In an article for Writer’s Digest, Tiffany Yates Martin offers advice for finding a reputable professional editor and choosing the right one for your work. “A quick online search will pull up a dizzying array of options for editorial services,” Martin says. “But looking in the right places is more likely to yield someone with the depth of knowledge and experience you need.”
Martin recommends the following resources:
- Recommendations. “Ask authors who have used freelance editors whether they had good experiences with them,” she says. “A good way to get an indirect referral is by checking the acknowledgments of books you felt were well written (and thus likely well edited).”
- Editors’ organizations. Yates recommends the Editorial Freelancers’ Association; The Independent Editors Group and Book Editors’ Alliance; National Association of Independent Writers and Editors; the Professional Editors Network; the Bay Area Editors’ Forum; and the Northwest Editors Guild.
- Writing organizations and conferences. “Whether virtual or in real life, writers’ conferences tend to vet their panelists and presenters, so editors on the faculty at these events are likely to have extensive credits and experience,” Martin writes.
Caveat: Be aware that some editorial service sites will assign your work to a freelance editor, and you might not know that person’s credentials. Be sure you know who you’re dealing with!
Once you’ve identified experienced and reputable editors, how do you know whom to pick? Martin says you should look for:
- Experience in editing books for publication, not merely teaching or journalism experience
- Experience in your genre
- Experience editing books that were published
- Testimonials and references
- Red flags, such as information on SFWA’s Writer Beware site
