When it comes to searching for the right editor, there are so many factors to consider. You want to find someone who prioritizes your voice and the story you’re trying to tell; someone who will give real, constructive criticism without tearing you apart; and you want to find someone who is fully transparent about all aspects of the editing service. That’s a lot to figure out just by browsing websites and social media, right?
Sample edits are a great way to get a bunch of those questions answered. Personally, I find them to be vital to the editing process as both an editor and an author. They offer a vast amount of knowledge in a small amount of time and space.
Here are the top four reasons I offer a complimentary sample edit to all clients:
Conducting a sample edit helps me determine how much time I’ll need to read through the manuscript (multiple times, depending on the service) and thoroughly edit it. Quality editing is an investment, and I’m determined to give myself enough time to provide clients with my highest quality of work.
Through sample edits, both editors and authors can determine if they’re the right fit for one another. You want to ensure you find an editor you feel comfortable trusting your story with and, sometimes, editors realize through the sample edit their expertise doesn’t make them a good fit for this story. Where this happens, I always try to recommend other editors.
They allow authors to have something tangible at their disposal when choosing an editor. You don’t go to a car dealership and buy the first car you see. Keep that same perspective with editors; I often recommend getting a couple of samples done and see whose feedback most aligns with your vision.
Sample edits help me be fully transparent with the authors I work with. They know what to expect from the service they’re booking; I give them the same level of feedback they’ll get in a full edit, and each sample edit is returned with a quote and potential timeline for the service, including payment due dates.
Some editors will argue that sample edits cannot be completed on developmental edits, but I disagree. I approach each sample edit the same way, regardless of where in the story it falls: If I picked your book up in a store and turned to this random page, would it pull me in? Ultimately, I dive much deeper than that in the sample, taking the areas I target in developmental edits and zeroing in on that moment in time.
Sample edits are always complimentary and required of all new clients. If you’re a returning client, I might ask to see a small sample just to read it over for timeline determination. If you wish for me to conduct a full sample as a returning client, I will always agree. My turnaround time is usually two to three business days, as I do work at an office job as well. No contracts are signed, or deposits paid until far after the sample edit phase is completed.
Below are a few examples of the kinds of comments I leave on Developmental Edit samples:
Interested in working together? Reach out and book your free sample edit today!