Lewis' Book of Reviews and Writing Advice

Editors cost HOW MUCH?

Greetings, Ink Jars, Professor Lewis here. Today we shall be discussing some new information I've gained about the writing world. So, gather around, young Ink Jars, as I tell you a story.

There once was a young Ink Jar named You. You wrote a lovely story with interconnected plots and deep characters! You worked hard on this story and strived for perfection! Still...you know something is missing. So You read your manuscript a thousand times, re-writing and marking and pasting and changing! By now, You have deleted things which were actually probably good...but you still know there is crap. What do You do?

This has been a hard week here at my little Professor Lewis Land. I will finish this story as it applies to myself. So, I wish to self publish (as I mentioned in the last chapter), but I know my book is not finished. It still needs someone to smooth out the rough edges--and that person is NOT me. I've re-read the manuscript so many times that I am blind and can no longer tell what the good writing is and what the bad writing is! People keep telling me: "It'll never be perfect, you'll always have things you could add. You're just scared about putting it out there."

Number one: I'm NOT scared about putting it out there...alright fine, perhaps I'm a tiny bit nervous about how my books will be accepted into the community, but not so scared that I'm not willing to try! And Two: While this statement about "nothing being perfect" is true, I know it can still be better. That is a fact.

I know it will fall on me to truly make my book look nice and error-free. Basically, professional! Since I know this, however, I've considered pulling in an editor.

Oh. MY. DEAR HOLY INK JARS and QUILL PENS.

An editor costs more than publishing! For my size book (110,000 words) it might cost over FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS for just one type of editor! Now, what do I mean by "One Type?" While, as I understand it, there are different editors who read your book in search of different things: grammatical errors, structural editors, etc. I don't have all of this money just to throw around!

So...I was feeling extremely low that morning. Here's what, after careful consideration, I've decided to do: My Grandfather edited his high school paper and has written newspaper articles for years! He read Les Miserables in a week! So I'm going to ask him if he is willing to edit my book with me. It's a little nerve-wracking, but it is better than paying a thousand dollars!

Here's what you can do if you aren't as cost limited as I am: Go on reading sites and other social media places. Find the writing groups or editor groups. Look through the editors and find the one you like.

NOTE: Read a sample of something this editor has edited in order to see if your styles match.

Then you can figure out a business transaction. The thicker the book you've written, the more money it's going to cost for the editor to come through.

If you don't want to pay this much yet, look around your hometown, church, school, work place. Find a person who was once an English or Creative Writing teacher. Better yet, find two or three English teachers. You give your manuscript to the first one and they fix things and then you pass that edited document onto the next one and so forth. If these people are not family (and even if they are) offer to pay them something. This is a huge job and they can't be expected to participate for nothing.

REMEMBER: Remember a chapter I wrote a while ago about gaining respect from others and more readers? I discussed the idea of how to ask someone to read your book politely? Well, those ideas still apply to this. Write your potential editor a short letter or email, explaining the basics of your writing and what you're willing to pay them (or ask them for payment suggestions.) Just basically make sure that you present yourself professionally. You represent your book, yourself, and your future. Do not mess it up.

I'll let you know as I learn more about writing.

Your Faithful Writer,

Professor Lewis