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Topic #176
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
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This is a super easy question to answer. The best money I have ever spent on my books is my editors. Paying them is not only wise for the art, but it makes a great deal of business sense. Let me be the first tell you, when you find a good one, they’re worth every penny. I’ve gone through a few that were less than I had hoped, while I have worked with those who should be paid the big bucks.
My cover artist is also a smart investment, but the amazing work he does wouldn’t be justified without the editors helping me make the contents worth reading. Unfortunately, I’ve seen many would be authors making the mistake of skipping the editor, believing they can do this alone. You can’t edit your own work. And, that is not a cry to justify the job title. They have a special set of skills, and not all writers are editors. Not all editors are writers. Good editors, however, know everything about writing and making you look fantastic on paper. Sure, some of that balance is made with the flexibility of the author. No matter how flexible you are as an author, if the editor’s skills aren’t what they should be, you have much the same problem as you do as a self-editor.
What can you do to avoid that? Honestly, you can’t always avoid that. Sometimes the proof doesn’t come until you’ve worked on an entire project together and find the work wanting. Your best bet, is a sample edit. Any editor will grant you this, either a few pages or a whole chapter. Please don’t go around asking various editors to edit a chapter as a sample, as a means to getting free editing. You can be sued for not paying. You can’t use their work without an agreement, and the payment is key. Besides, editors all have different styles. Your book would be a mess.
Depending on the size of your book, you can end up paying the most out of your book budget to this person. Be sure to plan for $1,000-1,500. If they come in under, then you’ve got yourself bank for promotions. That’s what’s always wanting by the end of my publishing effort on each book.
On a side note: editors do proofreading, but I recommend reaching out to a different person. Just like it happens to you, your editor could proof your book and miss something because they’re too familiar with the work, and their mind fills in gaps.
Don’t beat yourself up, no matter what route you choose. Typos are going to make into your final published book, awkward sentences, too. Try not to reach for perfection. There’s no such thing. (You can prove it to yourself by picking up any big house publisher book and hunt typos and awkwards).
Let’s see what the other authors spent on…
Yes it’s certainly expensive to publish a book. Editing, formatting, cover design, advertising; the list goes on and on…
It makes me feel a lot less guilty when I find a typo in a big publisher’s book!
If I did nothing else to my work, the edit would survive. Along with the cover design. Marketing…, now there’s a whole new subject.
Funding editing is critical. It is also essential to find and hold onto quality editors. I learned that tough lesson.
Worth their weight in gold.