How to Find a Great Editor and a Guide for Vetting Them

If you’ve read the story behind Books Uplift, you understand why I require an editor for my work. I believe it’s essential not only to have critique partners, beta readers, and a professional editor who will be honest with you about the work you share. At the very least, run a magnifying glass over the content or manuscript for grammatical, spelling, and logistical mistakes.

But how do I say this? 

Ugh. I’ve been honored to have guest experts contribute their wisdom on Books Uplift through quotes, posts, and Author Q&As. However, many of these “insights” require quite a bit of editing on my end. Hey, it’s going to happen. Not a major infraction. But when the guest contributor is an editor? 

Editors submitting content in need of major editing? Mind blown!

This poses a problem. How could I hire (or recommend) this person as an editor? I certainly don’t have the money or time to pay for an editor only to have to edit all over again. Do you? Here’s a little something I’ve learned the hard way. Just because someone had some luck editing for a friend or a couple of clients doesn’t qualify them to be a great editor.

So, how do you start the process of finding a great editor suited for your needs?

Many seasoned editors offer advice on their websites to help get started. I’d also bet “How to Find a Good Editor” is one of the most widely searched phrases by authors, resulting in some excellent articles and guidelines. However, as promised, I’ve conducted some research of my own and developed a checklist to help.

For the Books Uplift Community, I spoke with industry experts, authors, writers, and editors to compile a guide on finding a great editor to work with. 

Know yourself as a writer. Writing and editing go hand in hand, but not all writer-editor relationships are as collaborative. To ensure you find the right editor for you, it’s always wise to start at the beginning. This means clearly understanding your goals and being honest with yourself (and your editor) about where you are in your author’s journey and the kind of editorial support you want. 

“Understand the needs of your manuscript and search for editors that align with your needs,” says Betty S. Allen, aspiring inspirational fiction author, currently revising my debut novel. She also recommends looking for one that aligns with your writing style, your preferred work approach, and the type of support you need.

“Make sure you are aware of your skill and experience level as a writer,” says Betty. “As I write my debut novel without formal training, I needed to find an editor who is collaborative and can coach me through the revision process.”  She believes in setting clear expectations for what you want and need in an editor before beginning the search. “Being proactive will help you make the best decision for you and your work in progress.” 

Find the “right” type of editor. Editors cater to specific editorial needs—proofreading, developmental editing, line editing, manuscript editing, and copy editing, to name a few. Some editors offer a broad range of services, while others specialize in a specific area. 

“The first step is to understand what kind of editing you need, and look for someone who specializes in that service,” says Savannah Cordova, Outreach and Author Services at Reedsy. “You don’t want to accidentally hire a copy editor when what you really need is a developmental editor!” If you’re uncertain about the type of editing you need, they should be able to help. By talking with at least three editors about the kind of editorial support required, you can simultaneously conduct a “knowledge” test of their expertise in the industry.

Find an editor in your genre. Whether your fellow authors recommend someone, or you find an editor online, ensure they work in your genre. They should be familiar with your world and understand publishers’ preferences and your reader audience. 

“Before you hire an editor, take a look at what type of books they’ve edited in the past,” says Megan Okonsky, ghostwriter and author of The Barefoot Followers of Sweet Potato Grace. “A nonfiction editor, for example, may make cuts to figurative language that would make a nonfiction manuscript sound more professional, but would take away the spirit and voice in a more flowery fiction manuscript.”  Great ways to find editors in your genre include asking fellow authors, doing a search online such as “picture book editors,” or looking at the “acknowledgement” page inside a book flap. 

Ask plenty of questions. Recently, a ghostwriting client asked me how to find a good editor. After making a few recommendations of my own, I urged him to ask good questions before hiring anyone. A few weeks later, he gleefully reported that the questions were the clincher in finding the perfect editor for his work. 

“Read excerpts of what they’ve edited (even previews on Amazon), then ask them about their collaboration style and typical timeline for a book of your length/genre,” says Savannah. “Most importantly, before you commit to a full-length edit of your book, you’ll want to see a sample edit. This is by far the best way to determine if an editor is the right fit — and it’s standard in the industry, so don’t hesitate to ask them to do this.”

Other questions to ask editors may include:

• How long have you been editing?
• What is your training, background, and education in this field?
• What type of editing do you do? What genres or types of projects do you edit?
• How does your process work? Consultation, sample editing, project timeline and steps, etc.
• How do you handle feedback?
• Who was your biggest client to date, and what did you work on for them?
• What is your most significant success to date?
• What are your rates (i.e., charge per word, per page, flat fee)? How do you prefer to be paid?
• What is your guarantee?

Please do your due diligence. As you can see on the Author’s Journey, there are plenty of experienced authors who’ve successfully navigated editorial waters. They’ve learned a thing or two and are usually willing to share their stories and recommendations. Don’t just take the editor at their word. They may be an outstanding individual and someone you feel you can trust. But what about their body of work? 

“A great editor has plenty of client reviews and testimonials from other authors in that genre,” says Savannah. “Looking at these reviews is an integral part of the vetting process. If they don’t have public reviews, you should ask for references.” 

It also doesn’t hurt to ask for recommendations through your professional associations, critique groups, and online forums. I’ve posed the question “How to hire a great editor” on a group chat and learned a lot more about what “not” to do, and though those tidbits weren’t necessarily uplifting, I certainly learned a lot!

Ask for a consultation edit. Before you decide on an editor, it might be a good idea to request a consultation edit, if they’re open to it. The process can be a win-win for you and the editor, as it allows both of you to experiment with working together. 

“Once you’ve narrowed your choice down to two or three editors, ask for a sample edit,” suggests Megan. “Pay for it, of course, but this will give you the best sense of what kind of edits you will come to expect from your editor, and you can adjust expectations before paying for a full edit if necessary. Your editor may also discover through this sample edit that they are not a great fit for the project, which will save you a lot of time and money down the line!”

Get an agreement in writing. Jumping back to old emails or relying on your memory from a conversation isn’t going to work if an issue arises. You want to ensure that the entire scope of work is documented.

“Be sure to have a contract in place that outlines the job’s duties, the cost, and a timeline for completion,” says Allison Wells, book coach and owner of Well-Versed Publications.  “This protects you and your work, keeping everything clear. She also recommends including related fees in the written agreement. “An excellent editor will not be cheap. Like many other industries, you get what you pay for, and this is no different, so budget for a quality editor.” 

Finally, ask for references. Everyone in business should have plenty of clients willing to share their experiences with you. Ask to speak with them personally, and don’t settle for a list or “testimonials” on websites or social media. Talk to their clientele. This isn’t invasive or pushy. In fact, if they are a “great editor,” then they will be excited to share their list of raving clients.

I hope this article provided you with a few applicable ideas. I would be honored if you shared this on social media. And speaking of sharing, please share your ideas and experiences below. Together, we can build an uplifting community that supports each other’s happiness, well-being, creativity, and success.

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