While every editor has their own way of onboarding new clients, most editors do offer a sample edit, and often that sample edit is free. Free!
What is a sample edit?
Before you sign up to work with an editor or pay any deposit, ask them if they’d be willing to edit a sample of your writing. Every editor handles this differently, but most will work on 500–1,000 words of your project or work for 30–60 minutes on your project. When they return the edited sample to you, they’ll give you a quote or proposal.
What are the benefits of a sample edit?
The editor gets to see your writing style. They see where your strengths are and where you might improve. They get a taste of your story, and hopefully, they get excited to work on it! You should be able to get a feel for their level of interest in the project.
The editor can determine what level of editing they think the project needs. Is your manuscript ready for line editing or copyediting, or does it still have some larger issues to be worked out? This mini “assessment” can be very helpful, especially for newer authors.
The editor can estimate how much time the project will take. Some editors have a set number of words or pages they work on during a sample edit. Others set a time limit for their sample edits. Either way, this gives the editor a chance to calculate approximately how much time it will take to edit the entire manuscript or screenplay. They should be able to give you a time estimate, and maybe even tentative dates, for their work.
The editor’s quote is more likely to be fair. Gathering all the information discussed above helps the editor to more accurately determine how much to charge. At the end of the project, you won’t feel cheated, and the editor won’t feel resentful. That’s the goal!
It’s important to “interview” each professional you plan to pay to work on your book or screenplay, and sample edits are a great way to do that when looking for editors.
How do I know I've found the right editor?
You want to find an editor
- who likes your story
- who’s a good match for you in communication style
- whose editing style vibes with your writing style
- whose price fits within your budget
- who has space on their calendar
- who seems knowledgeable
- whom you feel you can trust
I recommend requesting a sample edit from three to five editors. Having a few options to choose from prevents you from settling and makes it easier for you to find someone who aligns with your needs.
Send the same sample of your writing to every editor. This will make it easier to compare their editing styles.
I'm having a hard time deciding! What do I do?
Don’t choose an editor based on how much or how little they did to your sample. The right editor isn’t necessarily the person who changed your writing the most or the least.
Carefully read through all the sample edits you get back. Now ask yourself, Which of these samples sounds like my story? Which of these samples reads the most how I want my final book or screenplay to read?
The best sample is the one that sounds like you but more polished.
Once you’ve decided which sample edit feels the best, ask yourself, Did I feel good about the communication I had with this editor?
I understand that most writers are on a budget, but I don’t suggest factoring price into the decision until you’ve answered the above questions. Do not work with an editor whose editing and communication styles don’t feel great to you, even if their price is low—actually, especially if their price is low. I can almost guarantee you will not be happy with the experience or the result.
This all may feel like a lot of work, but it’s worth the time investment! This story is your “baby.” You’ve spent many, many hours thinking, writing, rewriting, and self-editing. Putting in a few more hours to make sure you find the right editor(s) is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it could make a huge difference in the success of your final product.
