What should aspiring indie writers know?
Indie
writers have arrived and they are scarring the crap out of traditional
publishers because try as they might, they can’t deny indie writers are
taking a piece of the cake. And they weren’t even invited to the party.
I’ve only been doing this for 2 years and it’s grown immensely during
this time. So much so, that there appears to be another division
occurring among the indie community itself. We’ve split into two
parties. One: writers who know how to write great books and market
themselves. Two: writers who know how to write good books and have not a
clue on how to market themselves.
Many
people are benefiting off of each party, the readers, the writers and
the ones who pull the novel all together. The ones who are taking full
advantage of this blooming industry, maybe just a little more advantage
then they should. Yes, I’m talking about editors and proofreaders. I
only bring this up to prepare you in case you are thinking all the hard
work is done once you have your manuscript in hand. Unfortunately,
that’s just step 1 of 5. And the last four steps can be very expensive
and time consuming.
Editors.
Which kind? Most editors charge by word count or page count instead of
by hour. This is a good thing for authors, because it gives them more
upfront pricing and fewer surprises if it takes the editor twice as long
to complete. Also, there are three types of editors and their fees are
different because skill set, time, and dedicated focus/complexity is
much different for each level. Keep in mind, the price of an editor can
also depend on level of education, skill set, experience level, or
geographic location. Don’t always snag the cheapest just to save a buck.
Sometimes another editor who may charge just a tad more may be worth
the money where the other could be like throwing it out the window.
1)
Content Editor (also called structural editor or developmental editor) –
this is someone who looks at the story holistically and makes large
scale (think macro level) changes to plot, content flow, character
development, plot consistency/holes, believability, etc. This is the
first editor you would go to, though most Indie authors can’t afford
both this type of editing and copy editing, so they forego this and rely
solely on beta readers or critique groups of other writers to give them
this type of feedback. If you can afford one, these can be worth their
weight in gold, because they will point things out that you never even
thought of. But, they run anywhere from $1200-$1800 and up.
2)
Copy editor – this is the person who goes through and does a deep LINE
editing job. This is to look for grammar, punctuation, tense, character
consistencies (ie, she has blond hair in chapter one and mysteriously
has red in chapter four), readability/flow, style, etc. Expect to pay
anywhere from between $350-$1,000. (All depends on book length and level
needed)
Below
are some ways to find editors of any price range. Most editors will
agree to edit (for free) from a page or two, to a certain number of
words, to a full first chapter. This lets the editor gauge the level of
editing they might need to do on the book, and also gives you a chance
to see if you think the editor is a good fit FOR YOU and your book.
Because it works both ways and you want to make sure it’s a good fit
before hiring someone on. After all, if they are missing basic stuff,
it’s better to know now.
Finding
editors is a tricky business. I suggest word of mouth. Look towards
writers you like and see who they recommend. Vet them! Read novels
they’ve edited for other people. Make sure they don’t have too much on
their own plate, especially editors who are writing a novel as well as
editing yours at the same time. This is a very expensive business guys
and gals, so expect them to be committed to your baby and have a
timeline set as to when it will be done.
Amber
Tyler is living every author’s dream: her books are all best sellers
and she writes full time. She has worked hard and is well-accomplished
in her career, and she has the support and love of her beautiful
children and girlfriend.
But the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers, only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.
But the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers, only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-13
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