Anne Fotheringham

There are a number of myths circulating about working with professional editors. I’m not sure if I’ve heard all of them, but most of the ones I have heard are based on false assumptions.

Here’s some of the most prevalent and why they aren’t true:

1. “I don’t need to hire an editor – when I sell my work to a publisher, they will edit it for free.” Time for a wake-up call on this one. Years ago, most publishers had staff editors. In today’s economy, this is no longer the case. Publishers have had to downsize and many no longer have resident editors. Send in a manuscript full of mistakes, bad sentence structure and misplaced modifiers and it will come back to you with either a rejection slip or, if you have a good story that piques their interest, the suggestion that you have the book professionally edited before they take another look at it.
2. “I can edit myself, after all, I know how to write.” Yes, I agree, writers should edit themselves as they go through the different drafts of their work. There are self-editing books available to assist. However, by the time you get to the final version of your work and want to submit, your mind has memorized much of the material and you are not always “seeing” what is really on the page. A second set of eyes, preferably a professional editor who has never seen the work before, can find the typos, sentence problems and grammar faults, etc., that you no longer see as well as make suggestions for turning that final draft into one ready for submission. This is particularly important if you plan to self-publish.
3. “It is my work and no one else is going to tell me how to write it.” A professional editor will not change the premise of your work, the tone of your writing voice nor the intent of the book. Think of the editor as a mechanic. You have created a prototype vehicle. The mechanic will fine-tune the engine and make recommendations to enhance performance. Professional editors work the same way. The editor help you see where you can improve, but will always tell you, you are the author and it is your work, not theirs.
4. “The editor is just a wannabe writer and will steal my story.” Many editors are also writers, but when they put on their “editor’s hat,” they are professionals working to “tune-up” the client’s product. They share their skills, honed through years of working with words, and can make recommendations to enhance your work. Most professional editors will use some form of contract or agreement with clients and this protects the confidentiality and ownership of your work.
5. “The editor will reveal my mistakes to others and damage my reputation as a writer.” Professional editors have ethics. First of all, the editor-client relationship is based on trust. If your book becomes a national bestseller, your editor will not be doing the talk shows making fun of the typos found on your first draft. You hired the editor to work in confidence and that’s what he or she does. Secondly, editors tend to work in the background, supporting the author, but rarely sharing equal billing. They are very appreciative, however, if you mention their assistance in your Author’s Notes when your book is published and also if you refer them to fellow authors.
6. “Editors are trying to rip me off by charging me for their work.” Again let’s look at the mechanic example. When you take your car to the garage, do you expect the mechanic to work for free? And conversely would you trust an untrained person to repair your engine? No, you pay to get the work done by a trained professional. The same is true when it comes to having your manuscript revised. Editors, like mechanics, lawyers, psychologists, etc., have invested time and money in their training. So, yes, they do expect to be paid for work performed and you should expect to pay for services rendered. For example, an in-depth edit for a 400-page book can take more than 35-40 hours to complete. Would you work 40 hours for free?
7. N.B. Don’t ask them to work on spec and offer to split your royalties with them. You can’t use promises at the grocery store to buy food or to pay their rent.

Next time you hear someone sharing myths about working with editors, please feel free to pass along a copy of this article.

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