Wherever two or more writers are gathered—from local critique groups to large national conferences to digital group hangouts—the topic of editors is bound to come up eventually.
Almost all writers and publishing professionals say a good editor can make or break a book (see my post about Harper Lee’s Watchman vs. Mockingbird). But where can a writer find an editor who will be honest yet supportive? Someone who can help polish a book or article without scraping an author raw?
To help take some of the mystery out of how you can team up with your perfect editor, my colleague Marla Markman and I will be presenting a webinar on September 30 to help writers learn the basics about editing and how they can find the perfect editor for their book or project. The webinar, “Match Game: How to Team Up with the Perfect Editor for You,” is part of the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Publishing University Online, which offers frequent training sessions on a variety of publishing topics.
Seven Key Questions
Marla and I want to help writers and small publishers find not just an editor, but the editor who will be the perfect match for the job. In our hourlong session, we will be asking—and answering—these seven questions:
- Why do you need an editor?
- What kind of editor do you need?
- When should you hire an editor?
- Where do you find an editor?
- Who will be right for you?
- How much will it cost?
- How do you build a great team?
I’m excited to get a chance to join the online learning revolution from the presenting end. I’ve participated in a number of webinars in the past few years as a student, and I have found many of them to be enormously helpful. My hope is that listeners will walk away from this webinar saying the same thing.
To join us at 1o a.m. Pacific time on September 30; register from IBPA’s Publishing Online site.
A very helpful article, thanks! I’ve been trialing editors for my current romance WIP, including industry stalwarts from The Big Four, to freelancers and hobbyists, *budget* options and the gurus who cost a pretty penny. From 9 to 5 I’m an editor myself, so it’s been great experiencing the process from a writer’s perspective. I’ve documented some tips below on what to look for in an editor (and what should send you running), which you might find interesting.
http://catehogan.com/25-things-look-for-romance-editor/