So, here I am…waiting…to hear back from an editor about my manuscript. Book #1 of a planned five book series. Yep, here I am. Are you getting the feeling that I’m a little nervous? If there’s two things I’ve learned during this self-publishing journey, it’s that Editors are a necessity and you better put aside a hefty chunk of your budget for them. This isn’t actually a complaint. Editors are skilled professionals who’s talent significantly contributes to your book’s level of ‘professionalism’. You’ll want to approach editors who specialize in your genre too. For example, my book is set in late 19th century England. However, it is kind of an alternate England saturated with paranormal/supernatural elements. So, I wouldn’t have sent the manuscript to an editor who specialized in historical non-fiction. You can just guess the issues they would have with my story. Luckily, I knew a young editor who loves fantasy, paranormal and adventure stories so she now has the novel before her editorial eyes. Thank you, Rachel Walden.
However, before I sent her the current draft, I had two critique partners run through the manuscript an number of times (10?) picking out spelling and story mistakes for me to correct. NEVER send an editor your first draft. Never, never. Most editor have a fee based on word count or the estimated time it will take them to go through your story. So the more work they have to do the more $$ it will cost you. Naturally, this is not an issue for millionaire authors – which is not me, in case you were wondering.
The Different types of Editing:
Depending where you are with your novel will also affect the type of editing you require. Yep, there are about 5 different types and they come with different costs. Developmental Editing is the most in-depth and expensive with Copy Editing less costly but it doesn’t go into story structure and character development. It’s up to you, if you’re a budding author, to decide what you need and can afford. The other types include Editorial Assessment, Proof Reading and Fact-Checking. Websites like Reedsy and Fivver are great places to check out for editorial services and they’ll give you a good idea of the price ranges of the different types of editing. Reedsy also has a good blog post that defines the different varieties of editing. Find it here. This is where the biggest chunk of your money is going to go so take the time to find an editor that you feel would be the best match for you. You can also check those marketplaces for cover design and marketing services but that’s another blog.
So, that last piece of editing advice I would pass on is to be open to the suggestions that your editor gives you. It’s a waste of everyone’s time and money if you pull a “Grande Artiste” attitude to some cogent and constructive criticism and think you’re the “Special/Chosen One” that is above petty critiques. Yah, not so much. Just remember, anything that can make your novel better, the better it is for you. Not to mention your sales.
On the Illustrative side of things:
I’ve rendered another Dragon for the Holidays illustration. Yep, we’ve got ourselves a theme. You can remind yourselves of our other dragons by finding them in the Gallery. With the arrival of April and Easter we present to you the SillWill Studios “Easter Dragon”! Given current world events and the well-known Ukrainian Easter eggs, I couldn’t avoid being influenced for this latest design. Easter and its association with Spring is a time for hope and renewal. Something we all need these days. You can find our hopeful dragon on t-shirts to tote bags, coasters to coffee mugs and other quality products in our Redbubble Shop
