Working with freelance editors

Jordan Rensfeld will offer her tips and tricks for making the process of working with an editor smooth and effective. This is one part of the process I know very little about from a vendor standpoint and look forward to learning more. I've been paid a few times to edit a book, but it's not my main gig my work is writing and marketing them.

That said, I do have three tips I've learned that help working with a freelance editor go more smoothly.

1. Be open: If you don't want constructive feedback and aren't open to changing anything and everything about your book, don't bother. Everything has to be on the table. There's a phrase I hear a lot called "killing your babies." That's pretty morbid, but the idea is that any writer will have favorite parts of a book that we will resist changing to the bitter end, even when everyone around us and their editor is questioning it. Editing is not a hunting expedition bent on cutting everything out of your book, but as an author, you need to be open to the parts that are questioned or cut by your editor.

2. Know what you want: There are developmental edits, copy edits, proofreads and other types. Know what you want, what you need, and go to the right editor to ask for it. Here's a good overview guide for determining what you need.

3. Ask questions: The editors I've worked with have always said something like, "If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask." At first, I never did. I figured I was bugging them. But later I started to ask, and they were all about answering and helping me understand what they meant. When I edit things, I also love answering questions an author has. It helps both sides, doesn't take much time, and makes the text better.

Do you have any other tips for working with freelance editors?

Image courtesy of wrestlingentropy via flickr

I'll be part of a Writer.ly PubCamp workshop day for authors on Saturday, May 18 in San Francisco. Each day this week I'll be writing some of my own tips and tricks based on the topics that day will cover. If you or someone you know is interested and in the SF Bay Area, find out more here.