Literary Editors

But if you find yourself thinking "If I could break it into X parts, I could afford this" then by all means query the editor about it. You never know, the editor might be willing to accomdate this. And if they can't, then ask yourself how much you want the editor at the top of the list. If your chosen editor really stands out from the rest you might be better off having a little patiance and saving up the fee. Remember how much time and effort went into your work. Is it really worth settling for second best at this stage.

--Talking to the Editor--

This may seem obvious to anyone seeking to speak to an editor but, be polite. You may be working with this person so don't start off on the wrong foot.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If there is anything you don't understand, ask about it before you commit yourself.

Don't take it the wrong way if the editor tells you no. Not everyone can edit everything. I do think, however, that you should be told why they said no.

If y ou don't like what the editor did, don't jump on them, just say a polite, thank you, but your editing isn't right for me.

--Evaluting the Editors--

When I had finished all my searching I had come down to a shortlist of just 3. Here are how those three editors performed under the sample edit.

--Lynda Lotman--

Lynda runs www.englishedit.com, www.manuscriptediting.com and also works at www.queryletters.com. Sample edits of between one and five pages are offered, depending on the full manuscript length. Lynda does not edit every sample sent to her, so bare that in mind if you choose to send her a sample.

With Lynda being top of my shortlist, she was the first person I sent a manuscript to. When I did so I was anticipating a wait of a week or two before recieving any response, followed by a rejection. (I have less confidence n my work than I should, I think). I was pleasantly surprised, therefor, to recieve a response within a day informing me of when she would be able to w o rk on the sample. Her response was both friendly and personal.

The edited sample arrived shortly after with another friendly and encouraging e-mail. At the same time as I recieved the sample she quoted a fee based on my level of writing. Lynda's fees are set per word and are dependent on the editing needed.

Two versions of the edit were attached to the e-mail - one with tracking and one clean. The standard of editing was very high and there was nothing she had changed which I disagreed with. Every change she made improved the work. In addition she also added some very helpful comments that pointed out flaws in the story consistancy and errors that I had repeated several times during the sample.

Another bonus was Lynda's wanting contact via phone and e-mail, despite it meaning an international phone call for her. When I mentioned potential problems with paying for a full manuscript edit, Lynda was also willing to split up the work to accomadate my finances.

All in all, Lynda o ff ered a very professional and friendly option.

---www.a1editing.com---

A1 Editing was the second editing service to attract me enough to send in a sample for editing. A1 editing offer a 5 page sample edit plus 15 page minicritique. As with Lynda, fees are determined on a per-client basis, this time based on a per-page amount (1 page=250 words).

Initial contact is with Nicole Bentley, the companies editor in chief. The manuscript is then passed on to an editor appropriate to the style of your manuscript. Again, the e-mail is friendly and personalised.