edits back and forth and $

havestorytotell

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My memoir editor did a substantive edit (paid reasonable price) and told me I needed to better develop two characters. I did that work and passed the ms it to her paying her fee which was posted on her website. Then she did a Line/copy editing (?) and it was in Track Changes (never heard of it!) and the manuscript was huge (I was not paying attention to word count then but she did say a couple of places to think about cutting) and I was pleased. Now I not only took her changes but cut a lot from the ms. I will am passing the ms back to editor soon. Am I expected to pay more $ for this re-edit? I am SO tired of this project yet must get it done. Editor has a background in my topic. Just curious how this person is done. I can write (don’t judge me by my post!) but $$$ issues and editing are really new to me with a now 100K ms.
 

Mutive

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Why not try to find a beta? It would likely save a lot of money...
 

Chris P

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If (and big if) this editor works for an outfit similar to one I used to work for, then you will be expected to pay the fee again. The only times we would do a free second edit is when the editor botched the first edit badly enough.

I'll tell you what I told everyone, even when I was actively editing: evaluate this as you would any other purchase of this size (such as a couch, fancy weekend vacation, etc.). If you are self publishing, vanity publishing, or POD, then this money for the editor might be necessary. If you plan to submit it to commercial publishers, they will go through all this editing again free of charge. Of course you want it as prefect as possible before you submit, but take the publisher's editing into account when deciding if the money is worth it.
 

havestorytotell

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Mutive- I am way past betas (damn, they took forever! but they helped. I am planning to submit to agents so I guess if the $ topic of more comes up, I will take Chris P's advice. It's like buying a HOUSE! Over 2 years of work and I do have a story to tell. I really feel good about it but this paid editor polishing it up stuff is all new to me. Editor did say they would help me with it my query which I have put DAYS into! Any other input welcomed. I am just a bit worn. I have been working non stop.
 

Maryn

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As someone who occasionally betas, I think I could resent that if I were feeling more prickly today.

Lucky you, I'm not.

If your work still needs edits, then you are not "way past betas" but in dire need of them, since they work for nothing. I'm sorry your past betas were slow, but not all of them are. I've done a line-by-line beta in 18 hours for a novel which was commercially published with about 90% of my changes or suggestions intact. The author and I had worked together before and had a good relationship, and he happened to ask when I had time and was receptive to special requests.

If I were you, I would do everything in my power to get my manuscript in the best possible shape--and length--before paying for another round of edits which strains your budget. That would include being active enough here to post for critique as well as critiquing for others in my genre, offering to beta in exchange for the same, and specifically asking those who I see give good critique if they are available for beta reading.

Maryn, never past betas
 

havestorytotell

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Maryn- I am a bit confused I used 3 betas early in my ms and took then took their valuable input and made a great ms. Betas did not do line or copy editing, just made notes re: the flow of the story, what they though was good and bad. They were not editors. I rewrote the ms and then took it to a pro editor, who did did a great job. When editor finished and editor passed the ms back to me to accept or reject changes and cut ms down. My question is when I send the ms back to editor do I pay for this second pass. This result of this pass should be my final ms. An editor posted on AW that editors do, indeed do a second pass which cost should be included in the original cost. If not I have decided to pay. Everything I have read says you get what you pay for.
 
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Parametric

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I'd expect revisions to be paid for unless you specifically agreed in advance that revisions were included in the original fee. I'd suggest emailing your editor to politely ask about her revision policy - will she look at revisions for you, how much will it cost, how long will it take, etc. :)
 

Mutive

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Betas did not do line or copy editing,

Some do. Depends on the beta. I usually mark any copy editing stuff I spot + any sentences which could be untangled and clarified.

If there's a repeated problem, I'll note it on a few pages then expect the author to clean it up on their own, true. And my eye isn't as good as that of an editor who spends his/her entire life line or copy editing. But it depends on the beta. Most are pretty good at saying, "Um...I think you meant 'bare' not 'bear'" and other such things. If nothing else, using one would probably prevent you from needing two rounds of additional edits.
 

Susan Coffin

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:welcome: havestroytotell. :)

Isn't this a question you need to ask the editor? All people here can do is tell you their experience, but not whether that particular editor will charge again.

By the way, betas are invaluable, you just have to find good ones. Critique groups are great too.

I recommend Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Brown and Dave King. Its an excellent resource.
 

Little Ming

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... Betas did not do line or copy editing, just made notes re: the flow of the story, what they though was good and bad. ...

Some do. Depends on the beta.

What Mutive said.

There are betas who do more big picture, "flow of the story, what they thought was good and bad" stuff, and there are betas who will do line-by-line editing. If there is something specific you want a beta to look for (such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, plot holes, inconsistencies, whatever) you can ask. You might not always get what you want, but it doesn't hurt to ask. :)

Personally, I would exhaust all my beta options before paying an editor. That's not to say betas are as good as professional editors, but it might cut down on the need for revision edits. ;)
 

quicklime

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are you sure this is a legit editing service?

money spent is only as useful as the item it gets spent on, and if the editor is by chance less than scrupulous, they may just be taking you in circles.
 

Old Hack

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If you want to know what this editor is going to charge you for, and how much, ask her. We can't tell you, because we don't know.

If you want to submit your book to an agent or publisher, you don't need to pay to get it edited first. Revise it yourself, get it as clean as you can get it, and then send it out. If a good publisher acquires your book they will edit it at no cost to you.
 

havestorytotell

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UPDATE: Sent the ms back to editor today. (second pass) She gave it a quick review and just wrote me "looks great!" (I cut from 117K to 102K) and no words were mentioned about about more $ so I do believe this 2nd pass is including in the initial fee. I want all to know that I obviously am a nervous newbie and if she helps clean up this final ms as well as she did the first pass I will be ready to get that query letter out! HAPPY!