I recently employed the services of a historical book editor whom I found on EFA. The reason was that I was 20k words in and realized that my first chapter may not mesh with the rest. It was good background to the main character who would have a fall from grace, so readers could see just how fish-out-of-water the new setting was. Problem was, there's no real action. So I needed an opinion as to whether I should trash it and weave the history into the rest of the story. The next few chapters would be very, very different if I deleted the first chapter and I'd rather deal with it up front.
For under $100, I got good feedback and some direction. I also got pointers on another issue I didn't even see. And I was assured that the dialogue was spot-on for the time period, something that worried me. Since this is my first foray into a historical romance, where the romance is not front-and-center (I've previously written three straight up romances), I'm thinking that I will send it again when I'm 40k deep, or when I've rewritten the beginning.
I'm wondering if anyone else has done this and what your opinion is of this. If it's not your first, you probably don't need it. But I'm thinking that getting editing advice ahead of sending it off to an agent would make it a better piece with better chances.
As a side note, this editor has a published historical novel and teaches writing at a college. I'm not completely green at this. I've written paid freelance for many years. But historical novels, I'm finding, are very different than other types of writing.
Thanks for any opinions.
For under $100, I got good feedback and some direction. I also got pointers on another issue I didn't even see. And I was assured that the dialogue was spot-on for the time period, something that worried me. Since this is my first foray into a historical romance, where the romance is not front-and-center (I've previously written three straight up romances), I'm thinking that I will send it again when I'm 40k deep, or when I've rewritten the beginning.
I'm wondering if anyone else has done this and what your opinion is of this. If it's not your first, you probably don't need it. But I'm thinking that getting editing advice ahead of sending it off to an agent would make it a better piece with better chances.
As a side note, this editor has a published historical novel and teaches writing at a college. I'm not completely green at this. I've written paid freelance for many years. But historical novels, I'm finding, are very different than other types of writing.
Thanks for any opinions.
