Freelance proof reading/editing

jos28

Not sure if this is the correct forum to post in, perhaps the Mods would kindly move if necessary. I am looking for proof reading/editing work on a freelance basis. I have emailed my details to numerous publishers, some of them have kept my cv on their list. One publisher told me that they only use accredited members of http://www.afepi.ie. I had a look through the criteria for membership and it is not easy to join. Do any of you creative writers have experience of publishers who employer freelancers. Any advice on finding work proofreading or editing would be much appreciated.

EileenG

You might be better promoting your services to writers who want a good proof-read and edit before they submit to publishers.

When you say editing, do you mean line editing or structural editing? Can you translate into American?

jos28

I reckon I could cover both line and structure, I would not be familiar with American translations. I am really just dipping my toes in here, trying to find out what is involved or where to start. The only experience I have at this stage is proof reading and editing academic essays/theses for friends and colleagues. I enjoy doing it and they seem happy with my results.

EileenG

That might be more of a problem. Most potential novelists need a ruthless editor to make them lose the passive voice and stilted contructions. If you are used to academic papers, you may not be alert to this.

I'd love to have someone to do an American edit, since I'm blind to my own Irishisms, and American editors have no patience for them.

jos28

Thanks Eileen, sound advice there. I might give a call to some of the publishers who focus on my subjects (History and Sociology). I definitely would not be ruthless enough to delete your Irishisms. Leave them in I'd say, don't mind those American editors

EileenG

Doesn't work like that. If you don't delete the Irishisms, they delete the story. You have to submit the story in American spelling and American phrasing (or at least, not Irish phrasing) or they won't take it.

Fuinseog

what kind of money would a proofreader charge for say 70,000 words?

Do they give advice on how to structure your book or just check spelling errors that the spell checker on the computer could do?

pickarooney

A proofreader should pick up on all grammar mistakes, formatting issues, misused words and spelling errors. After that you're into editing territory as regards the actual story.

70,000 words would be roughly 300 pages so you could expect to pay €300 at least.

Fuinseog

pickarooney wrote: »

A proofreader should pick up on all grammar mistakes, formatting issues, misused words and spelling errors. After that you're into editing territory as regards the actual story.

70,000 words would be roughly 300 pages so you could expect to pay €300 at least.

What kind of formatting issues would there be?
I spell check my work using the spellchecker on my computer. I also get friends to read it as they often find more mistakes.

the book should be edited before looking for a publisher?

pickarooney

Simple stuff like fonts, missing quotes, accidental copy/paste - the kind of thing you should see immediately yourself but don't because you're too close to it.

A lot of people will bin your subscription if you mix up a there and a their on the first page, but if you consider that you have a very good command of English and your friends are good at that kind of thing, I wouldn't be too bothered about paying for a professional edit.

nervous_twitch

Fuinseog wrote: »

What kind of formatting issues would there be?
I spell check my work using the spellchecker on my computer. I also get friends to read it as they often find more mistakes.

the book should be edited before looking for a publisher?

Formatting includes revision of paragraph breaks, correct dialogue layout etc. Also, take care with spellcheck, it won't pick up on homophones or missing words.

The book should be exactly as you intend it for publication when you submit it; as close to perfect as you can make it. It will, however, be changed by an editor, and maybe on the recommendations of your agent if you have one.

EileenG

Fuinseog wrote: »

What kind of formatting issues would there be?
I spell check my work using the spellchecker on my computer. I also get friends to read it as they often find more mistakes.

the book should be edited before looking for a publisher?

Most publishers want a MS that needs as little work as possible, so make sure you don't have any annoying grammar habits that would need a lot of work (their/there, for instance, or using a lot of synonyms for said).

As mentioned, make sure the font is clean, the pages are laid out in a conventional format, there are no invisble characters, etc.

A spell check on a computer is not enough. The first (rejected) MS I sent out had frequent mention my "spare" vampire. The spell checked passed it every time.

Reading it out loud helps. Or better still, get someone else to read it out loud.

Fuinseog

the book I am writing is connected to Irish history. Parts have already being published in different magazines, though even there spelling mistakes got through. I have found a blog very useful as complete strangers read some articles and gave me feedback.

I will hopefully edit the MS this week and then go looking for a publisher.

Is there ever a risk that you send your manuscript or idea to a publisher who steals the idea for themselves?

EileenG

Fuinseog wrote: »

the book I am writing is connected to Irish history. Parts have already being published in different magazines, though even there spelling mistakes got through. I have found a blog very useful as complete strangers read some articles and gave me feedback.

I will hopefully edit the MS this week and then go looking for a publisher.

Is there ever a risk that you send your manuscript or idea to a publisher who steals the idea for themselves?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

First, a book where large chunks have already been published in different magazines will be nearly impossible to sell, even if it's amazing. More of it being published in blogs won't help.

Edit a book in a week so that it's ready to be published? I definitely want to cry.

No, no one cares about your idea. Ideas are ten a penny. It's how you write it that makes it worth something. Apart from anything else, if your publisher thought your idea was good, but didn't want to pay you, they'd still have to find a person to write the book and pay them. Why bother when they could pay you and have the book now?

Fuinseog

EileenG wrote: »

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

First, a book where large chunks have already been published in different magazines will be nearly impossible to sell, even if it's amazing. More of it being published in blogs won't help.

Edit a book in a week so that it's ready to be published? I definitely want to cry.

No, no one cares about your idea. Ideas are ten a penny. It's how you write it that makes it worth something. Apart from anything else, if your publisher thought your idea was good, but didn't want to pay you, they'd still have to find a person to write the book and pay them. Why bother when they could pay you and have the book now?

you do not have to laugh or cry Eileen.


although I brought out a book before, it was years ago and in a different country, in a different language. I am very much a novice in the field. I have time on my hands and am trying to realise something that would otherwise be a pipedream.

I am under no illusion that a history book will not sell as well a fiction or chick lit.

I notice some magazines state that the ownership of the article is theirs once they publish it but this particular one did not and its not available to read online.
could you enlighten me as to why publishing articles as blog is not a good idea?
I notice Paul Howard writes every Saturday in the Times and very similar material then appears in book format and it still sells. I can't be the only one buying his books. some authors have brought out a book based on their blog. 'Belle de Jour' started out that way.

In any case less than 50% of the book has been previously published. in my view a book should be a t least 200 pages, while I have around 300 ready and am ready to axe certain parts if necessary.

True, editing the book in a week is probably a tad ambitious.

EileenG

In fact, non-fiction sells much better than fiction. So from that point of view, you're not going against the odds.

However, the rest?

Okay. Usually when a journalist writes something in the course of his employment, he doesn't own copyright, the paper does. In this case, I'm betting that it's the paper which publishes that book, not Paul Howard.

It sounds as if you don't actually know the copyright status of the things you have previously published. No publisher will touch something unless the copyright is clear.

Something that has been published in a blog has been published. That means that many publishers won't want to touch it. The fact that some bloggers go on to get book deals doesn't change that. If articles that you will be putting into the book are already available on-line, the publisher reasons, why would anyone pay €15 to buy it in a book?


When you say 200 and 300 pages, how many words are we talking? A standard book is around 300 or so pages. If you go significantly over that, the costs of production and distribution go up, and will make the publisher less inclined to take on your book.

With my first book, I wrote it in three months, but spent a year editing it. And that was before my editor got at it.

With a history book, it will take much longer, as you will not only have to edit for writing, you'll have to fact-check everything that's in it.