Professional Editing Services for Aspiring Authors

Professional Editing Services for Aspiring AuthorsProfessional Editing Services for Aspiring AuthorsThevorwort departmentof a traditional publisher performs a variety of tasks in service of a well-structured and well-edited book.But to get your book in front of that publisher in the first place, youll need to put your best pages forward. The best way to ensure that your manuscript reads well is to make sure it is free of grammatical errors and typos, and sometimes it pays to have another set of eyes to make sure that is the case. When to Consider Freelance Editorial Services Programs like Grammarly are really sophisticated, and, for a monthly fee, you can get some really in-depth feedback on your writing (a free version helps with spelling, grammar, etc). But there are a couple of scenarios for which should consider hiring expert freelance editorial help. If yourelooking for a literary agentto place your book witha major trade publisherand you suspect your writing skills could us e some assistance, or you need developmental editing (that is, a pro to talk you about the flow of your material)If you havedecided to self-publish a book(especially if you arewriting a book to market your businessor for some other professional platform), youll want to ensure your book is just as well-edited as if youd had it published by a traditional publisher. If you need a specialized editorial service, such as translation or indexing Many self-publishing services offer editorial options for additional fees. But if you have connections to editorial freelancers (or know people who do), or if you dont mind doing the research, you might save money or have more quality control if you hire editorial freelancers yourself. What to Pay for Freelance Editorial Services The rates for freelance editorial services will vary, sometimes dramatically, depending on where you live, how quickly the work is expected to be done, or the experience level of the freelancer. To give you a rough ide a of what the costs might be, here are some general ranges for some of the major freelance editorial services. Of course, with your rough manuscript or project description in-hand, an experienced freelancer will be able to give you a close estimate of what the total for their services would be. Research If you need preliminary research before you start writing your book, expect to pay approximately $45 to $80 per hour, depending on the complexity of the project and the qualifications of the researcher. Ghostwriting Ghostwriting costs vary widely, depending on the reputation and relevant writing experience of the ghostwriter and what the parameters of the absprache are. That said, the cost of ghostwriting a book can range from a few cents a word to $2 a word- some ghostwriters command well into the five-figures and beyond. Successful ghostwriting is a collaborative and highly subjective experience, it is best to deal with a reputable ghostwriting agency or a literary service who can provide you with a solid contract and give you guidelines of what to expect. Co-Writing The process of hiring a paid co-writer is very similar to hiring a ghostwriter but, as a co-writer generally gets credit, that is, his or her name on thebook jacket, the parameters and structure of the deal are generally different (upfront advances vs. royalties, etc.). Transcription If you are an author who prefers to record his or her ideas in the spoken word, youll need to get your manuscript transcribed into text. If you go this route, you can expect to pay more in editing fees to develop the book to make your words and ideas flow properly in text format. The cost of transcription generally runs between $3 and $5 per page. Translation Translators generally dienstgrad by the word. If you are translating your book from one language to another, you can generally expect to pay between $.20 and $.50 per word at a speed of 300 to 500 words an hour, depending on the complexity of the text and the translator. Developmental Editing The developmental editor helps shape the manuscript.A freelance developmental editor can charge anywhere from $50 to $80 per hour. Line Editing In a traditional publishing house, the editor who acquired your book would generally do the line editing. If you hire a freelance editor to do the line editing for your book, expect to pay approximately $50 to $60 an hour. Copyediting Copyediting can cost anywhere from $30 to $50 per hour, and you can figure two to 10 manuscript pages per hour, depending on how heavy or light the copyediting need. Proofreading After all the heavy lifting of editing is done, proofreading assures that no typos remain its a critical part of the quality control process, helping to ensure a good experience for the reader. Proofreaders generally charge between $30 and $35 per hour. Indexing Non-fiction books generally have indexes in the back, so the specific subject matter can be easily found . Even traditional publishers charge back their authors for book indexing (it comes out of their royalties). If youre hiring an indexer, expect to pay about $35 to $65 per hour for indexing an average book will cost several hundred dollars to index.