5 Powerful Things A Sample Edit Shows You

July 29, 2024
5 Powerful Things A Sample Edit Shows You Blog Feature

Things a Sample Edit Shows You

As an indie author, finding an editor for your book can be scary. I get it! You don’t want to hand your manuscript to someone if they aren’t the right fit for you and your story. Receiving a sample edit from a potential editor can tell you all sorts of things that are valuable to your search.

Keep reading for five things a sample edit shows you.

First: What is a sample edit?

A sample edit is exactly what it sounds like! You give a potential editor a small sample to be edited, they edit it, and it is returned to you for review. Getting samples from multiple people can help the author to compare styles, knowledge, and professionalism. 

I offer 1,000-word samples, and that seems to be a common word count for most editors, although I have seen anything from four pages to 5,000 words. Each person is going to do things a little differently, so be sure to check with any freelance editor you are using before sending your document.

I always recommend that potential clients send me a portion of their manuscript that isn’t the first page. Why? Well, because usually that is the most edited portion of their manuscript. It’s hard for me to get a feel for the story if I’m only seeing the most polished portion.

Most editors will utilize Microsoft Word and its Track Changes feature to complete your sample, but some may prefer to work in Google Docs.  When you receive it back it will have edits in the document in different colors and comments in the margins. 

 

Are sample edits free?

It depends! Some provide free sample edits, some only do paid sample edits, and some charge a fee but roll it into the total cost of services if hired. 

All three of those options are okay. Never let someone tell you that charging a fee is a red flag. The truth is, there are a lot of reasons someone might offer a free sample edit, and there are also a lot of reasons someone might charge for one.

I offer free sample edits because I work with newer indie authors, and I think charging a fee would be detrimental to my business. I also really enjoy doing them, and have been able to fit them in to my workweek without issue (so far).

Some charge for sample edits because, well, time is money. The time they are spending on your sample is time they could be using to make money in their business. Freelance editors have bills too! 

Something I see a lot from more experienced editors is rolling the sample fee into the total cost of work if hired. This means that if someone charges twenty dollars for a sample, if you hire them they will deduct that amount from your total package cost. 

Would you believe it usually takes me an hour or two to complete a sample edit? 1,000 words doesn’t seem like a lot, but that usually amounts to three or four pages. I’m spending a lot of time making comments that explain my choices or my editing style, and I’m spending a lot of time going through the sample to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

If you are getting a free sample edit from an editor, please know that they are giving you at least one hour of unpaid labor. It’s okay if some editors would rather be compensated for that time.

Do all editors offer sample edits for every service?

Again, this depends on the editor. 

The most common editing services that utilize samples are line, copyediting, and proofreading. Line editing and copyediting (and proofreading)  lend themselves more easily to samples. As a copyeditor, I don’t necessarily need to have context of the entire story in order to provide a good edit. 

Developmental edits are a little different, because that edit focuses so much on the entire manuscript as a whole—and because so much of the edit can be in the editorial letter, rather than on the document. 

I know freelance developmental editors who offer samples and some who choose not to. Neither is a red flag! (If you’re concerned because the developmental editor you want to hire doesn’t offer samples, just send them an email. They have other ways to show you how they work—I promise!)

Okay, now that the basics are out of the way, let’s get into the five things a sample edit shows you!

 

1. Feedback Style

One of the most important things a sample edit shows you is an editor’s feedback style. Is the way they communicate feedback productive for you? Will you respond well to it? Remember, getting editorial feedback can be overwhelming and stressful. Make sure you are comfortable with how feedback will be presented to you.

Ask yourself these questions when looking at the feedback on your document from a potential editor: Are they constructive? Firm? Kind? Rude? Dismissive? Do they explain things as they go along? Do they explain TOO MANY things as they go along? Do you like the way they phrase comments and questions? Do the things they are saying make sense to you?

