Red Adept Editing Services

Frequently Asked Questions

 

When the editing process is complete, will my book be error-free?

No.

Yes, that sounds harsh, but it is the unvarnished truth. When the process is complete, your book will be as good as two people can make it. However, your quote includes only two people—an editor and a proofreader.

Commercially published books go through four to five editors and proofreaders. As I’m sure you are aware, those aren’t perfect, either.

As one example, in the first chapter of “Twilight,” by Stephenie Meyer, I found the following sentence:

“The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born.”

This is not an excuse. It’s a statement of fact. No one is perfect. (We do take our best shot at perfection, though. )

To that end, I strongly suggest that every author either read their book again (yes, again), get someone else to read it who will report errors, and/or sign up for a second proofread, done by a different person, which is a new service we offer. Feel free to ask for details.

I have heard from other clients that having the Kindle read the book aloud to you will greatly assist in locating extraneous errors.

How long does it take you to do the first edit?

I edit approximately 20,000 words per day. This, of course, varies from book to book and depends on other factors in my life. I’ve never taken more than a week to edit a book, but I won’t say that it will never happen.

What types of feedback will I receive, outside of grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

Every book is different, but I consider all aspects of the manuscript.

I create a second document for the content edit, which could include commentary on things like storyline, plot, characters, writing style, and/or pacing.

After the first edit, the author and I go over those notes on the phone to discuss and possibly brainstorm together about ways to correct problems.

How long does the entire process take?

I can’t answer that, as most of it depends upon the author and how long they take to go through my edits and make corrections. I and Proofer Jim do understand that authors want to get their books out as soon as possible, but we certainly don’t want to sacrifice quality for speed.

What is your availability for scheduling?

My schedule actually tends to vary from week to week. If you submit a completed manuscript and receive a date too far in the future, you should know that I have openings all the time when other authors do not complete their manuscripts by their scheduled dates. When that happens, I contact authors of completed manuscripts to see if they wish to move up into that open slot.

How many times will you read my book?

I read each book one time. For subsequent edits, I read and edit your changes. When editing changes, I do tend to reread portions around them to ensure continuity.

What if my changes need changes?

I do edits of your changes until we are both satisfied. If this requires the book to be e-mailed between us several times, so be it. My goal is for your book to be as clean as possible before sending it to the proofreader.

How soon do I need to get the book back to you after the first edit?

I always chuckle when someone asks this question. I do not place authors under any sort of deadline. Many of my clients have day jobs and take weeks, even months for some, to go through all of the edits. Also, the amount of editing varies.

My best advice is to take your time. You should read your entire book and consider each edit carefully. How long that takes is entirely up to you.

How and when do I pay you?

You do not pay until invoiced, and I do not send invoices until I am within two to three days of beginning work on your novel. I invoice through PayPal, but you do not have to have a PayPal account. You can pay with a credit card.

What happens if I can’t meet my scheduled date?

Simply let me know as soon as you realize your book will not be ready, along with a new estimated completion date, and I will reschedule it.

What if my book is ready before my scheduled date?

If this occurs, submit your manuscript, and I will put it into the next available opening.

What happens if a reader finds an error, either before or after publication?

I suggest sending the passage to me so that I can ascertain if it is actually an error, and if your change will fix it in a grammatically correct manner. Some readers get a bit overzealous in pointing out so-called errors.

Of course, if it’s just a simple typo, feel free to correct it yourself.

If it involves a storyline issue that you feel might need changing, we can discuss that.

 

If your question has not been answered, please feel free to contact me at RedAdeptReviews@yahoo.com