How to find an editor (or a proofreader) for your book

I’m a member of several online writing groups where a common question is: where do I find an editor?

Or sometimes: where do I find a proofreader? As I’ll discuss in another post, these two editorial tasks are often mixed up, especially by newer, independent authors.

But, back to the topic at hand: where to find an editor.

First, you need to decide what kind of editor you need. For example, do you need help with the overall structure of your novel? If so, then you need a structural editor. If you also need guidance on the big picture, then a developmental editor should be able to help. If you think these two roles sound similar, you’d be right. Most developmental editors also provide structural feedback and the two titles are sometimes used interchangeably (along with substantive editing).

If you need more sentence-level assistance—polishing your prose for voice and tone and/or making sure that your grammar, spelling, and syntax are all in order—then you want a line editor or copy editor. As with developmental/structural editing, these two titles are also sometimes used interchangeably.

Are there aspects of your writing you need help with, such as making sure your characters are well-rounded and realistic, that your plot sings, and that your chosen point of view fits your story? You’ll want to seek out a developmental edit or a critique or maybe even some story coaching.

Or maybe you just need a final quality check of your manuscript now that it’s been fully laid out and (at least) copyedited. If so, then you’ll want to look for a proofreader.

Of course, you might not know what kind of help you need yet, or maybe you need help with all of it. Many authors do and there’s no shame in that.

If you aren’t sure what kind of editor you need, then consider what your strengths and weaknesses are, what you’ve found challenging during the writing process, and what kind of feedback you’ve received so far (if you’ve received feedback). Keep in mind that many newer authors benefit from big-picture feedback on their stories and nearly all novels need copyediting.

So, where to find a good editor (because, let’s face it, you don’t want just any editor)?

The first place to look is to authors you already know. Is there an author in your critique group who recently had their novel edited and was happy with the process and outcome? If so, then you might ask that person for the name and contact details of their editor.

If you don’t know anyone, then professional directories are a great place to start. Here are a few:

• If you’re in the UK, check out the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s (CIEP) online directory. Note that only Professional and Advanced Professional Members are listed here, so if you find an editor you like who is a member but isn’t listed here, then it doesn’t mean they’re not highly skilled. It just means that the editor or proofreader hasn’t met the criteria for a higher membership grade yet, or hasn’t applied to upgrade (to apply for the higher membership grades, an editor or proofreader needs to complete a set number of hours of proofreading or copyediting, for example, so experience of developmental editing wouldn’t count towards this).

• If you’re in the US, the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and ACES: The Society for Editing have strong communities of editorial professionals (and, in the case of the EFA, other freelance professionals as well).

• If you’re in Canada, then Editors/Réviseurs Canada is a good place to start.

I’m sure there are other excellent editorial societies in other countries too, but as these are the ones I’m aware of, these are the ones I’ve listed here.

In addition to editorial societies, there are also other organisations where you can find skilled editors.

The main organisation I recommend is the Alliance for Independent Authors (also known as ALLi). They have a database of service professionals (available to members), which you can find here: https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/services-directory/.

Good luck!

And, of course, if you find yourself in need of a developmental editor or proofreader, then I’d love to explore working with you! You can read more about my services here.