Something to watch for? Love bombing. Love bombing is when an editor only gushes over your manuscript and doesn’t give much constructive feedback. I know what you’re thinking here: What if my manuscript really IS that good? Maybe it doesn’t need any constructive feedback! 

Sorry not sorry, a perfect manuscript doesn’t exist. There’s always feedback we can offer to authors. Yes, some samples require more feedback than others, but if the majority of the feedback in your sample is fawning praise . . . seek a sample from one to two other people. 

2. General Knowledge

Your editor should be able to find errors in your document and correct them appropriately. They will likely find errors you didn’t even know were errors! This is because good editors have invested in professional training. There are specific things done in fiction editing that are different from other types of writing. This is not the sort of knowledge you can gain from “loving to read” or “being an English teacher.” 

Editors need professional training. PERIOD. 

A sample can tell you if they have it. Are they catching grammar errors and inconsistencies? Can they explain them to you in a way that makes sense? Are they confident in their edits? 

They should also tell you what references they are using. If they are using something other than The Chicago Manual of Style for fiction editing . . . don’t hire them. 

Something to watch for? If they miss an obvious error OR introduce one. Unsure how you would be able to tell? Well, that’s why it’s important to get samples from multiple people because it allows the author to compare editors’ technical competence and knowledge. 

3. Respect Your Style and Voice 

An editor should make your vision their vision. You should feel as though your story is respected, and that you have the final say as the author when it comes to any edits.

The right person will want changes to complement the original writing rather than injecting their own voice or ideas into the story. A good editor is invisible!

A red flag is when someone changes a lot in your document with no real reason. Be wary of this, but also know that sometimes a story requires a deeper line edit, and that can account for a lot of change. When you get your sample back, assess whether or not the changes made were necessary, made the writing stronger, OR just seem to be changes for the sake of making changes. 

4. Professionalism

Editing is an investment! It’s a long process. You’re handing a story that you worked on for months over to someone else. It is stressful. 

Because of those things, it is essential that who you choose to hire acts like a professional and treats editing like a serious profession. Yes, it’s important to feel comfortable with them (and some authors and editors do become friends!), but if they’re already overfamiliar with you or talking to you like you’re best friends, you may want to seek a different one. 

Remember, if you are paying someone $1000, you want to know they are taking this job seriously. 

A few other things to look for to judge professionalism:

  • Does the sample come back to you by the agreed deadline?
  • Are the comments in the document professional?
  • Do they treat editing as a profession?
  • Can you find evidence of their professional training?
  • Are they prompt with their communications?

If a potential editor ghosts you or doesn’t complete your sample by the deadline . . . find a new one!

5. Next Steps

As the author you shouldn’t have to ask what comes next. A good editor will tell you the next steps in their email.

The next steps I provide my authors include:

  • Instructions for scheduling a free Zoom call. Some authors do not like calls, and I also provide instructions for next steps if they prefer to communicate only via email.
  • An estimated timeline. The sample gives us a way to estimate how long a project will take based on what we see. Some manuscripts will require heavier edits, and those may take longer than other books. The timeline also depends on how many words the story is. Obviously, a 100k-word novel that needs copyediting will take longer than a 50k-word novel!
  • Information about contracts, fees, and deliverables.
  • A “Working with Me” pdf that includes testimonials, information about my process, and answers to FAQs.

Things to watch for:

  • If someone gives you a contract for editorial services without asking if it is okay to send you one = red flag. 
  • If someone doesn’t provide any information on next steps = red flag. 
  • If someone’s estimated timeline is vastly shorter than expected = red flag.
  • If someone doesn’t require signing a contract for editorial services or use a secure payment processor = red flag. 

Five Things a Sample Edit Shows You

Samples allow me to assess the editing or proofreading needs of an author. They allow you as the author to compare technical competence and ask if someone is right for you and your story. 

Never hire someone without getting a sample first! This helps you protect yourself and your story. 

Interested in a free sample edit from me? I’d love to talk to you about your next project!

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