Freelance Editing Available

Pikko

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I'm actually surprised to hear someone say that hiring an editor at all is a bad idea, as I'd assumed that all major authors have editors, so why would an editor for any other author be a horrible idea?

I've just started my freelance editing services (link in my sig if you're curious!) and I do it because I honestly enjoy helping people firm up their writing. So far I've helped people who simply need help with "clunkiness" and people who admit English wasn't their first language. The response I've gotten from my critique has been 100% positive so far.

I think what bothers me the most, though, is that like someone else mentioned, there are some really bad editors out there. I've seen samples of work that have already been through a paid editor and the amount of simple errors there are inexcusable.
 

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I'm actually surprised to hear someone say that hiring an editor at all is a bad idea, as I'd assumed that all major authors have editors, so why would an editor for any other author be a horrible idea?

You should perhaps read this thread more closely.

The consensus is that while beta-readers are helpful, there's no need for an author to hire their own editor. That's the publisher's job. (Of course, if the writer is self-publishing they are the publisher too, so in that case it makes sense to pay for editing.)

I've just started my freelance editing services (link in my sig if you're curious!) and I do it because I honestly enjoy helping people firm up their writing. So far I've helped people who simply need help with "clunkiness" and people who admit English wasn't their first language. The response I've gotten from my critique has been 100% positive so far.
I had a look at your website: am I right in that you have no experience of editing for publishers, and your only experience of editing is beta-reading a novel and two short stories? And you're charging $25 an hour to edit now?

Because if I'm right, you have no business charging anyone anything for your editing services until you're a lot more experienced.

And for goodness sake, if you're going to offer proofreading services, learn what proofreading actually involves.

I think what bothers me the most, though, is that like someone else mentioned, there are some really bad editors out there. I've seen samples of work that have already been through a paid editor and the amount of simple errors there are inexcusable.
Agreed. But it's common in people who set themselves up as editors with no experience or understanding of the job, I'm afraid.

Also, please don't try to find clients for your editing services here. By all means have that link in your signature: but don't use AW to try to drive business to your site. That's spamming and it will get you banned. AGAIN.
 

Pikko

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Hi all,

I read quite a few of the latest threads in this forum and despite getting my pants scared off me that a freelance editor is sometimes about as welcome here as a publisher rejection letter in the form of a Howler, I've decided to post here about my editing services anyway.

To give you some background, I've been an avid reader since I was a child, with my interests leaning heavily towards fantasy and sci fi fiction, then later crime fiction and dystopian. I'm a Hunger Games fanatic and have no shame admitting that I'm 35 and still reading Young Adult (though I'm so over the genre). I've been a Game of Thrones fan since around 1998 and after starting out my editing service and remembering the state of his raw chapters on his blog, am convinced George R.R. Martin is just flat out not capable of finishing ASOIAF. And yes, I saw he flipped the bird to anyone who thinks that. So says the man who takes 6 years to write a single book that was supposedly a split of another!

With those interests in mind, that's what I prefer to edit, but after losing my content writing job in December and finding myself pregnant with my third child in that same month, I had to find something to do from home and so I have been taking non-fiction as well.

I have a BA in English, did beta reading for Hugh Howey's Third Shift: PACT, and am currently actively booked for three different novels. I got started by finding my first client on Elance by bidding extremely low, then began to get more clients after asking Hugh to send people looking for editors my way. He referred me to another freelance editor that is booked into 2015 and he's been sending me potential clients. That said, I do want to be able to find clients on my own, which is why I set up my website here: http://www.pikkoshouse.com/portfolio/editing-services

I charge both by hour or by word count, depending on how much work the sample tells me will be involved or the preference of the client. Since I'm only just starting out, I have a pretty low hourly rate. I do 1-2 page sample edits for free so you can get an idea of how I work. I've only completed three projects and am nearing completion on a fourth, but have three testimonials available here: http://www.pikkoshouse.com/portfolio/author-testimonials

I literally just finished the fourth one today, so testimonial is still pending. The Anne Gabriels testimonial is the edit I'm nearing completion on, but we've been working together for months now, which is why I was able to get a testimonial from her already.

I tried to set up my page so that anything an interested author needs to know is there, but if you guys have any feedback for me, I'd be interested to hear it.
 

