Non-fiction editor recommendations

Mike_DJ · Aug 13, 2017

I'm looking for a professional editing service for a non-fiction manuscript. The service should cover standard (grammar, spelling, punctuation) and advanced editing (structure, flow). The manuscript will go the agent and publisher route afterwards but as English isn't my fist language I prefer to do a copy edit before. I browsed the (huge) editing market and shortlisted:

Amazon Create Space Editing Services
Wiley Editing Services
Bubble Cow

Create Space and Wiley are brand names but I didn't find any information here. Does somebody have experience with one of these services?

Old Hack · Aug 17, 2017

There's a thread here about BubbleCow which you might like to read.

Sleeping Cat Books · Aug 17, 2017

I would avoid CreateSpace's contracted services. They sub-contract all of that stuff out, and the author has no contact with the person actually doing the work, so there's no back and forth or querying. That's far from an optimal method of editing, in my opinion.

JetFueledCar · Aug 19, 2017

If your only concern is making sure the English reads like a native wrote it, I would suggest that a copyeditor may be overkill. It can also be a red flag to agents if you say that your work was professionally edited--it can read as "I don't know how to edit my own work." I would suggest that you might instead look into getting a native English speaker to read over your work. It would certainly save a chunk of money.

Disclaimer: I am neither editor nor agent, just a writer who procrastinates on writing by reading QueryShark and other sites (like this one).

ETA: If you do go that route, make sure the English speaker is someone whose opinion you'd trust. There's a whole breed of linguistic mistakes reserved for the native speakers of a language.

Mike_DJ · Aug 20, 2017

Thanks for your help.

@Old Hack: Thanks for the link. Interestingly this thread isn't included in the results when doing an advanced search for BubbleCow.

@Sleeping Cat Books: Exactly this is my concern - not being able to contact the person who did the editing. Still, they make a professional impression, have a short turnaround time, and a good price.

@JetFueledCar: No problem to tell the agent that I don’t have the skills to edit my work. I’m not an English native speaker. And I think it’s too much work for somebody to do it as a favor. Most editors charge around 400-600 USD for 25k words. I think this is a fair price for the effort.

While looking for further editors these 2 names popped up quite often:
http://www.editingforauthors.com/
http://cornerstones.co.uk

Any experience with them?

AW Admin · Aug 20, 2017

Editing for Authors uses editors who have worked in trade publishing and have established records.

See also this thread in the Publishing FAQs.

Service Providers

Old Hack · Aug 20, 2017

Mike_DJ said:
Thanks for your help.

@Old Hack: Thanks for the link. Interestingly this thread isn't included in the results when doing an advanced search for BubbleCow.

@Sleeping Cat Books: Exactly this is my concern - not being able to contact the person who did the editing. Still, they make a professional impression, have a short turnaround time, and a good price.

@JetFueledCar: No problem to tell the agent that I don’t have the skills to edit my work. I’m not an English native speaker. And I think it’s too much work for somebody to do it as a favor. Most editors charge around 400-600 USD for 25k words. I think this is a fair price for the effort.

While looking for further editors these 2 names popped up quite often:
http://www.editingforauthors.com/
http://cornerstones.co.uk

Any experience with them?

Cornerstones is good.

JetFueledCar said:
If your only concern is making sure the English reads like a native wrote it, I would suggest that a copyeditor may be overkill. It can also be a red flag to agents if you say that your work was professionally edited--it can read as "I don't know how to edit my own work." I would suggest that you might instead look into getting a native English speaker to read over your work. It would certainly save a chunk of money.

Disclaimer: I am neither editor nor agent, just a writer who procrastinates on writing by reading QueryShark and other sites (like this one).

ETA: If you do go that route, make sure the English speaker is someone whose opinion you'd trust. There's a whole breed of linguistic mistakes reserved for the native speakers of a language.

I agree that writers are generally better off not paying editors prior to submission to an agent: we've already discussed this with the OP in his previous threads:

[h=3]Professional copy edit before or after agent submission[/h]
[h=3]Global Publishing[/h]

Non-fiction editor recommendations

Mike_DJ

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Sleeping Cat Books

Booking design projects for fall

JetFueledCar

tiny hedgehog

Mike_DJ

AW Admin

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman