When do the editors come in?

I'm not yet published, but as I understand it:

Some people pay a copy editor to check their work over before they submit to agents. (Really, you should be able to edit your own work for the most part, and get enough input from a few beta readers, but some find paid edits helpful.)

A publisher will assign an editor once they've obtained a manuscript for publication. This is NOT something the author pays for, nor should they be pushed toward an editing service by their agent. If either of those happen, you've likely found yourself a scam artist.

Cyia said:

I'm not yet published, but as I understand it:

Some people pay a copy editor to check their work over before they submit to agents. (Really, you should be able to edit your own work for the most part, and get enough input from a few beta readers, but some find paid edits helpful.)

A publisher will assign an editor once they've obtained a manuscript for publication. This is NOT something the author pays for, nor should they be pushed toward an editing service by their agent. If either of those happen, you've likely found yourself a scam artist.

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This.

What Cyia said.

Editors are the employees of the publisher. Once the author is under contract, an editor is assigned to work with them to polish the manuscript.

I suppose some pay editors to polish their books before they submit.

The above doesn't help you be a better writer. Write the best book you can, and send it to the agent or the publisher who accepts mss.

If accepted you'll be assigned an editor by the publisher, who will make you fix your own mistakes and polish your own book. They will give you plenty of suggetions of how to better your work. you may get pages of corrections and suggestion to wit you will pull your hair out trying to fix.

Learn your craft.

Normally, there are two types of editors at a publishing house: the acquisition editor and the line/copy editor. The acquisition editor is the person who evaluates your book for publication. If it's something that would be a good fit into the publisher's catalog, the acquisition editor is the person who makes an offer to buy it. Many times, this editor will make global or general suggestions but hardly ever gets into the nuts & bolts of the writing. That's the job of the line editor. That person goes through your manuscript line by line to address grammar, punctuation, possible plotting issues, mistakes, etc. Once the line editor is done, you will get back a copy of your manuscript with mark-up notes or a point-by-point list of required edits including questions that might lead to further discussion. It's important to remember that the copy editor is on your side and is striving to make your book as good as it can be. Always consider your editor as a valuable resource to make you a better writer.

There are some freelance editors or book doctors out there that will sell their services, particularly to unpublished authors. Don't waste your money.

Joe Moore said:

There are some freelance editors or book doctors out there that will sell their services, particularly to unpublished authors. Don't waste your money.

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I think that people who intend to make their livings as writers should absolutely learn to self-edit. Full stop.

As a freelance editor myself, I work primarily with people who don't intend to make their livings as writers (chefs writing cookbooks, doctors and researchers writing about their work for a lay audience, etc.), and I don't think that my clients' money is wasted at all.

IceCreamEmpress said:

I think that people who intend to make their livings as writers should absolutely learn to self-edit. Full stop.

As a freelance editor myself, I work primarily with people who don't intend to make their livings as writers (chefs writing cookbooks, doctors and researchers writing about their work for a lay audience, etc.), and I don't think that my clients' money is wasted at all.

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I think anyone who writes fiction is wasting money by hiring an editor, but anyone who wants a nonfiction book out there, but who isn't a writer, should definitely hire an editor.

Though I prefer it when a contract is already in place. Barring this, the hired editor should be upfront about the probable fate of the book.

Even in nonfiction, most money is thrown away because the writer believes hiring an editor will get his book published, and it very seldom works this way.

We have had numerous discussions over the value of hiring an editor for your work before submission, here are some recent ones http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165616 http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161659
I disagree that anyone who writes fiction is wasting money by hiring one, the situation is more complex, but I certainly agree that it is not required.

I've found that the majority of freelance editors are not very good. I know people who have paid several thousand pounds to have thier work 'edited' by a freelance before submission and it seriously wasn't worth it. The ones I have come across seem to be very expensive spell checkers.

I think a writer should be able to edit thier own work. There are exceptions though, I have a writer friend with dyslexia and sometimes she simply can't see what is wrong with a word, so she would pay someone to look over her work and make sure it makes sense and do things like a spell check for her. But I think that is the exception rather than the rule.

I guess it depends what you want in an editor. If you just want someone to check it over for continuity and spelling and grammar then a freelance will probably be fine for you, but then so would a friend with a couple of hours on thier hands.