This post by Lynette Labelle originally appeared on her blog on 2/17/15.
I’ve talked about readers’ expectations and agents’ expectations, but what about writers’ expectations when it comes to hiring a freelance editor? Of course, you’ll want her to be professional, knowledgeable, courteous, respectful, etc. But there are a few things that people have asked me over the years that tell me they don’t really know what to expect from a freelance editor.
Freelance editors won’t (or shouldn’t):
-Submit your manuscript to agents or publishers: We can help you improve the work, but it’s up to you to approach agents and publishers with a polished manuscript and hook them.
-Guarantee your book will sell after we’ve edited it: Again, we can help you improve the work, but we don’t know how much (if any) of our suggestions you’ve implemented. We don’t know what an agent or publisher is looking for at any particular time or what’s hot in the market. I follow agents’ blogs and industry articles, so I have an idea of what’s selling and what’s not, but this business is very subjective and the market is constantly changing. Agents meet with editors (online or in person) on a regular basis to get to know them and their personal tastes. Freelance editors don’t.
Read the full post on Lynette Labelle’s blog.