I responded to a request for proposals a few months ago and, to my surprise, received a message from the potential client last week. I’d forgotten about my proposal, but he expressed interest in having me design his book. He explained that he’d written and edited and revised his manuscript several times. The layout he wanted would deviate from the standard. He offered to send me his front cover and manuscript to look at, so I could let him know what I thought and provide him with an estimate for designing his book.

As promised, he sent the manuscript. I opened the file and began skimming the content. Within a moment I realized that his manuscript is not ready for page design. It needs editing.

No, page design does not entail editing.

In my response, I suggested he hire a copy editor. That editor could be me or someone else. I would be happy to refer him to a competent professional.

Yes, I’d love to be hired to edit his manuscript. More importantly, I want his manuscript to be edited. I want this author to be proud of his book, not to regret publishing something littered with copy errors.

Yes, I’d also love to be hired to design his book. I suggested that he have the book proofread after book design because page layout always reveals errors not caught during the editing phases. I have not found one single exception to that, regardless of whether it’s one of my books or someone else’s.

I also suggested that, if he hired me to copy edit his manuscript, that he hire someone else to proofread the book. If he decides to wait until after the book is designed to combine proofreading and copy editing—not necessarily a good idea but a decision an author might make in the effort to save money—I’d be glad to that instead. I quoted him a different fee for the combined service.

Again, the ultimate goal is to the author to publish a book that makes him proud, not one that embarrasses him.

To show him what I meant, I performed a sample edit and returned that to him. The sample edit shows:

  • Places where the narrative changes tense
  • Punctuation errors
  • Inconsistencies in style
  • Where the author’s style deviates from the Chicago Manual of Style (the style guide most commonly applied to fiction)
  • Phrases and sentences that require clarification due to ambiguity.
  • Where words are used incorrectly and what the correct words are.

I did not find any spelling errors in that sample.

The sample edit illustrates the value of editing. Beyond correcting simple errors, it helps clear the confusion caused by ambiguity and makes the reading experience smoother for the reader.

I come across a lot of new authors who don’t understand the process of producing a book. There’s a common misconception that one writes the story and that’s it. They don’t understand what tasks needed in which order to produce a book that rivals the quality of what a traditional publisher produces. The different tasks, especially during the editing phase, may overlap, but each has its place in the production of a quality book.

As my knowledge and experience in the industry evolves, I try to educate authors and potential clients. Sometimes my attempts at educating others results in a paid gig, but most often not. Not being hired doesn’t defeat the purpose. If the author knows what work is needed and gets that work done with the result of producing a quality book, then I will take satisfaction from that.

Unfortunately, self-publishing has earned a well-deserved reputation for shoddy work. I and a league of other freelance professionals are trying to change that reputation through honest recommendations and skilled work. We want authors to be proud of their books, not embarrassed.