How Do I Find the Right Editor?

You’re on my blog, so the good news is you have already found an editor. Congrats!

The bad news is just because you’ve found me doesn’t mean we are a good match.

Just as not everybody plays well together, not everybody works well together. The goal isn’t to find any editor, it’s to find the right editor for you.

First You Need to Find a Group of Editors

A good place to start is by searching editing society directories. Here’s a list of a few of them:

• Editors of Color
• Editors Canada
• EFA (Editorial Freelancer Association)
• Indigenous Editors Association

You can also search social media sites, or if you prefer the in-person route look for workshops or writing conventions in your area.

Ensure the Editor Works in Your Genre

If you clicked any of those links, you’ll see that there are a lot of editors to choose from.

Narrow down your options by searching for people who specialize in what you’ve written. This will be stated in their directory listing or on their website. I specialize in editing novels, so if you’ve written an academic article, I’m probably not the best editor for it.

You can take this a step further: I specialize in editing speculative fiction novels with a focus on fantasy and horror. If your novel is a contemporary romance, consider looking elsewhere.

Get a Feel for The Editor’s Style

Let’s say you have written a fantasy or horror novel. That’s great, that’s my specialty! But wait, we still need to figure out if we’ll play well together. Reading through an editor’s website and blog is a good way to get a feel for their style and it may even tell you about their values which can be important depending on the content of your novel. If you like what you read about them, it might be worth getting in touch.

Ask for a Sample Edit

You’ll likely want to know how much an edit will cost. Before we can talk money, many editors will want to see a sample of your writing. A sample edit will let you see what you’ll get, and helps the editor determine how much work your novel needs (which in turn informs their quote). Not every editor offers sample edits, and some editors only offer them for a small fee. If they don’t offer samples, ask questions about what you can expect to get from their edits so you can better gauge if that’s what you need.

Shop Around

One final note, don’t be afraid to shop around. Get in touch with multiple editors to find the right one. It’s okay, we know you’re doing it and we understand why. Often, we encourage it. Just be respectful of our time.

If you know you aren’t going to choose a particular editor, don’t bother asking for a sample edit (they’re time consuming) or getting answers to a bunch of industry questions and then never speaking to us again (editors have feelings too). Most of the editors I know are happy to pass along the names of other editors who may be a better fit if they aren’t able to take on your project.

If you’re still uncertain where to start looking, let me know in the comments. Good luck on your hunt to find the right editor!

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