I'm confused.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers costs as little as $4.88 used on Amazon. Critique groups are free. You can also posts excerpts here, and with luck will get some generally-applicable feedback that will give you ideas of what to look for when going through your manuscript again.

Honestly, I highly recommend learning to edit yourself, and believe it's a skill that all serious writers should learn. Good luck with it!

nachonaco_Grippers said:

So, I've done some research on editors, is it true that I can expect to pay anywhere from 1-3 cents/word for an editor?

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Yep, that sounds about right. This thread discusses freelance editing rates and possibilities, so check it out.

nachonaco_Grippers said:

My friend offered to edit the entire MS for free, so I guess I should take his bargain, hmm?

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Maybe. Is your friend an editor? Does he know his stuff? If so, heck yeah! That ain't a bargain--that's a gift! If not, it won't hurt anything to get someone else's take on the manuscript, but well-meaning people can give really bad advice without realizing it and can be really bad at stuff they think they're good at because they don't know any better, so at least one of you should have an idea of what's what or you could end up worse off than you started. I don't know you and I don't know your friend, so obviously I have no idea how that offer would work out for you--just some things to think about.

Kristen

nachonaco_Grippers said:

He's just about the smartest dude I know. He's helped me a lot with ideas.

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Smart is good. It doesn't necessarily mean "good editor," but it's definitely good. Does he have any editing experience, though?

Kristen

Kristen King said:

Smart is good. It doesn't necessarily mean "good editor," but it's definitely good. Does he have any editing experience, though?

Kristen

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Amen! Nacho is a teenager, I believe. It would stand to reason that her friend is likely young as well, so will that make him a better editor than Nacho?

Maybe you'd do better asking a teacher with an advanced degree in English to do a rough edit and edit for spelling and grammar. Then that teacher could give you an overall view as to its publishability.

If you have one high-schooler or college freshman edit another, what good is going to come from it? They both have similar experience and education, what is one going to find that the other has missed?

Regards,
Scott

Popeyesays said:

If you have one high-schooler or college freshman edit another, what good is going to come from it? They both have similar experience and education, what is one going to find that the other has missed?

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Not always so, but yeah, most of the time. A friend who used to edit my stuff when we were high school together still edits my stuff today, and pretty much anything she touches gets published. I'm the same way with her work. If your friend is freakin' brilliant in English and writing, you may get an awesome, however inexperienced, edit. But unless he's freakin' brilliant in English and writing, as evidenced by straight A's in honors and AP courses, he's probably not going to be a lot of help.

Kristen