What This Established Book Editor Wants You to Know

by Kristen Hamilton

In 2012, I was in my last semester at Boise State University pursuing a degree in English and writing.

I knew that I wanted to do something in the literary world, but wasn’t quite sure what.

I was so excited when I got my first job in the writing industry: I wrote vehicle descriptions for a major local car dealership. I had my own desk, computer, and everything. It was great!

But the company was making changes, and I suddenly found myself laid off after only six months.

After the Company Laid Me Off, I Decided to Go Freelance

I came home in tears. This was my first real job in the writing industry, and from circumstances outside of my control, it had slipped through my fingers.

A few weeks before this, my then-boyfriend (now husband!) got me a book: Freelancing for Dummies. So, the next day—Saturday, my first day of unemployment—I sat on the couch and read the book.

I liked the idea of the freedom to run your own business, to be your own boss, and to be responsible for your own paycheck. I wanted to try it. What did I have to lose?

I Was Earning Money Sitting on My Couch in My PJs!

The very next day, two months before I graduated college, I started my business. I fell head over heels into every aspect of entrepreneurship: setting my own schedule, answering client emails, and getting the work done on time. I loved it. I couldn’t get enough.

The first two months were filled with dozens of hours of work setting up my website, email, social media pages, and online presence, and saying yes to whatever jobs came my way. I advertised on Craigslist and worked on oDesk (now Upwork).

My first month, I made $800—and I was thrilled. This was money I was earning when I was sitting on my couch with my laptop, in my PJs! My second month, I got more jobs and earned more money. And my third month…that’s when things really started skyrocketing.

It’s taken a lot of hard work, late nights, and serious dedication to get to where I am now, eight years later. I’ve built a solid reputation as a fiction book editor and have a constant stream of work—I’m normally booked three to four months in advance. My clients love me. And I love their books! I’ll be doing this for a long time.

In Finding My Writing Niche, I Followed My Heart

When I started my business, I said yes to every project that came my way. I’ve worked in ghostwriting (everything from memoirs to brochures), copywriting (for food blogs and apartment rentals), and magazines (writing horoscopes and a monthly feature).

I’ve done editing for magazines, business blogs, and website landing pages. I’ve helped students with formatting and references with their dissertations. And many, many genres of books with as many topics—everything from the medical industry to scuba diving.

But my heart kept coming back to fiction books.

I classify myself as a fiction book editor, and while many other editors have niched down to some subgenre of fiction (such as romance, sci-fi, or fantasy), I’ve chosen not to take that step. I enjoy reading a wide range of materials, and can’t pin myself to editing one specific genre under fiction.

Plus, the variety is amazing—in the same week I’ll be doing a manuscript critique on a high fantasy and a proofread on a thriller. It keeps me fresh.

I also work on memoir, which is technically classified as non-fiction but shares many of the same concepts and storytelling styles as fiction.

I Use Social Media to Bring My Followers Into the World of Book Editing

I love, love, love social media, and I share everything about my work that I can.

You’d think the life of a book editor might be boring, but you’re wrong! I’ve shared pictures of me at my editing desk (including the title of the book I’m currently working on), writing and sending thank you cards to clients, or recording a podcast at the Authors Unite Show. When my clients send me signed paperback copies of their books, I snap a picture and share it. If I’m working in a coffee shop—yep, I’ll take a picture!

I share memes and writing advice, links to interviews I’ve been in, and new releases of books I’ve edited. Every Monday I share what projects I’m working on that week, and tag authors if I can. Anything to bring my followers into the world of book editing, the world I love so much.

I’ve worked with many authors who previously hired so-called “editors” who did subpar work—or even worse, took the author’s money and disappeared—so it makes sense to me why they’d be hesitant to hire an editor again. Being transparent and showing who I am via social media is the best way I know to put those fears at rest.

How I Use Thank-You Notes and Emails to Increase Return Client Rates

Social media is one of my top marketing channels, but it’s certainly not the only one. I send out hand-written thank you cards at the end of every editing project (they are a great way to connect personally with my clients), and am super communicative throughout the entire process, from first contact to after all the edits are done. In most cases, my clients and I end up becoming friends. I love it.

Because of all this, I have fabulous return client rates and a lot of word-of-mouth business. And while work has occasionally gotten slow, it’s never completely dried up (knock on wood!).

Still, I take precautions: For clients who have contacted me in advance but aren’t quite ready to get on my schedule, I add them to a list and set reminders to check in with them quarterly. I have a genuine concern to help them and am always willing to give advice and feedback.

Sometimes I have hours’ worth of emails to sort through every day, answering client questions and providing support, feedback, and advice, but being able to connect with authors is part of what makes my job so special to me.

How I Recognized My Worth as a Book Editor

Editing books is something I’m good at—really good at. I can look at a sentence and immediately know how to fix it. And fiction is something I enjoy. I love getting lost in the worlds created by authors.

I have a passion for editing fiction, and that’s all I really need—but thankfully it also pays very well (I see this as a bonus!). I undercharged my services for years until I finally learned to recognize my value and charge what I’m worth.

How do I recognize my worth as a book editor? A few factors:

• I position myself as a professional by my online presence and my website. I’m consistent with my branding and message.
• Several of the books I have edited have gone on to win awards and become Amazon bestsellers in their respective genres.
• I’m friendly, communicative and I deliver projects when I say I will—something that my clients love (at least according to my exit surveys!).

It took me a long time to see what I have to offer (hello, impostor syndrome!). I assumed that every editor had a professional-looking website, was communicative, and delivered on time. Realizing that this was not the case opened my eyes to understanding what I can bring to the table.

The Top 3 Mistakes Writers Make in Their Stories

The top three mistakes writers make in their stories?

