“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men / Gang aft agley.” – Robert Burns
We had plans for Christmas, but the grand appearance of our first grandchild disrupted them. We’re not upset at that by any means. In fact, little Evelyn Grace was born two weeks earlier than scheduled and actually later than I expected.
What better Christmas present could my husband and I have asked for?
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Yesterday, I received a phone call from someone wanting to hire an editor. The prospective client found me, really liked what she saw, and decided to call rather than send me an email message or contact me through LinkedIn. How flattering!
She told me about her project. It sounded interesting. Then I asked for some clarification as to the editing she wanted: developmental editing.
I could not help but be honest with her: “I don’t do developmental editing.”
My editing style is substantive. When editing, I take a granular focus on the details of the written content that encompasses how the content is written (line editing) and what’s wrong with it (copy editing). I am unable to separate the two, but it means that I am not a good choice for a developmental editor because my focus is too strongly weighted on the nitty-gritty.
So, I advised her to seek out a developmental editor and offered to refer her to a trusted colleague. She didn’t take me up on that offer. I expressed interest in serving as her editor once the developmental editing phase was complete and the manuscript revised accordingly.
It’s not that I don’t want or need the work, but I’d rather lose a project than do a poor job.
I hope she appreciates my honesty.
If you’re looking to hire an editor, it’s important to know what you need and to provide these critical bits of information that enable an editor to determine whether the project’s a good fit:
- Fiction or nonfiction. (Editors specialize.)
- Topic or genre. (Editors specialize. For instance, I don’t accept horror or scholarly work.)
- Word count. (This helps the editor estimate how long the project will take.)
- Level of editing desired/needed. (Editors specialize. I don’t do developmental editing.)
- Deadline for completion. (Many editors are booked weeks or months ahead.)
- Budget. (An editor’s rates may not be compatible with the author’s budget.)
When it comes to editing projects, a professional won’t waste his or her time or yours by submitting a proposal for a project that isn’t a good fit.
The same goes for professional writers and book designers.