There are so many great manuscripts out there, it seems an awful waste of time to wait for major repairs on an inferior book.
My partner and I do most of the reading. We offer editorial advice, but do very little editing. We don't have the time. My extra readers work for free. Most of them are retired published writers and/or publishers/editors who feel privileged to be reading original works. Sometimes I use an expert in firearms or police procedure, or such, to check out sections of a book. They work for free, too, also for the privilege of seeing new material.
Of course, I'm living in a place that's replete with folks like that, so it's easy for me to find willing readers. If I can't find a reader for a specific genre, I won't consider the book.
The only free-lance editors/readers I know who work for money, work for publishing companies and are paid by the company, not the author. I worked in that capacity myself for several years. Many big houses use in-house copy editors these days.
If an author's book needs paid work, s/he should take it back and do it over.
My partner and I do most of the reading. We offer editorial advice, but do very little editing. We don't have the time. My extra readers work for free. Most of them are retired published writers and/or publishers/editors who feel privileged to be reading original works. Sometimes I use an expert in firearms or police procedure, or such, to check out sections of a book. They work for free, too, also for the privilege of seeing new material.
Of course, I'm living in a place that's replete with folks like that, so it's easy for me to find willing readers. If I can't find a reader for a specific genre, I won't consider the book.
The only free-lance editors/readers I know who work for money, work for publishing companies and are paid by the company, not the author. I worked in that capacity myself for several years. Many big houses use in-house copy editors these days.
If an author's book needs paid work, s/he should take it back and do it over.