1. Unclear plot lines
2. Slow pacing.
3. Poor character development

I love editing books, but when I feel like throwing my keyboard out the window, there’s a problem!

I always recommend that authors start with a solid outline (sorry, pantsers!) to make sure that the story is on the right path. Too many times, authors start writing with no clear understanding of the plot or where the storyline will go, and the book suffers.

It’s better to have a clear picture of the story and characters before you start writing—otherwise you’ll have to go back and do major big-picture edits to fix these issues.

Two Things Writers Should Do Before Sending a Story to an Editor

First: Self-edit your work!

You’re hiring me to go over your manuscript for errors, but there are only so many errors I can catch in one pass. Just today I completed a developmental edit for an author who clearly didn’t read her book before sending it to me, and it was full of easily recognizable plot holes.

While I caught and fixed as many of these as I could, there were still several residual areas that needed to be cut altogether and rewritten. Now we’re getting her on the schedule for a second developmental edit—another several thousand dollars’ worth of work. Oof!

I’m always happy to help my clients in whatever ways they need, but I also try to be mindful of what they’re spending on editing.

Second: Be open to the changes that come with editing your book.

As the editor, I’m here to make your book the best it can be—and that might mean making some big changes. (Of course, as the author, you’re in the driver’s seat, and I will always support your decisions.)

For the author-editor relationship to be effective, both parties need to approach the project with an understanding that we’re working together to transform your manuscript into a book that will sell.

Extra Services I Offer My Editing Clients

In addition to superb editing (developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading), I offer a manuscript critique service (where I read and evaluate a book for its big-picture issues including plot development, pacing, writing tone and narrative style, character development, setting, and so on).

I also help self-publishing authors with writing the blurb (the back-cover description of the book), and for traditional publishing authors I can help with writing the query letter or synopsis.

For things I can’t help with, I’m able to give authors recommendations for who to work with—book cover designers, book formatters, even helping research which agents might be interested in the traditional publishing author’s manuscript. I’m here to help as much as possible.

What I Wish I’d Done Differently Early On in My Editing Business

I’m very lucky in the sense that I’ve had a wonderful career so far, something for which I’m very grateful. Of course, there have been a few missteps along the way—and things that, looking back, I would do differently.

I wish I had known about impostor syndrome earlier.

For years, I felt like I didn’t deserve my successes—that I just “got lucky” with being on page 1 of Google for the keywords manuscript editor (despite doing the research on SEO keywords when building my website), or that I didn’t really know what I was doing (despite that over a dozen of my clients’ books have won awards or have become Amazon bestsellers).

This mindset was deeply damaging to my confidence—I even squandered years trying to establish myself in a local editors’ group, needlessly offering my knowledge and expertise to “prove myself” to them. Once I realized that impostor syndrome is a real thing—and that I didn’t need some form of external validation to see my self-worth—I’ve been more productive and much happier.

I will no longer deliver a manuscript before final payment has been made.

I’ve had mostly wonderful clients who have been honest, but after seven years, one client refused to pay me the last installment of her editing costs because she simply didn’t have the money. I spent a lot of my working hours trying to communicate with her and chase down payment—actually, more hours than it took me to edit her manuscript.

I’ve since changed my business so that I don’t deliver the final edited manuscript until I receive the full payment. I feel so much more secure now, getting the full payment before I deliver the final edited file, and ensuring I’ll be paid for my work.

I’ve learned to respect my schedule.

For a long time, I said yes to too many projects—and this approach worked well to get my career going. But once I started to gain recognition as a fiction book editor and more clients started coming my way, I realized the importance in occasionally saying no.

Otherwise, it’s easy to run yourself ragged.

Now, I have specific hours for work and I respect my schedule enough to turn down projects when I’m overbooked. It prevents me from getting burned out or not doing the best quality job I can.

Advice for a Young Editor: Hold Yourself Accountable

Making a living editing takes a lot of hard work!

So many people mistakenly believe that working from home is easy, but that’s not always the case. Sure, my “commute” is ten steps to my home office, I get to work in my PJs, and I set my own schedule—but it’s also easy to push off projects until tomorrow and spend the whole day watching TV.

Be persistent. Hold yourself accountable. These are the only ways you’ll succeed. It takes a lot of dedication and diligence to stay on track, deliver projects on time, and build your reputation.

Meet your deadlines. There were a few times in my early career when I wasn’t the best at keeping deadlines, and I had a few unhappy clients because of it. Now, I make it a priority to get the project done when I say I will, and that’s one of the top reasons my clients keep coming back.

Educate yourself. I got my degree in English and writing at BSU, but I’ve learned so much more on the job than I ever did within classroom walls. There are endless amounts of information on editing available online.

Be professional. Have a website and an online presence with clear, consistent branding. Use contracts. Share your portfolio and client testimonials. Communicate your services clearly with clients to avoid any legal issues or miscommunication as far as what each service does and does not include.

Banish impostor syndrome. As freelancers, we are often isolated in our work—the perfect opportunity for impostor syndrome to come creeping in, whispering: “You don’t know what you’re doing. It’s only a matter of time before you’re found out.” Don’t listen to it—you’re meant to be here. You’ve got this.

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Book editor Kristen Hamilton is the owner and sole employee of Kristen Corrects, Inc., where she provides manuscript editing services for traditionally and self-publishing authors. Several authors whose books she has edited have won awards and have topped Amazon’s best sellers lists.

Reading is Kristen’s passion, so when the workday is over, she can usually be found curled up with a good book alongside her four cats. She loves watching cat videos and scary movies, eating pizza, teaching herself French, and traveling, and she is likely planning her next vacation. She lives outside of Boise, ID.

For more information on Kristen and her work, please see her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

_{Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels.}