Editing Services FAQ

When the editing process is complete, will my book be error-free?

No.

Yes, that sounds harsh, but it is the unvarnished truth. When the process is complete, your book will be as good as two (or three if you chose to add a second proof) people can make it.

Commercially published books go through four to five editors and proofreaders. As I’m sure you are aware, those aren’t perfect, either.

As one example, in the first chapter of “Twilight,” by Stephenie Meyer, I found the following sentence:

“The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born.”

This is not an excuse. It’s a statement of fact. No one is perfect. (We do take our best shot at perfection, though. )

To that end, I strongly suggest that every author either read his or her book again (yes, again), get someone else to read it who will report errors, and/or sign up for a second proofread, done by a different person.

I have heard from other clients that having the Kindle read the book aloud to you will greatly assist in locating extraneous errors.

How long does the first edit take?

That depends on the length and condition of the manuscript. You will be given a time estimate when your edit begins.

What types of feedback will I receive, outside of grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

Every book is different, but we consider all aspects of the manuscript.

We create a second document for the content edit, which could include commentary on things like storyline, plot, characters, writing style, and/or pacing.

After the first edit, the author and editor can go over those notes on the phone to discuss and possibly brainstorm together about ways to correct problems.

How long does the entire process take?

I can’t answer that, as most of it depends upon the author and how long they take to go through the edits and make corrections. We do understand that authors want to get their books out as soon as possible, but we certainly don’t want to sacrifice quality for speed.

What is your availability for scheduling?

Our schedule varies from week to week. If you submit a completed manuscript and receive a date too far in the future, you should know that we have new openings all the time when other authors do not complete their manuscripts by their scheduled dates. When that happens, I contact authors of completed manuscripts to see if they wish to move up into that open slot.

How many times will you read my book?

We read each book one time. For subsequent edits, we read and edit your changes. When editing changes, we do tend to reread portions around them to ensure continuity. A different person will perform the proofread. Should you purchase a second proofread, a third person will read your book.

What if my changes need changes?

We do edits of your changes until the author and editor are both satisfied. If this requires the book to be e-mailed between us several times, so be it. Our goal is for your book to be as clean as possible before sending it to the proofreader.

How soon do I need to get the book back to you after the first edit?

We do not place authors under any sort of deadline. Many of our clients have day jobs and take weeks, or even months, to go through all of the edits. Also, the amount of editing varies.

My best advice is to take your time. You should read your entire book and consider each edit carefully. How long that takes is entirely up to you.

How and when do I pay you?

You do not pay until invoiced, and we do not send invoices until we are within two to three days of beginning work on your novel. We invoice through PayPal, but you do not have to have a PayPal account. You can pay with a credit card.

What happens if I can’t meet my scheduled date?

Simply let me know as soon as you realize your book will not be ready, along with a new estimated completion date, and I will reschedule it, depending on availability.

What if my book is ready before my scheduled date?

If this occurs, submit your manuscript, and I will put it into the next available opening.

What happens if a reader finds an error, either before or after publication?

I suggest sending the passage to us so that we can ascertain if it is actually an error, and if your change will fix it in a grammatically correct manner. Some readers get a bit overzealous in pointing out so-called errors.

Of course, if it’s just a simple typo, feel free to correct it yourself.

If it involves a storyline issue that you feel might need changing, we can discuss that.

How does a book become a Red Adept Select?

When an editor feels strongly about a book, he or she can nominate it for the Select program. Once a book is nominated, the rest of the staff has the opportunity to read it and provide feedback and a vote.

Red Adept Select books are chosen by majority vote. Red Adept Select is solely for Indie books.

If I pay you to edit my book, will you consider my book for your publishing side?

No. If you pay us to edit a book, it is no longer eligible to be submitted to our publishing side.

 

 

If your question has not been answered, please feel free to contact me at Lynn@RedAdeptPublishing.com