Pikko

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Well I wish I'd read your reply before I posted my last topic. =\

If you need me to delete it, that's fine, though I'd appreciate you telling me instead of banning me outright.

My hourly rate was determined by looking at what standard rates are and aiming lower and going based off of feedback I've gotten from people already. I find it a little insulting you think I should work for nothing just because I'm only starting out.
 

Maryn

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Pikko, you lost me at the amount of simple errors there are inexcusable. An editor would have seen the mistake and fixed it.

Maryn, whose publisher provides edits
 

Pikko

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To clarify, the samples I've seen have supposedly already had an editor go through the manuscript, but I still found typos and incorrect word usage in the already-edited section. I was simply commenting on someone else mentioning the bad editors out there charging for services.
 

mccardey

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My hourly rate was determined by looking at what standard rates are and aiming lower and going based off of feedback I've gotten from people already. I find it a little insulting you think I should work for nothing just because I'm only starting out.

Yes but I think the issue is that you're just starting out without having gone through some pretty rigorous training. When a writer puts a book out for editing, they need accurate editing, not attractively-priced editing. And many new writers don't know that, so AW tries to point it out as often as possible. It's not personal - it's just that a writer can so easily lose their book by misunderstanding the different forms of editing, why they matter and why they need to be of a very high standard.

Plus, of course, there is the side issue of actual editors being unamused when a talented amateur decides to just jump in (and charge for it). It undermines the process as well as the book itself. It's not a good idea for writers, and this is a writers board.

That's why you're sensing push-back. It's not that AW hates editors. :Hug2:
 

Pikko

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Plus, of course, there is the side issue of actual editors being unamused when a talented amateur decides to just jump in (and charge for it). It undermines the process as well as the book itself. It's not a good idea for writers, and this is a writers board.

That's why you're sensing push-back. It's not that AW hates editors. :Hug2:

That's fair, and I fully admit that I fall into the amateur category. ;) I've already learned a lot just from reading threads. That being said, I do think there's a place for people like me for people who are self publishing. If this isn't the place at all, then that's fine. The internet is a big place and I'm sure I can find my way somehow.
 

cornflake

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Pikko, you lost me at [i]the amount of simple errors there are inexcusable.[/i] An editor would have seen the mistake and fixed it.

Maryn, whose publisher provides edits

To clarify, the samples I've seen have supposedly already had an editor go through the manuscript, but I still found typos and incorrect word usage in the already-edited section. I was simply commenting on someone else mentioning the bad editors out there charging for services.

I'm not speaking for her, but I'd wager Maryn was pointing out the grammatical error in the bolded sentence of yours she quoted.

There are similar errors in a number of your posts.

That's fair, and I fully admit that I fall into the amateur category. ;) I've already learned a lot just from reading threads. That being said, I do think there's a place for people like me for people who are self publishing. If this isn't the place at all, then that's fine. The internet is a big place and I'm sure I can find my way somehow.

That's insulting as heck to those choosing to self publish. There's a place for utterly inexperienced people with no credentials or knowledge and questionable skill - and that place is charging self-publishers?
 

Pikko

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Look, whatever, it's clear I'm not welcome in this forum, so I'll just stick to other sub forums. It remains my opinion that telling me I should work for free is ridiculous and so is ripping into my forum writing as if that's a totally accurate indication of how I work. I have a small, yet happy client base and will simply build from there. Mods are free to lock or delete my other thread.
 

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Hi all,

I read quite a few of the latest threads in this forum and despite getting my pants scared off me that a freelance editor is sometimes about as welcome here as a publisher rejection letter in the form of a Howler, I've decided to post here about my editing services anyway.

Good freelance editors are always welcome here. I don't know why you would think otherwise.

To give you some background, I've been an avid reader since I was a child, with my interests leaning heavily towards fantasy and sci fi fiction, then later crime fiction and dystopian. I'm a Hunger Games fanatic and have no shame admitting that I'm 35 and still reading Young Adult (though I'm so over the genre). I've been a Game of Thrones fan since around 1998 and after starting out my editing service and remembering the state of his raw chapters on his blog, am convinced George R.R. Martin is just flat out not capable of finishing ASOIAF. And yes, I saw he flipped the bird to anyone who thinks that. So says the man who takes 6 years to write a single book that was supposedly a split of another!

