This decade looks like the most opportune time to be an author. In the past, with the existence of only traditional publishing, only a handful could fulfill their dream of becoming an author. 
Statistics confirm the rising trend of self-publishing, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down. According to the latest Bowker Report released in October 2019, nearly 1.68 million books were self-published in the U.S. in 2018, which is a steep 264% increase in just five years.

Given the ease of publication, more and more people are publishing their books and fulfilling their dream of becoming an author.

Let’s say, you also have your manuscript ready, you have completed writing the book but the next step haunts you. It is the ‘Editing’ process. It is the editor’s job to uplift the quality of your book to make it lovable by your audience. Editing is of paramount importance for the success of your book. But, finding the right editor for your book isn’t always easy. Here we share some ways you can source the Editors from:

1. Check for the Editors of the books you like:

One of the ways to find right editor who understands you and your book is by figuring out the editor of a book in the genre you like the most. In most cases, the editor gets credited in the book, and the name might appear either on the copyright page, under acknowledgment, on the book cover, in the spine, or in other accessible areas in the book. With hiring an editor who has edited that book, the chances are higher that he/she would do a great job with your book as well.

2. Ask for referrals from the Authors personally connected to you:

Well, asking for referrals is never old-fashioned. You can ask for referrals for editors from the authors and writers personally connected to you. Since they know you and your book, they might have a great recommendation for an editor from their network who can help you make your book a masterpiece.

3. Ask for recommendations from Communities:

Social media has opened access to almost anybody in the world. On the platforms like Facebook, you would numerous groups that are communities of authors and writers. You can join those groups, as that can propel your success in the writing endeavor. Similarly, on Twitter, you could relevant hashtags like #writingcommunity, connect with numerous authors, and get involved with the community. In these communities, you could share your requirement and ask for recommendations.

4. Check out the list of Editors:

Many websites such as CreativePenn or JaneFriedman have posted a list of editors that might be helpful to you. You can find many lists of editors including the ones in your city, by a simple google search. You could use the strings such as editor/editing + your genre to find the websites of editors. Usually, the top editors dominate the results on the first page, if you are looking for an editor at a lower cost, check out the results on the subsequent pages, and you ought to find several editors who might be the best fit for your book.

5. Lookout for Associations:

There are many associations of editors globally that can be of great help in your search for an editor. You can connect to these associations with your requirement, and they could help you land the best editor for your genre. Some of the examples of associations are:

- Editorial Freelancers Association (US)

- the New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors (New Zealand)

- the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (UK)

- Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) - UK

- Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders, and Indexers (AFEPI) – Ireland

- The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd)

With your search on Google, you might find many more associations you could connect to.

6. Find Freelancers:

The freelancing market is booming globally. There are freelancers for almost any professional requirement. Fiverr, Upwork, Reedsy are among the renowned platforms for finding a freelance editor for your book. While choosing an editor, get a sample edit to verify the depths of know-how of your genre to check the compatibility with your book and the kind of person you are.

7. Barter with other writers:

A network of other writers and authors can be of great help too. You can barter the editing of your book by editing their book in exchange or by providing another service you might be skilled in, like marketing. Getting your book edited by a fellow writer can help you get good feedback on your content and save you some money. Though it might not be the level of editing a professional editor could do, it will help complete the basic corrections.

8. Find Beta Readers:

The Beta readers can be another source of good feedback on the content of your book. Beta readers are those who are usually Test readers. Though they might not be as qualified as the writers or professional editors, they can share their feedback from an average reader's point of view. It greatly helps in making the book’s story/concept reader-friendly.

9. DIY Editing Tools:

It is always a better option to self-edit your manuscript before sending it to a professional editor. In this technology era, we are in today, you wouldn't have to do it alone. Editing your manuscript can be the toughest thing. Either we fail to notice the errors (even the basic ones), or are too emotional to make any changes. Editing tools and software like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help you in a big way. These tools help you not only locate the basic errors and correct them, but even assist you with sentence structures as well. Completing the basic editing using these tools can go a long way in improving the quality of your manuscript.

Conclusion:

For your book to be a masterpiece, it is imperative to have the right editor (though they might not be renowned). For an author, handing over the manuscript for editing is almost like handing over the baby to the editor, the editor needs to understand the soul of the book, i.e. the tone and the message. Retaining the tone of the book and enhancing the quality of delivery is an important aspect of editing. Hence, there needs to be sync in the relationship between an author and an editor.

We hope that the ways mentioned in this article help you find the right editor for your book. Do let us know your thoughts on this article in the comments below.

For more guidance on book marketing or for any book marketing requirements, you can connect to @AuthorsParadize on Twitter.



Image Credits:

Image 1: Image by AJ LEON on FlickrImage 3: Photo by Marko Milivojevic on Pixnio