Are you working on a manuscript for a book, movie, or play? Who’s handling the editing of the finished draft? If you don’t have a manuscript editor reviewing your work, there’s less chance of it being published.
A professional manuscript editor will help you produce an error-free document ready for publishing. You get a polished final product you can be proud of. This post unpacks everything you need to know about manuscript editors and why you need one working on your project.
What Is a Manuscript Editor?
It’s common for writers to make mistakes in their work and send their manuscripts for publishing without proofreading or editing for errors. Despite sometimes spending hundreds of hours on the writing, many don’t put the same amount of effort into reading through it before sending it to the publishing house or agent.
If you’re a writer, you know what we mean. When was the last time you read through your work before submitting it? If you hire a professional editor or editing service to complete the review, you remove this risk from your manuscript. You get a professionally edited document ready to hit the publisher’s inbox and the best chance of them approving your manuscript for production.
What Do Manuscript Editors Do?
Manuscript editors read through your document using professional editing tools and a mind fine-tuned for perfection. They’ll correct any errors they find using cross-outs and comments to give you a complete overview of the issues with your writing.
The editor improves the document for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. They also make suggestions to improve the flow and structure, enhancing the reader experience. Simply put, the manuscript editors put the finishing touches on your writing to make it as palatable as possible or the publisher or agent.
There are three core functions involved in the manuscript editing process. Let’s unpack each individual role.
Phase 1 – Proofreading
The manuscript editing process starts with proofreading the document. This phase involves a surface-level scan for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation problems. They don’t have creative input; they merely look for formatting errors.
Phase 2 – Developmental Editing
Developmental editors look at the storyline; they’ll critique the writer’s plot, structure, characters, and style issues. Developmental editors work on broad aspects rather than specific details. They give you creative insight into where you can improve the flow of your storytelling to increase reader engagement.
Phase 3 – Copy Editing
Copy editing edits the text on a line level. It ensures your work’s grammatical correctness and consistent writing style and voice. This process doesn’t involve addressing larger problems like holes in the plot or character motivation.
Why Do I Need to Hire a Manuscript Editor?
Writers spend a long time creating their masterpieces. They often inadvertently become biased in their approach to reviewing their work. They may miss mistakes they made in the draft because they don’t know any better or have limitations on their wiring ability.
Getting a second pair of fresh eyes on the manuscript uncovers errors they were unaware of, adding value to the production process. The editor doesn’t play the role of a “told-you-so” corrective officer. They offer insight to the writer on where they can improve their work.
The manuscript editor’s primary goal is to correct basic mistakes in the copy process and to offer constructive criticism of the work. The best manuscript editors are insightful and patient, allowing the writer’s vision to flourish without pushing it in a new direction or dampening their creative process.
Manuscript Editors for Self-Published Projects
If you’re self-publishing your work, hiring a manuscript editor is critical to your success as an independent. Self-published authors must edit their work themselves. Hiring a manuscript editor ensures you publish an error-free, refined work with the best chance of getting good reviews from readers and critics.
Manuscript Editors for Traditional Publishing
While publishing houses have on-site editing teams, it’s still a good idea to hire a manuscript editor to review your work before submitting it. The editor helps you refine your book or script to perfection before turning it in. You’ll get a better story and finished product and a better chance of the publisher accepting your manuscript and working with you in the future.
What Does It Cost to Hire a Manuscript Editor?
The cost of hiring a manuscript editor depends on the length of the project and the quality of the editor or editing team you hire to work on the project. The more intensive the editing process and the more time they spend working on your manuscript, the higher the cost.
The quality of the editing team also plays a role in the cost. You could hire an editor from a gig work site like Fiverr or Upwork, and you’ll get mediocre results. Or you could hire a professional content firm to review your manuscript and receive a world-class review of your work.
The amount your spend on your editing depends on your budget. It also depends on what you want to achieve with your manuscript. Do you want a publisher to pick up your content? If so, hiring a top-rated editing team will provide you a return on investment that’s well worth the cost of the service.
How Do I Find a Manuscript Editor?
There are plenty of online services offering manuscript editors for hire. It’s important to spend time reviewing the quality of the company you want to work with on your manuscript. Choosing the right partner is vital to your success.
You also need to consider the type of editing you want for your work. If you’re confident in your storyline and structure, you might only require a proofreading or copy-editing service to correct grammatical and spelling errors.
Or perhaps you need in-depth editing to review every sentence in your manuscript? Every author or writer will have different requirements. When selecting your editing service, read their reviews and client track record. What are their past clients saying about the results they received with the service?
Use this feedback to determine if the editing team is the right fit for your project. The bottom line is that if you want the publisher or audience to view you as a professional, you need professional editing for your manuscript. It’s worth every penny you spend.