What should you look for in a developmental editor?
You’ve decided to hire a developmental editor—congratulations—that’s a huge step forward in your writing career!
But now what? How do you sort through all of the editors out there to find the best fit for your book? Read this post to find out!
Before we begin, this post is specific to developmental editing, not sure what means? Check out this blog post on the different types of editing. Not sure what kind of editing your book needs? Check out this blog post for the full breakdown.
Now, read on for four tips to help you find the best developmental editor for you!
Tip #1: Sample edits are key—even for developmental editing.
Developmental editing focuses on your book as a whole, but sample edits are still crucial. Why? It’s important to make sure that you find an editor whose style meets your needs. A sample edit gives you a sense of how an editor phrases comments. You can assess whether those comments are easy to understand and actionable for you.
An editor can be highly experienced and well reviewed, but if their comments go right over your head because the editor uses tons of obscure literary terms or their comments only point out flaws without giving you clear action steps for revision, you’re unlikely to get much out of the edit. In fact, that edit could end up being harmful if it makes you feel insecure about your writing.
Here are some questions that you should ask yourself when you receive a sample edit back:
Are the editor’s comments clear, helpful, and insightful?
Is their feedback actionable with clear next steps you can take to revise your work?
Does the editor clarify their thinking in a way that you can understand?
Does the editor respect your vision or seek to impose strict writing “rules” on your work?
Does their feedback make you excited to revise the pages you submitted? Are you eager to hear their thoughts on the entire story?
Tip #2: Budget matters, but be careful about 1:1 cost comparisons between editors
Unfortunately, there is no official definition for what should be included in a developmental edit. That means editorial packages vary wildly between editors. Avoid knee-jerk reactions when looking at prices. A bargain price for developmental editing can mean you’re not getting any in-line comments. For many editors (including me), that level of service is considered a manuscript evaluation, not a developmental edit. There’s nothing wrong with getting a manuscript evaluation, as long as that’s what you’re looking for. If you want scene and paragraph level feedback, make sure you’re getting exactly what you need!
An editor with a higher base rate may also offer bonuses like follow-up Zoom calls, query/blurb feedback, and book maps (all included in my developmental editing service—you can learn about that here) that dramatically increase the value of working with an editor.
Sample edits are crucial in making price comparisons as well. Look at the quality of feedback that you get in the sample edit and consider the value you’re getting out of the edit, not just the sticker price.
Many editors also offer flexible payment plans, so don’t be afraid to ask about your options. One thing I don’t recommend: going into debt to hire an editor. While I’m all for betting on yourself and investing in your writing, there are simply no guarantees in publishing (no matter which route you take), so I don’t recommend financing editing work. Saving up (even if it takes awhile) is a much safer option.
Tip #3: In a rush? Let prospective editors know right away.
Some editors book out months in advance. If you’ve found the perfect editor for your book, get on their calendar ASAP. If you’re working on a tight timeline, let prospective editors know as soon as possible. If an editor doesn’t have rush spots on their calendar, there’s no point in going through with a sample edit.
As a general rule of thumb, plan as far in advance as you can. Developmental editing is thorough and involved (you can read about my full process here), depending on the length of your novel a thorough developmental edit can take as long as eight weeks (for a 200,000 word epic fantasy, for example).
You should also plan for plenty of time to search for editors, get sample edits, and make your final pick. My tip: leave plenty of room in your publishing schedule for all of your editing needs. Rushed decisions are rarely good decisions—proceed accordingly!
Tip #4: Check reviews and watch out for red flags or scams.
Among all the amazing editors out there working to help writers, there are also bad actors—scammers looking to capitalize on your passion for writing and desire to get published.
None of these tips is perfect (sorry, there are so few gurantees in life), but here are some signs that an editor is legit:
They post reviews or testimonials from past customer: don’t just listen to what an editor says about themselves, look at what past customers are saying as well
They have memberships in professional organizations for writers & editors: look for affiliations with organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), Busy Bee, or the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). These organizations don’t necessarily vet editors for you (ALLi is an exception), but there is a cost for editors to join these directories. Someone who is willing to make that investment is less likely to be running a scam.
They come recommended by other writers: asking your writer friends for their editor recommendations is a great way to find someone trustworthy.
They have an active, engaged social media presence: while this one isn’t fool-proof, an editor who is consistently posting valuable content on social media and engaging with the editing & writing community in an authentic way is less likely to be a bad actor in disguise. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be on every platform, but most editors are marketing themselves on at least one platform. {For me, that’s Instagram—check out my profile here!]
Professional systems and contract usage: pay attention to the editor’s customer service and procedures during the sample edit. If the editor seems flighty, disorganized, or unprofessional, proceed carefully. Once you choose an editor, make sure you have a contract in place before any editing work begins. Using vetted payment processors (e.g. Stripe or PayPal) that offer consumer protections are another sign of a legitimate editor. Go with your gut on this one. If something feels off, keep looking for an editor who makes you feel comfortable.
Now you know what to look for in an editor, but how do you find editors to evaluate in the first place?
Here are my top recommendations:
Recommendations from your writer friends
The Editorial Freelancers Association database
The Editors of Color database
Busy Bee author assistants directory
The Alliance of Independent Authors Partner Member directory
I hope these tips help streamline your editor search!
Happy Writing!
