Writing Tips – Finding Editors (Yup, plural)
In Blog Fourteen, I wrote “Big tip, find an editor”. Actually, you should find two editors. One, an editor who will focus on the way you tell your story and the other, a copyeditor who will focus on the more technical aspects such as punctuation, spelling, and grammar. A copyeditor will also fact-check your work and look for inconsistencies.
You should not hire one to do the work of the other. They are experts in their own field.
Where do you find an editor? If you have friends, family members or acquaintances who have recently published a book, ask them. Fellow members in your writing group, I hope you have joined one by now, might be able to give you names of editors to consider.
Look on line. Before you do, though, look up several articles on how to find editors. Those articles will provide you with excellent guides for selecting the editors best suited to work with you on your manuscript.
When you think you have found the right editors, ask them if they will do a trail edit for you of several pages before you make your final selection.