How To Get Top Quality And Affordable Book Editing Services

By Betty Jones


It is captivating to read a book that is meticulously edited. Such books are free of errors and their story lines make sense to reader. For authors, the concern is how much to spend on editors. This leads to a frantic search for affordable book editing services leaving some to compromise on the quality of work delivered. Other than fall into this trap, here are tips that will help you manage the cost of hiring editors.

Quality comes first before you think of the price. While the charges for hiring an editor should be a concern, it will be futile to hire an editor who has not met the standards. He will produce a low quality manuscript that translates into waste of time and resources. Before negotiating on price, ensure that you are dealing with a proven professional.

Compare quoted prices by different editors. Comparison is not meant to net the cheapest editor. It should target getting ideal market rates that you will work with. The quotation you get should be itemized to give you an idea of what you are paying for. Compare their quality of work before getting to the price.

Editors will charge higher fees if your manuscript requires a lot of work. Produce a paper that is better polished as opposed to raw content. Go through the script several times before handing it over to editors. This ensures that your language is polished, sentences are well crafted and the story-line makes sense. It means that editors will have less work to do on the script.

Sign a comprehensive contract as opposed to a one-off engagement. This allows the company or individual to edit your manuscript, format it and even publish. Since there is more work, you can negotiate more favorable rates. It also gives editors the opportunity to understand your style and desires. With a long term and comprehensive contract, you are settled on who handles your books and can thus focus on improving on its quality.

The prices you are thinking about and the entire packages should be realistic. While it is reasonable to ask for low prices, they should not be too low that an editor does not feel adequately compensated. Give editors sufficient time to look at your work instead of hurrying them yet you expect quality. Prepare to compensate the editor a fee that is reasonable depending on the work done.

A referral will help you obtain reliable editing services that are also affordable. Ask among associates, colleagues, friends, peers and people around you. There will always be someone who has worked with an incredible editor in the past. Their referral will save you from the hustle of working with strangers. Since their services are already tested, turn-around-time for your work will be less. You can therefore complete projects faster.

The final figure should not worry you too much compared to obtaining value for money. The price is determined by such other factors as quantity of work, urgency and the type of editing that is required. While focusing on the price you pay, do not be blind to the need to get quality work done.




About the Author: