You have finished writing and editing your story. You have already learned how to find the right editor for your fiction story.
​
This blog article will help you prepare the answers to the questions an editor might ask you to learn more details about your story and to determine if you are a great fit to work together.






​Editors ask the following questions:
How long is your book?
What is the genre of your book?
What kind of editing do you need?
Have you already received feedback for this story?
Have you published any books before?
Who is your audience?
When is your estimated deadline?
What documents do I need to send my editor?
How did you find me?

How long is your book?
The word count of your fiction story is one of the first questions the editor will ask you. Knowing the word count of your book will help them estimate how much to charge, how much time it will take them to edit it and if there is an available time slot in their schedule.

Some authors prefer to mention the pages or the chapters of their book. However, I find that the word count is the best way to tell how long a book is since not all pages or chapters have the same amount of words.

What is the genre of your book?
Some editors work in a variety of genres and others are specialised in a particular genre. For example, I am a romance editor and I specialise in editing light-hearted contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy stories. I don’t edit non-fiction stories or memoirs.

If you are romance author, then I might be the right editor for your story. If you are a non-fiction author, then I am not a suitable editor for your book. If you are not sure about which genres an editor works with, check their website and social media or send them an email. 

What kind of editing do you need?
What kind of editing do you need? Developmental editing, line editing, copy editing or proofreading?

Experienced authors know the differences between the different kinds of editing and they are able to tell what kind of editing their book needs.

However, new authors might not be able to distinguish the different kinds of editing or tell what kind of editing their book needs. 

If you are not sure about the kind of editing your book needs, find out more information about the different kinds of editing.

I am a developmental editor for romance authors. I edit the big-picture storytelling issues of romance stories. I focus on theme, plot and structure, character development, point of view, pacing, setting, genre conventions, show vs tell and dialogue.

I would be happy to discuss your romance story and focus my editing on any concerns you may have. If you are a romance author looking for a developmental editor, then I might be a great fit for your story.

Have you already received feedback for this story?
It is very important for your editor to know if your story has already been edited and what kind of editing services it has gone through. This will help them determine what kind of services your story needs.

If your manuscript has already been line-edited or copy-edited, then you probably need a proofreader. If it has not been professionally edited before, then you might need a developmental editor or a line editor.

It’s always best to tell your editor how many drafts your story has gone through, what kind of editing you or others have done to your story and if you took advice from other writers, family members or beta readers. This will help your editor better understand what kind of editing your story needs.

Have you published any books before?
It is also important for an editor to know if you have hired an editor before and received editorial feedback for a previous book. This shows the editor that you are familiar with the editorial process and what kind of feedback to expect.

Also, editors would love to see any previously published books or blog posts to see your writing style and how they can help you improve your manuscript.

Who is your audience?
Another important factor is your audience. Are you planning to give a few copies to family or friends or are you planning to publish your novel at the mass market? This information will help your editor provide you with the appropriate feedback and decide what kind of editing your story needs.

When is your estimated deadline?
Do you have a publishing deal where your book must get published by a specific date or do you have flexibility? Knowing the date of publication of your story will help your editor better schedule a slot in their schedule.

Make sure to book your editor in advance to ensure that the right editor for your book is available, especially if you have already decided and announced your publication date. If you have more flexibility in your publication schedule, you can better accommodate to your desired editor’s schedule. 

What documents do I need to send my editor?
The editor needs the following documents:

• the completed manuscript
• a complete list of characters along with any information you have about them (name, goals, motivations, conflict, relationship with other characters physical appearance, personality). If you are not sure what kind of information to include, check this article about character profiles.
• a complete list of major locations and events of your story
• a synopsis of your story.

A synopsis is a summary of the plot, it takes about 2-3 pages and it is written in the present tense. It includes the goals, motivations and the conflict (internal and external) of the main characters. The synopsis introduces the main characters of the story (heroes and villains) and conveys the central conflict. A synopsis is an overview of what happens in a novel and includes the major plot points of the story. 

Ideally, you already have this information available because you took notes about your plot, characters and setting while you were writing and editing your story. You just need to send it to your editor to help them better understand your story.

How did you find me?
This information is more helpful to me rather than to you. Did someone else refer them to me? Did you find me through social media, or a directory or did you find one of my blog posts helpful? This information will help me focus my marketing efforts on topics and places that interest you.

I am ready to discuss my book and the editing service I need. How do I do that?
Fill in this form and I will respond to you as soon as possible.

Further reading
How to find the right editor for your fiction book
How to prepare your manuscript for your editor
What is developmental editing vs other kinds of editing
Why authors need character profiles
How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure

Finding the right editor for your fiction book seems easier than ever with the plethora of editors hitting the freelance industry nowadays. There are so many editors to choose from but how will you know who is the right editor for your story?

Many authors do not know the kind of services their story needs and others don’t do thorough research. As a result, authors often end up requesting quotes from editors who offer different services from the ones their story needs in a genre that the editor is not editing.

How can you find the right editor for your fiction book:
Services
Genre
Cost
Where to look for the right editor
Reach out to editors

Services
The first step in finding the right editor for your fiction book is to determine what kind of services you need. Are you looking for developmental editing, copyediting, or proofreading?

If this is the first time you are searching for a professional editor and you are not sure what kind of services you need, read this article about the different kinds of editing and consider the state of your story.

If you only have a raw idea or an outline, then you need a book coach to help you:

•  develop your idea into a compelling story
• finish the first draft of your story
• develop consistent writing habits
•  answer questions about your story

If you have a completed first draft, then you need a developmental editor to help you improve your story’s:

•  theme
•  story structure
• characters (goals, motivation, conflict, character development)
•  setting and worldbuilding

 If you are in the final draft of your story, then you might need a copy editor or a proofreader to help you  focus on:

• sentence structure and flow
• grammar and punctuation
• spelling
• word choice

Genre
The second step in finding the most suitable editor is to identify the genre(s) of your story. Are you writing a contemporary romance or a YA thriller?  If you don’t know what genre your story is, go online and search for the definitions of various genres. 

For example, a story belongs to the romance genre when:

• the romance between the main characters comprises the central focus of the story 
• it has an emotionally satisfying and rewarding happy ending 

​
​The romance genre is a very broad fiction category and can be divided into many subgenres such as contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. 

Many editors specialise in particular genres while others edit only one genre e.g romance. Make sure to find an editor that specialises in the genre of your story and has the relevant training, education, skills and experience to edit your book.

Cost
The cost of the service is perhaps the most important factor for authors.  The cost of the service depends on a lot of reasons such as the required service, turnaround time, training, experience and cost of living. For example, developmental editing services are typically more expensive than copyediting and proofreading services.

You can look at the editorial rates of different editing services at the EFA’s editorial rates and estimate how much a service can cost. The rates published on the website are only designed to give you a rough idea of what the cost might be based on the genre and the word count of your story. Actual editorial rates may vary depending on the reasons mentioned above.

Where to look for the right editor
You have already determined the kind of services you need, the genre of your manuscript and your estimated budget. Now, it’s time to search for the right editor.

You can find editors on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. There are many Facebook groups for editors and writers where editors advertise their services. You can also check the editor’s LinkedIn profiles to see their background, education, training and experience.

You can also check sites such as Upwork, Fiverr and Reedsy to find editors or post jobs. Make sure to include the kind of editing service you need, the genre, the word count of your story, your estimated budget and your desired deadline when you post a job. You can also check the EFA’s Job List and Member Directory to hire an editor.

You can also look at the websites of different editors to see what kind of services they offer. When you are looking for an editor on the search engines make sure to include keywords such as the kind of services you need and the genre of your story e.g developmental editing for a contemporary romance story or copyediting for a murder mystery story. 

Pay attention to the “Home” page of the editors’ sites where editors usually mention the services and the genres they are editing. You should also check their “Portfolio” page to see what kind of projects they have edited and their “About” page to learn more information about their qualifications. Finally, check their “Services” page to see what kind of services they offer. 

Every editor defines their services differently, so make sure to check what each service includes e.g scope of work, deadlines, cost, and deliverables.

Reach out to editors
When you narrow down your options and find editors that fit your criteria e.g  services, genre, estimated cost, and qualifications, email them to get a customised quote for your story and to discuss with them the specific needs of your manuscript.

Most editors usually have a form on their website that authors can fill out when they request a quote in order to learn more information about the author’s story and provide them with an accurate quote.

​For example, the form on the “Contact” page of my website helps me learn important information about the author and their story such as the project’s title, word count, genre, requested service and preferred completion date. 

Most editors offer a no-obligation customised quote and a 1,000-word free sample edit to see if they and the author are a great fit to work together. The editor will guide you about the next steps of the editing process but you can also ask any questions you may have. 

Clear communication is key for successful collaboration in order to set clear expectations about the scope of the work and to avoid misunderstandings.

Conclusion
Finding the right editor for your fiction story is easier than ever. Define the kind of services you are looking for, the genre of your story and your estimated budget.

Research the editor’s websites and social media and reach out to the editors that match your criteria. Editors are valuable collaborators that will help you shape your manuscript into a compelling story so make sure to choose yours wisely!

Further reading
“Contact” form ​
Developmental editing vs other kinds of editing
EFA Job List and Membership Directory
​EFA rates