So you've finished your book, you've checked it over and over again, and think it's as good as you can get it. What do you do next? Send it off to Agents? To Publishers? Good Question. If you're confident enough you do. If not perhaps you'd think about employing a proofreader, or someone to edit your book.But doing this could cost you a lot of money. Proofreading your whole book could cost you £300 at least if not more. Editing even more, perhaps anything from £500 to over a £1000 .
The question us do you get value for your money? Can this transform your manuscript into a bestseller? Well, in my experience there's no easy answer. If you have a good book, proofreading can improve your book. Editing is another matter. No amount of editing will help a bad book become an exceptional book. Perhaps it may help improve a good book, maybe not.
There are lot's of proofreaders and editors out there, and the prices vary a great deal.I asked for quotes to edit and proofread the first three chapters of a novel of mine, and the prices varied from £150 to £500. So what do you do? Take pot luck? In theory the more you pay the better a job you'll get. But isn't always true. Some proofreaders/editors will do a sample of your work, say a couple of pages, to show you what they can do. Maybe OK, maybe not. Some will lower their prices if you barter with them. But at the end of the day, it's the finished product that counts. There's no doubt these people are out to make money at your expense.
The answer is probably to get your book as good as you can, and if it's good enough, you'll get taken on by an Agent and then get your work proofread and edited for free.And as they're all working for the same end i e to get your work published, they're bound to do you a good job.
The trouble is, Agents taking on new authors these days, are very few and far between. A lot of good authors are getting passed by. Therein lies the problem.
If anyone wishes to find an proofreader or editor, there is a Society of Proofreaders and Editor's that's maybe
worth a try. <
The question us do you get value for your money? Can this transform your manuscript into a bestseller? Well, in my experience there's no easy answer. If you have a good book, proofreading can improve your book. Editing is another matter. No amount of editing will help a bad book become an exceptional book. Perhaps it may help improve a good book, maybe not.
There are lot's of proofreaders and editors out there, and the prices vary a great deal.I asked for quotes to edit and proofread the first three chapters of a novel of mine, and the prices varied from £150 to £500. So what do you do? Take pot luck? In theory the more you pay the better a job you'll get. But isn't always true. Some proofreaders/editors will do a sample of your work, say a couple of pages, to show you what they can do. Maybe OK, maybe not. Some will lower their prices if you barter with them. But at the end of the day, it's the finished product that counts. There's no doubt these people are out to make money at your expense.
The answer is probably to get your book as good as you can, and if it's good enough, you'll get taken on by an Agent and then get your work proofread and edited for free.And as they're all working for the same end i e to get your work published, they're bound to do you a good job.
The trouble is, Agents taking on new authors these days, are very few and far between. A lot of good authors are getting passed by. Therein lies the problem.
If anyone wishes to find an proofreader or editor, there is a Society of Proofreaders and Editor's that's maybe
worth a try. <