain types of work and prefer others. Take those preferences seriously, and feel free to ask why she feels qualified to work across boundaries.
4. Tell me about your editorial experience.
You’ll see a lot of advice out there suggesting that, to be qualified, an editor must be a published author, herself. I disagree. Writing and editing are, of course, related skill sets, but talent in one is not a reliable barometer for talent in another. I really like the way Tiffany Yates Martin debunks this notion in her (fabulous) book, Intuitive Editing:
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are by most estimations brilliant directors, but no one is hiring them to star in movies. Can they even act? We don’t know—that isn’t their skill set. Nor is ever actor a great director (I’m looking at you, Steven Seagal). Legendary coaches aren’t necessarily MVPs; great conductors likely never play Carnegie Hall.
Instead, the experience you’re looking for is experience editing or coaching authors through books in your genre. Corporate copywriting, blog posts, white papers, and the like are great, but if those kinds of projects are all a potential editor has worked on, you might be better off looking elsewhere. (To be fair, everybody has to start somewhere, and there’s nothing worse than the hamster wheel of “you have to have experience to get experience.” If you’re working with a low budget, a newer editor could be a great fit for you, if she checks all the other boxes.)
5. What is your pricing structure?
And speaking of budgets, ask about pricing upfront, and beware an editor who offers you a flat rate for a project without asking questions first. A coach or editor should be able to tell you about how she structures her rates (per hour, per word, retainers, etc.) and provide you with ranges upfront, but because every project and every author’s needs are different, it is perfectly reasonable — and even expected — for an editor to ask for a sample of your work (or for a coach to want to learn more about your process and goals) before offering a firm price.
Don’t be afraid to get quotes from many different editors whom you feel might be a good fit. Just because you’ve asked them to spend time looking through your sample to create a quote, that doesn’t mean you’re under any obligation to sign a contract. Just keep in mind that rates will range wildly from editor to editor and coach to coach. There is no need to go broke, of course, but if a quote looks too good to be true, it likely is. Do be prepared to make a significant investment in this partnership.
The Intangibles
Finding the right editor isn’t just about the nuts and bolts. You want to ensure you’re the right fit, in terms of both art and personality. Here are a few questions you can ask to figure out whether an editor or coach has that certain je ne sais quoi that makes her feel like the right choice.
6. What is your editorial philosophy?
Does she approach her work as transactional, or relationship-based? Is she more of a red pen or a partner? There are a lot of different ways to approach the editor-author relationship, so ask potential candidates about their philosophies, and look for one that jibes with yours. You can read more about my editorial philosophy here, but here’s a preview: I have high standards, and I’ll shoot you straight, but my goal is to guide and inspire authors to meet those standards and create manuscripts they can be proud of. I don’t just want to make your book better—I want to help you become a better, more confident writer.
7. How do you view the author’s vision?
I’ve heard too many authors’ stories about failed writing relationships that went bad because the editor or coach imposed her own vision on the author’s work rather than working to bring the author’s vision to life effectively. So ask an author how she approaches her clients’ work on the occasions when her vision and theirs don’t match.
8. Ask yourself, do you feel comfortable being vulnerable with this editor or coach?
If at any point in your conversations, you perceive an editor’s feedback or input as judgmental or out of line, you don’t have to work with her. While there will inevitably be uncomfortable and difficult moments along your journey to bring your book to life, it’s critical that you feel like you and your editor or coach are a team, not adversaries. So if anything about the interview process makes you feel otherwise, she’s likely not the right fit.
The Proof
These intangibles are often difficult to suss out for yourself, though I always recommend listening to your gut feeling. Here are some questions you can ask to get a better idea of whether a candidate is the right match.
9. Do you have any testimonials?
Reading about other authors’ experiences with the editor is a great way to see if her approach matches yours. Many editors and coaches will have testimonials visible on their websites (like I do), but if they don’t, feel free to ask.
10. Can you share any references?
What’s even better than reading about other authors’ experiences? Talking to other authors about their experiences. A potential editor should be able to provide contact info for a past client or two, and you can ask them more questions about anything you’re unsure of — from an editor’s or coach’s reliability to her process to whether she’s just plain nice.
11. Do you offer a chemistry check?
For some authors, online communication is all that’s necessary to find the right pick. But if you’d feel better after a phone call or even (when safe) an in-person meeting, ask for it! There’s a lot you can tell about your chemistry with someone over the phone or face to face that you can’t tell through a screen.
Many editors are happy to get on the phone to talk process, philosophy, and more — I know I am. And, in non-COVID times, when a potential client is based in Austin, there’s nothing I love more than meeting an author for coffee to learn more about what she’s working on and how I can help.
12. Do you offer editing samples?
Some editors offer complimentary samples; some offer paid samples that they’ll then credit to your final invoice; others simply don’t. I’m not here to say whether one approach is right or wrong, but it never hurts to ask. A sample edit will help you see exactly how an editor approaches a manuscript — what tone she takes with authors, how heavy-handed she is, etc. And if she can do this on your work, that’s great! But if not, perhaps she can share a sample of a manuscript critique or copyedit she did with a different client (anonymously and with that client’s permission, of course).
Finding the right editor can be overwhelming, but take your time and be persistent. These questions can help you narrow down the short list. After that, it’ll be up to your gut! If you’re currently looking for a writing coach or book editor and you think you and I might be a good match, please drop me a line! I’m happy to talk through all of these questions and more.