There's no shame attached to reading YA: I read it, and so do a lot of my friends. But what does this have to do with your editing skills?

With those interests in mind, that's what I prefer to edit, but after losing my content writing job in December and finding myself pregnant with my third child in that same month, I had to find something to do from home and so I have been taking non-fiction as well.

Congratulations! You must be close to your due-date: I hope it all goes well.

I have a BA in English, did beta reading for Hugh Howey's Third Shift: PACT,

With all due respect, neither of those two things qualifies you to edit anything.

A degree in English teaches you the basics of English literature; it doesn't teach you anything about editing. And Howey uses hundreds of beta-readers to "edit" his self-published novels. He doesn't put those beta-readers through any sort of tests or assessments before working with them.

and am currently actively booked for three different novels.

If your only experience was gained through getting an English degree and beta-reading one novel, you are not qualified to edit anything.

You might have a really great eye for what's wrong in novels; but you aren't yet experienced enough to know how to fix those problems. I've seen many books ruined by incompetent editing. It's not good.

I got started by finding my first client on Elance by bidding extremely low, then began to get more clients after asking Hugh to send people looking for editors my way. He referred me to another freelance editor that is booked into 2015 and he's been sending me potential clients. That said, I do want to be able to find clients on my own, which is why I set up my website here: http://www.pikkoshouse.com/portfolio/editing-services

Editors do not "get started" by placing ads. They get started by training, by interning at publishing houses, and by working closely with more experienced editors.

What training have you had? Who has mentored you? Who supervises the work you're now doing, to ensure that you don't make any mistakes? Because if you make any major mistakes you will kill off the novels you're working on. It is a big deal.

I charge both by hour or by word count, depending on how much work the sample tells me will be involved or the preference of the client. Since I'm only just starting out, I have a pretty low hourly rate. I do 1-2 page sample edits for free so you can get an idea of how I work. I've only completed three projects and am nearing completion on a fourth, but have three testimonials available here: http://www.pikkoshouse.com/portfolio/author-testimonials

I literally just finished the fourth one today, so testimonial is still pending. The Anne Gabriels testimonial is the edit I'm nearing completion on, but we've been working together for months now, which is why I was able to get a testimonial from her already.

I tried to set up my page so that anything an interested author needs to know is there, but if you guys have any feedback for me, I'd be interested to hear it.

My feedback? Stop offering editing services. You're not yet qualified to do the work. Based on the content of your website, you don't understand the difference between editing, copyediting, and proofreading. There are numerous errors in your grammar in your posts here, and on your website.

At this point I think your best path would be to step back. Cancel the contracts you already have. Gain more experience by getting an internship with a good publisher, and improve your grammar and punctuation skills. The UK's Society for Editors and Proofreaders offers some good courses: there must be a US equivalent.
 

lauralam

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I have a BA in English, was a tutor for 5 years for university essays, beta read about 2 novels a month, and have been involved in publishing for three years as an author. I'd still feel uncomfortable charging for my services. It's such a specialised skill.
 

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Beta reading is a great thing to do. I wish more people would beta read.
 

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Mod note: I've moved a discussion about Pikko's editing services from another thread into this one, as it was derailing the other thread and worked better in here. I'm sorry if it's left the thread a little jerky, but it still works, I hope.
 

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Well I wish I'd read your reply before I posted my last topic. =\

If you need me to delete it, that's fine, though I'd appreciate you telling me instead of banning me outright.

My hourly rate was determined by looking at what standard rates are and aiming lower and going based off of feedback I've gotten from people already. I find it a little insulting you think I should work for nothing just because I'm only starting out.

You were banned before, because you tried to use AW to sell your services. That's spamming. Now you've started another thread in an attempt to sell your services. I haven't banned you: instead, I've left this thread open so that people can give you their opinions.

And no one is suggesting you should work for nothing because you're only starting out. We've suggested you learn what editing involves before you start charging. There's a big difference.

It's clear from your writing here and on your blog that you aren't yet skilled enough to do a good job as an editor, and you don't understand what the various layers of editing involves: your charging for editing, therefore, is disconcerting.

That's fair, and I fully admit that I fall into the amateur category. ;) I've already learned a lot just from reading threads. That being said, I do think there's a place for people like me for people who are self publishing. If this isn't the place at all, then that's fine. The internet is a big place and I'm sure I can find my way somehow.

