Author: Susan S. (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 05-12-02 20:50
I am new to this list, so feel free to give me the proverbial Internet smack on the wrist if I've made any faux pax.
I am a professional editor and have worked as such for almost 10 years. Currently I edit a technical trade magazine, but I have worked for literary journals and newspapers. For a year or two, when "real jobs" were scarce, I did some freelance work. My one caveat: I have not worked as a book editor.
A certain attitude on this thread has put a burr under my saddle: the notion that editors should work for free. Competent editors are highly trained professionals and our time and effort is valuable. In the freelance market here, an editor can make anywhere from $25-65 an hour. (That's relatively low--I have friends in the "big city" who won't take anything less than $75/hr.) Unless the editor is your very best friend, asking her to work for free is an insult. Even if she is your very best friend, you should offer to pay for her time--at least she will know that you recognize its value.
A few people have suggested taking manuscripts to a local university or college and asking students or professors to perform prelim edits. Although this practice isn't one I would recommend, I do hope an offer of payment would come with these requests, too.
Why wouldn't I recommend popping over to your local creative writing class for editing services? While you might have some luck with the professor, I'm dubious about any benefits the students could offer. Editors are professionals, and we put a lot of time, effort and money (training, buying resources) into being good at what we do. A graduate student in English might be able to tell you your manuscript is broken, but a good editor can tell you how to fix it. Let's not forget, too, that the current crop of English majors and graduate students have had very little training in grammar, punctuation and issues of style. If you're in the market for a copyeditor, don't look there.
My advice is to find a competent editor and pay her what she's worth. If you're stumped as to where to find this editor, try calling editors at the newspaper and locally-published magazines. These publications probably use freelance editors on occasion and can give you a referral or two. You can also try associations for editors, such as the Editorial Freelancers Association, www.the-efa.org.
--Susan
Amateur Writer/Professional Editor
"Editors are sometimes the only advocates for the reader."
|
|
