Tips on Avoiding Scams when Hiring a Manuscript Editor
Most people fear hiring manuscript editors due to the fear of scam. Hiring a professional for the job is, however, not optional if you want a good book. A professional editor will ensure you publish a quality, professional-looking book since he/she will have a trained and objective eye, you will save time, you will avoid frustrations, and you will get valuable tips on your project, among other benefits. Learn how to avoid scams instead of settling for self-edition out of fear.
One way to avoid scams is to consider the qualification and reputation of the editors. Go for editors who have experience in the type of book you are writing, examples being veteran journalists and published novelists. Consider the number of books they have helped write over the years. This information is readily available online.
You could get information on editors from review websites. You, however, have to ensure that the review is recent and independent. Reviews are advantageous in that they give you both the merits and the demerits of the editors in question. You will also get information in blogs, discussion forums and other online communities and in the comments and customer testimonial sections of their websites.
There are several tell-tell signs of a fraudulent and unscrupulous manuscript editor. Avoid editors who have extravagant promises and praise. Editors who guarantee you listing in such lists as the New York Times Best Seller List are either delusional or crooked. Such ranking is achieved by a precious few and you will know if your material is exceptional. Editors who claim that all publishers require manuscripts that are professionally edited are probably lying. The fact is that agents only care of how well you write.
You should be particularly careful about direct solicitation and sales pressure (such as limited time offers). You have reasons to worry if there are no clients listed on the website of the editor you are considering.
You should be skeptical about an editor who promises to deliver within a few hours or a few days. This is indicative that he/she will not do a thorough job. You expect to spend between $500 and several thousands for the editing of a book-length manuscript. If you find an editor who is willing to edit for a lot less such as $100, he is probably scamming you. A good editor will have structured pricing so that you can pick exactly what you want. You should be able to get manuscript evaluation, content editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading.
If your editor tells you that you have done an exceptional job without pointing out any mistake or inconsistencies in the plot, he/she is probably scamming you. You expect several mistakes. It takes between 6 and 10 reads to get rid of all mistakes.
To avoid being scammed when hiring a literary editor or an eBook editor, get recommendations from satisfied customers. You could get these recommendations through customer testimonials, independent reviews, posts in discussion forums, and calls to writers on the editor's portfolio.
One way to avoid scams is to consider the qualification and reputation of the editors. Go for editors who have experience in the type of book you are writing, examples being veteran journalists and published novelists. Consider the number of books they have helped write over the years. This information is readily available online.
You could get information on editors from review websites. You, however, have to ensure that the review is recent and independent. Reviews are advantageous in that they give you both the merits and the demerits of the editors in question. You will also get information in blogs, discussion forums and other online communities and in the comments and customer testimonial sections of their websites.
There are several tell-tell signs of a fraudulent and unscrupulous manuscript editor. Avoid editors who have extravagant promises and praise. Editors who guarantee you listing in such lists as the New York Times Best Seller List are either delusional or crooked. Such ranking is achieved by a precious few and you will know if your material is exceptional. Editors who claim that all publishers require manuscripts that are professionally edited are probably lying. The fact is that agents only care of how well you write.
You should be particularly careful about direct solicitation and sales pressure (such as limited time offers). You have reasons to worry if there are no clients listed on the website of the editor you are considering.
You should be skeptical about an editor who promises to deliver within a few hours or a few days. This is indicative that he/she will not do a thorough job. You expect to spend between $500 and several thousands for the editing of a book-length manuscript. If you find an editor who is willing to edit for a lot less such as $100, he is probably scamming you. A good editor will have structured pricing so that you can pick exactly what you want. You should be able to get manuscript evaluation, content editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading.
If your editor tells you that you have done an exceptional job without pointing out any mistake or inconsistencies in the plot, he/she is probably scamming you. You expect several mistakes. It takes between 6 and 10 reads to get rid of all mistakes.
To avoid being scammed when hiring a literary editor or an eBook editor, get recommendations from satisfied customers. You could get these recommendations through customer testimonials, independent reviews, posts in discussion forums, and calls to writers on the editor's portfolio.
