by Leti Del Mar
Everything
I have ever come across in regard to self-publishing says I should get
my work edited. Even those who don't self-publish are still
urged to have their manuscript edited before submitting it to agents or
publishers. It makes sense to have your work edited, but it can also be
incredibly expensive. I asked around for someone to edit my 82,000 word
manuscript and the price range was $500 to $1,500! ...And
that was people just getting started in the business,
not those who come highly recommended.
What if you're just starting out and uncomfortable with spending that
much money on editing? What is an aspiring writer to do? Fortunately, I've
got some cost-cutting suggestions!
When
it comes to editing for content, you absolutely need another pair of
eyes looking over your work. A free way to do this is to ask a beta
reader to read your book. A beta reader is someone who will read your
work and then give you their opinion. It is a good idea to have some
questions in mind you want to ask about plot, characters and setting. A
good beta reader will give you his or her general ideas and point out
inconsistencies or troubled areas. I've had great success connecting
with beta readers on message boards. Try Goodreads groups, World
Literary Cafe and the Kindle boards.
- Sway students. If you want a more personal touch and are willing to shell out some cash, try your local college or University. It is amazing what $50 will buy you. Post a notice asking for English students to critique your work.
- Swap edits. Use those message boards to find other authors willing to swap edits. Ask for a thorough edit and have them consider grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Swap services. Are you handy with graphic design? Swap a cover design for an edit with another author. Are you super duper organized and have contacts with book bloggers? Perhaps you could swap organizing a blog tour in exchange for an edit. Hit those message boards and advertise what you can do in exchange for a good manuscript edit.
There are also some great websites out there to help you edit your work. Grammar Girl answers all sorts of grammatical questions for free. Auto Crit will
assess your work and search for things like overused words, spelling
mistakes and some grammar issues. You can try it for free, but their
packages start at about $50 a year. I love Grammarly!
It does a wonderfully thorough job of searching your work for all kinds
of grammatical mistakes. Again, you can try it for free. Ttheir
packages start at around $20 a month.
Are
these options as good as hiring a professional editor? No. However, if you
are just starting out or if your books have not sold enough that you can
justify investing $1500, these suggestions will help you put
together a more professional product -- whether you are self-publishing or
submitting to agents and publishers.
Want more cost-cutting advice? Check out my book, How To Self-Publish: A DIY Approach. It is available on Amazon for just $0.99.
About the Author
Bio: Leti
Del Mar lives in sunny Southern California with her husband, daughter
and abnormally large cat. When she isn’t writing, reading or blogging,
she is teaching Biology and Algebra to teenagers. Leti is also a classic
film buff, passionate about Art History and loves to travel.
This
book is for anyone who has ever considered publishing their own work
but has either thought the process seemed too complicated or too
expensive. My newest book will hold your hand as it guides your
manuscript from your word processor to a formatted e-book and paperback.
It will show you how to launch and market your book, get reviews, and
use social media to establish an author platform. I promise to show you
how this can all be accomplished for less than you would spend on a
week's worth of lattes!
My
Do-It-Yourself Approach is full of useful advice and practical tips any
author new to the world of self-publishing can easily implement.
The
best news? I am not alone in this endeavor. I have teamed up with 6
other authors who represent a wide variety of writers including; Craig
Hurren, Victoria Sawyer, Carmen Stefanescu, Clancy Tucker, Melissa Wray
and Lee Zamloch. They have each contributed their insight on topics like
the importance of research, coping with bad reviews, creating a brand,
utilizing feedback and much more!
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