Well, I can’t save them all, nor can my ethical colleagues, but we keep trying.
This week, an author contacted me about consulting with her on a book project. We had several email conversations. I evaluated a section of her manuscript and presented her with an estimate to edit it. When she graciously thanked me for the estimate, but said it was more than she could afford, I offered to drop my hourly rate to what I charged in 2000-2006. I do that occasionally to give an author a leg up.
FYI, my original estimate for her particular manuscript (devised after reviewing 50 pages) was roughly $1,500 for 200 pages at an editing speed of approximately 6.5 pages per hour. That’s around 30 hours at $50/hour. If I complete the job ahead of schedule, I drop my fee accordingly. If I go over, I charge only the $1,500.
When the author explained that she couldn’t afford this, I dropped my hourly rate AND suggested that I edit only to a point (say the first 100 pages), including my usual notes and explanations designed to teach as I edit. She could take it from there.
Yesterday, this author contacted me with an expression of her gratitude, but explained that she has decided to go with another editor. In fact, she suggested that maybe I should adjust my fees because, while this editor was charging more per hour, his website indicated that he could do the job in less time. Here’s the shocker. This guy charges $65/hour and he claimed he could edit the 200 page manuscript within 4-6 hours for a fee of $350. That’s 33 to 50 pages per hour, folks! That’s more pages per hour than some people can pleasure read.
It’s true, I did an internet survey and discovered that some people have actually timed themselves reading. The norm was around 25 pages per hour. One reader said he could get through 12 pages per hour when it’s a really gripping story. Others said they could read between 50 and 60 pages in an hour. A few claim they can read 75 to 100 pages per hour. But reading is certainly a very different activity than editing.
I thought about this editorial declaration all day. I contacted some of my editor colleagues to ask how many pages they can edit in an hour. No one even came close to the 33 to 50-page rate claimed by this super editor. Here are the average figures I gathered from colleagues and internet research.
• Proofreaders can often read between 12-15 pages per hour.
• Light copy editing, anywhere from 4-9 pages per hour
• Medium to heavy line editing, 3-6 pages per hour.
• Final edit (fine-tuning an already edited manuscript) 12-18 pages per hour.
My conclusion with regard to the editor who claims he can edit 33 to 50 pages of a manuscript (and folks, this claim was made without seeing the manuscript), is that he is using a software program or maybe even Microsoft Word Spellcheck and grammar check. Yikes!!! Or he uses this estimate as a come-on and, once into the project, asks for additional fees.
How in the heck can anyone edit for grammatical weaknesses, punctuation errors, the misuse and misspelling of words (“fiend” or “field” or “fried” instead of “friend,” for example) organization problems, the flow of the story, etc. when they are flipping through a page every 1.2 minutes.
Needless to say, I am appalled at the number of and the nature of what I consider out and out scammers oozing into the publishing arena. What’s bringing them in such number today? We are. There are thousands and thousands of newby authors entering into the shark infested publishing waters every year. Most are uninformed and unaware. These starry-eyed authors, who want nothing more than to hold their published books in their hands, are prime targets and easy pickings for scammers.
What authors need is the straight scoop. You don’t need the services or products of unskilled, unscrupulous Johnny-come-latelys who are just entering the publishing industry in order to see how much money they can make. You don’t need to do business with scammers who are following the money trail instead of their hearts. You don’t need to trust inexperienced people posing as professionals. I recall a few years ago, a woman proudly telling me, “I just published my first book and now I plan to establish a POD publishing company.” It’s not uncommon.
Some people advertising themselves as manuscript editors have never even written a book, nor do they have any experience in publishing. Some of these editors are skilled when it comes to thesis writing, ad copy or in-house copywriting for a large company. This experience does not generally transfer well into the realm of book editing.
Okay, I realize I’m on a rant. Sorry about that. But, as you can tell, it annoys and infuriates me when I see or suspect that someone is knowingly or ignorantly perpetuating a scam on authors. We’re ripe for the plucking, you know, when we don’t strive to educate ourselves about the industry we are entering.
Study the publishing industry. You’ve heard/read me say this before. Don’t put it off. Begin today! And continue the study because the industry keeps changing. Of course, the fact that you have visited my blog is a start.
Read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. I devote over 60 pages to understanding the publishing industry. I spend one whole chapter on fee-based POD “self-publishing” companies. I tell you how to choose an editor for you manuscript and explain why it is so important. I guide you through the whole process of publishing no matter which publishing option you choose. This book also helps you to make better choices on behalf of your project. And that’s just a hint of what this book will teach you.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
Read Mark Levine’s The Fine Print of Self-Publishing in which he rates and ranks 45 PODs. http://www.bascomhillpublishing.com
Join SPAWN and receive Levine’s book for FREE. As a SPAWN member, you’ll also be in a position to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry.
http://www.spawn.org
Read Jenna Glatzer’s book, Street Smart Writer: Self-Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World.
http://www.jennaglatzer.com
Study this article and learn about scams involving publishers, agents and contests and discover how to protect yourself.
http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artscam.htm
Be proactive. Protect yourself. Become informed.
Did the low-ball editor live in India? I’ve run across quite a few of those who claim they can edit in English every bit as well as a native speaker. Even though they can’t write English all that well.
I am fluent in French but would not try to edit French for a French audience. Nor even English for a British or Australian audience.
I have twice now had clients insisted their novels had already been professionally edited. I had to tactfully explain that it had not been edited well. In fact, it would in no way meet our own internal editing standards.
Who did these “professional” editing jobs? In both cases, it was a college professor of English (not the same prof for the two clients). Academic writing is a very different beast from commercial fiction writing.
After we completed our editing, the clients both realized how much difference there really was between the two approaches.
Caveat emptor, indeed.
Hello Walt,
Thanks for chiming in. India, huh? Now that’s a possibility I hadn’t considered. Very well could be.
Oh yes, English college professors or high school English teachers… I, too, warn hopeful authors against relying on these types of credentials. I tell them, make sure you choose an editor who knows something about publishing in modern times, who knows how to edit books and preferably someone who is familiar with your genre and/or subject.
I was talking to a small group of authors and hopeful authors at a book festival recently. I said something about the fact that a lot of authors don’t even know that it is one space after a period now. One woman piped up and said, “What? Are you sure? I’m a teacher and I haven’t heard about that.” Most teachers haven’t. Most people in business haven’t. But it is just one example of something you must know if you hope to succeed in the world of publishing. Right?
Patricia
Hi Patricia:
I know there must be a lot of first time writers like myself that have experienced what I have. I had hired my second editor by the recommendation of an acquaintance of my wife’s. The woman and my wife belonged to the same club. I interviewed this lady and she seemed very competent. Boy was I wrong! In the beginning she had all the right answers but I became dissatisfied after spending thousands and not coming up with what I felt I needed to make my work stand out. I began to look around and found you, and gave you a try. You proved to me what I really expected to find, and I am grateful.
The key here is that editing is more than spell checks. If it doesn’t help you learn to become a better communicator, then that person is a waste of time and money.