My mother and I are fortunate to work with truly gifted editors at our publishing houses – but for my own independent projects I always seek feedback from a freelance editor (such as Emma D. Dryden, whom I interviewed this month for the Hub).  You see, I’m not very good at editing myself.

There are many good reasons to work with a freelance editor in today’s publishing world – but here is perhaps the most compelling one:  Once a manuscript has been rejected, it will seldom be reconsidered by that same publisher… even if you rewrite it.  So it’s very important to get it as polished as we can be before the submission process begins, and the best way I know to do that is to hire a freelance editor.

That said, there are a number of things we can do to become better self-editors, to get our manuscripts into the best possible shape even before we submit them to a freelance editor… and I thought, given this month’s focus on editing, I’d explore some of them. Here’s one for those of you who use Microsoft Word:

Use the Find and Replace and Thesaurus tools.

“Find and replace” is the most efficient way to replace overused words. For instance, I tend to overuse the word “wonderful”. It crops up all the time in what I’m writing and it drives me insane. What I do is write, write, write – and when I’m done, I click “Find” (under the Edit tab), type in the word “wonderful” and each time the tool pulls it up in the manuscript I choose a better word to replace it with (using the “Thesaurus” tool – or the real, bound Thesaurus if I get stuck!)

If you want to change a character’s name, you can use the find and replace tool to pull up all the “Mickey’s” and change them to “Mikey” in one mouse click. You can click “find next” and walk through the manuscript word by word, or you can click “find all” and do a global replace on a word or name.

Among the things you might want to ‘find and replace’ (with better choices from your Thesaurus!) are:

• Cheap or cheesy modifiers (very, just, etc.)
• Passive verbs / tentative or weak sentence construction (was going, been having, seemed, felt etc.)
• Words you use too often (wonderful, like, suddenly, little)
• Adverbs that prop up weak verbs
• A character’s name (Replace All)

Manuscripts that are overwritten, under-developed, derivative, riddled with mistakes, or out of touch with the marketplace often won’t make it past the pre-screener’s desk – so it’s imperative that yours is in the best possible shape before you even think of submitting it for publication or agent consideration.  The best way to do that is by hiring a freelance editor to give it the once over before you submit. It can actually make the difference between a book getting selected for publication or not.

I work with freelance editors regularly myself. Even though I am one, I can’t edit my own work – and I don’t see the weaknesses in my writing that I can spot in other people’s.  I recently got a comprehensive, page-by-page evaluation of a picture-book manuscript I’m working on that included a round of follow up questions. It was invaluable, and well worth the investment.

There are a number of editorial services to choose from.  A manuscript evaluation gives you comprehensive written feedback as to what the strengths and weaknesses of your story are, as well as recommendations for character and plot development, assessments of theme and structure, and so forth. Armed with this evaluation, you then conduct your own rewrite.  Content- or line-editing means line-by-line recommendations for changes to words, sentence structure and grammar, as well as refinements in plot, character development, theme, and narrative. This service is obviously more expensive, but depending on your needs may be more helpful.  Copy-editing is generally proof-reading and fact checking.

Finding the right editor is a little like finding the right athletic coach or teacher for your child.  You need to feel safe about placing your cherished manuscript in their hands, and trust that it will be nurtured and supported in its development and be the stronger and better for it. There are several good places to conduct a search. One is the Editorial Freelancers Association, which most freelance editors are members of. You can also find editors on Elance and Guru as well as through Media Bistro.  If you are a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (and if you aren’t a member, you should be) they will give you a pdf list of member editors they recommend. The latter is probably your best guarantee of quality.  Of course, you can also conduct a Google or other search-engine search – simply enter the words “childrens book editors” or “freelance editors” and explore the websites that come up.

The following are six steps to help you identify and select the right editor for you:

1)    Decide what type of editing service you need: manuscript evaluation, content or line editing, or proof-reading. When in doubt, go for an evaluation first. Most editors will give you a break on the price of follow-up line-editing if they have provided an evaluation first, and this can be the most cost-effective way to get the best result.

2)    Look for someone who has significant experience in the children’s book industry, either as an author or an editor – preferably both – and specifically in the genre you are writing in.

3)    Ask to see samples of their work.  Some editors will share anonymous examples of their evaluations, others will offer to line-edit two or three pages of your manuscript so that you can get a sense of whether their style and approach is simpatico with yours.

4)    Review any testimonials and endorsements, or ask for references you can contact.

5)    Ascertain their pricing structure, and be very clear about understanding what you will get for that price. If you are getting an evaluation, will it be in writing so you can refer to it later as needed?  Are you allowed any follow-up questions? Will they give you a projected schedule for completion of their work? How about a discount off of any future services?

Once you’ve researched your options, narrow it down – and then go with your gut as to who feels the most accessible, professional and right for your particular project.