Everyone needs an editor. Everyone. Even if you've penned perfection, somebody somewhere will point out a flaw. It might seem perfection to the author - but the author isn't the only one buying their own books (hopefully!). So where can an indie find an editor? What if the indie is flat broke and can't afford one?
Here are some places to start:
Also - they've put out this book for $0.99 - seriously good information on editing. Get it here:
In my own searching I have come across several editing services. I can't tell you the best, but these ones look promising and their pricing very reasonable.They stood out in my mind:
low cost editing http://thereforyoumelissa.blogspot.com/
Getting a professional editor is a great option, you think, but you're an indie. You want to hire a professional editor but... you don’t have a lot of
cash. Your friends and family are great support but not really very helpful. They aren't editors and they probably love you. But you really need that second set of eyes (or ten). What can you do?
Option 1- Get a real editor for one chapter.
Pay for the first chapter of the book. Review the changes. See what mistakes
you make and use them as a framework to edit the rest on your own.It sounds like a terribble, terrible option. But it's okay if your book isn't one of those epics.
Alternately you could find the worst/most problematic pages in your story and pay to edit those.
It still leaves you with a lot of work. You may or may not be up to it, so there is another way to go cheap. Find a cheap editor. There are cheap editors out there - but I haven't tried any of these so I really don't know. Just remember - you probably will get exactly what you pay for.
You can find some cheap editors on Fiverr or Twentyfiverr. Here are examples:
http://fiverr.com/gigs/search?page=1&query=ebook+editing&x=25&y=18 -do ten pages at a time for cheap
It may still be too much for you. You may have a 100,000-200,000 word novel. You can't afford both creative and copy editing. How can you save money? Maybe you can do it yourself with software? Good software can get pricey but you can use it again for your next books. And it still won't take the place of a real live thinking editor that follows your story.
Option 2: Get software and DIY. Here are some links (cheap software).
http://www.autocrit.com/cs-cart/pricing.php
(free - 117$)
http://www.editorsoftware.com/StyleWriter.html#
(looks complicated, couldn’t find price = never a good thing)
************ for a list and comparison of software**************
Say it's still too much. You can't afford it. Well, there is something left. But I think it might be the most difficult to way to go.
Option 3: Look for other indie authors to swap with.
It’s a tough job. You can join collectives - like the ones listed above - or stalk the Smashwords pages
for new authors in your genre and research them. Maybe they will trade with
you? Maybe you could swap reviews as well? I think it's more of a long shot, but if you're really stuck it might be the way for you.
As always - let me know what you think in the comment section below. How did you get your first indie novel edited?
Next Post - Getting Reviews, and What the Heck to Do With Your Novel.
It will be short. Mostly links to the author groups already listed above. They are the go to resources.
Next Post - Getting Reviews, and What the Heck to Do With Your Novel.
It will be short. Mostly links to the author groups already listed above. They are the go to resources.