Writers who are going to self publish deserve high-quality editing just as much as any other writers do. If you think they deserve unqualified, unskilled editors, then you must have a pretty low opinion of your clients.

Look, whatever, it's clear I'm not welcome in this forum, so I'll just stick to other sub forums. It remains my opinion that telling me I should work for free is ridiculous and so is ripping into my forum writing as if that's a totally accurate indication of how I work. I have a small, yet happy client base and will simply build from there. Mods are free to lock or delete my other thread.

If your reading comprehension is so bad that you think we're telling you to work for free then god help the people whose books you edit.

And no, you don't need to instruct AW's mods to lock threads (we don't delete threads here). We can work that out for ourselves.
 

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Look, whatever, it's clear I'm not welcome in this forum...
Not sure why you feel that way. This place is honest, if sometimes brutal.

Authors cringe at bad grammar and errors in writing. I read our local news paper for the fun of spotting the errors. I certainly can't trust the news in it, I'll never know what errors may be factual. The same is true of judging writers, and editors, by their written communications.

To me, a writer, editor or anyone else working in this field who isn't compelled to correct grammar, spelling or other errors, especially obvious ones, in their own work falls short of the profession. Which tends to speak volumes about their capabilities.

I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt.

Jeff
 

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Are there any courses you could recommend, veinglory? The Society for Editors and Proofreaders (I think I've got that right) runs some very good courses in the UK, but the OP might prefer something based in the US where the conventions are a lot different.
 

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The ones I am think of actually are in the UK. But anything offered by an accredited US university would probably be a good start.
 

lauralam

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Beta reading is a great thing to do. I wish more people would beta read.

I love doing it, though I'm having to cut down more due to time. Over the years I've gotten very good at spotting things that don't work for me and working to tell my friends exactly why has done a lot for my own writing.
 

Namatu

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The ones I am think of actually are in the UK. But anything offered by an accredited US university would probably be a good start.
George Washington University offers a Master's in publishing and has at least one editing course. I believe their courses can be completed online.
 

Debbie V

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Plenty of courses from reputable sources come up in a Google search for "copy editing courses online." I'm sure the same would be true for other forms of editing.
 

Midian

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Definitely get some training before throwing your shingle up. So many people don't actually know what a copyeditor does. And if you don't, at the very least you really need to charge less and be 100% honest with your experience.

I'm late to the party, but there are many places online for training. Some are more expensive than others. Some are worth more than others though.

Programs I know are reputable:
UC Berkeley Extension Professional Sequence in Editing (personal experience)
UC San Diego Copyediting Certification (nonfiction focus)
University of Chicago (home of CMOS)

Online (These are not endorsements; I have no actual experience with their classes.)

Mediabistro (I don't know anything about them)
editcetera (I know of them through Bay Area Editor's Forum, but have not taken any courses)
Editorial Freelancers Association (professional organization-nonmembers must preregister for classes)
Poynter/ACES Certificate (university and professional organization partnership-I believe they focus on AP style, but am not certain) may also be more of a skills assessment certification than a teaching course

Of course, there are more out there.
 

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[FONT=&quot]Finding the right fiction editor to critique your work is essential because you must be able to trust this person with your novel. A good fiction editor can become a confidant, supporter, and give your work a heavy dose of tough love.

An editor is like a mentor who will help you to vastly improve your writing skills and also help to prepare your work for publication. Whether you’re preparing to find an agent, or a publishing editor, or even getting ready to self-publish your manuscript, you need to be sure your work has been comprehensively proofread.

I highly recommend, Fiction Editing Services
[/FONT]
 

Maryn

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[FONT=&quot]Finding the right fiction editor to critique your work is essential because you must be able to trust this person with your novel. A good fiction editor can become a confidant, supporter, and give your work a heavy dose of tough love.

An editor is like a mentor who will help you to vastly improve your writing skills and also help to prepare your work for publication. Whether you’re preparing to find an agent, or a publishing editor, or even getting ready to self-publish your manuscript, you need to be sure your work has been comprehensively proofread.

I highly recommend, Fiction Editing Services
[/FONT]
Sad to say, the errors in this post would put this service on my No-Thank-You pile.

Maryn, fussy