Why Hiring the Right Editor is Crucial to Your Growth as a New Christian Writerpreneur

Greetings Beloved!

Welcome to another Empowering Post for Christian Writerpreneurs.

I am Felecia Killings, award-winning coach and Founder of the Christian Writerpreneurs Movement. Our mission is to empower you for effective work as a new author and speaker, helping you build a business or ministry around your authorship.

Each week, I share a FREE empowering lesson that helps you better understand the science behind your new career as a professional author or speaker. These teachings pull directly from our award-winning online school, LiyahAmore University.

And each lesson provides you a small taste of what you can experience when you become an official scholar.

For today's lesson, I want to touch upon a crucial element in the self-publishing industry. Quite often, when new writers enter the field, they jump into this venture head-first. They construct their manuscript without real guidance; and they fail to consider important factors that can help them avoid costly mistakes in the near future.

One of the most crucial elements includes finding the right editor for your manuscript. It's important to know that not all editors and proofreaders are the same. Some are skilled in certain areas, and within The Felecia Killings Foundation, we've worked to connect you with experts who specialize in the self-help, Christian publishing industry.

This leads me into my special announcement for today. This week, my featured guest expert is Leanne Wickham. She is a professional copy editor and proofreader stationed in New Zealand. And she has recently partnered with our brand to bring you the best editing services in the market.

​Towards the end of this lesson, you will have a chance to connect with her directly for all your editing needs; and as you will come to learn in this Empowering Post, having the right editor on your self-publishing team will make all the difference in the world.

So, without further delay, let's spend some time discussing the importance of hiring the right editor. In this lesson, I will teach you to know the difference between various editorial services and how each phase works to help you produce a polished product.

​Now, let's get started!

The Basics: Why You Need a Professional Editor

​The editing process is the second most important element of your publishing venture. (The first is to find a quality writing coach, who will help you map your story.)

An editor will ensure your manuscript flows well for your readers. In essence, she  helps determine which content is pertinent to your overall work and which content can be removed.

For example, while you may be great at understanding a particular topic, you may not know how well you convey that message. How you understand your material is not how your audience will comprehend it.

Whereas you are presumably capable of writing your own books, you do not necessarily have the skills to edit it for the book's overall quality and performance.

I know...harsh...but it's the truth. There's a reason why editing comes into play and actually serves as the most expensive portion of your publishing process.

A professional editor will look at your work objectively. He or she is not concerned with your personal feelings because the goal is to produce a work that will sell to a particular audience.

This is what you want to keep in mind when bringing on an editor; and in this next section, I will teach you the process for acquiring the right one.

Steps You Can Take to Find the Right Editor

1. One of the first things you want to do is to shop around. Generate a list of about five to seven editors who you have interest in working with. This can be done in many ways, but one of the first things you can do is ask other authors who they use. If you know of writers that have gone through the publication process, then using them as a reference is a great way to get what you want. You can also refer to your social media contacts to find an editor. Facebook hosts a number of editing groups, which has thousands of freelancers available in the market. You can also scour freelance platforms like Upwork to find a plethora of experts. Once you've narrowed your search, you can proceed with the next steps.
2. Next, after you have generated a list of editors, visit their websites to look at their prices and the types of services they offer. There are editors who specialize more in some areas than others. This is based primarily on their past experience and the skills they have acquired either on the job or through educational training. You will want to see some of their previous work; and if it is not presented on their website (or on another online portfolio), don’t hesitate to ask them for samples.
3. Consider your budget before you interview an editor. You need to have a realistic budget that will cover the type of service your manuscript needs. If you know that your work needs developmental editing, please stop looking for a proofreader or content editor. Remember that you want your book to be the best it can be. If, however, you have experience as a writer and know how to properly organize it, then perhaps a copy editor works best for you. The important thing is to know where your work stands in terms of editing, and save enough money to pay for the required service.
4. After you have done your research and established your budget, it is now time to interview your potential editor. At this point, you want to begin thinking about the type of personality you are able to work with, and how that will help create a positive learning and working atmosphere for you both. Back when I worked as a freelance editor, I informed my clients that I was an honest, straight-forward editor. I didn't sugar-coat my critiques or suggestions because I knew what worked best in perfecting their manuscript. I told them that these suggestions were not personal, and that what was corrected was not meant to destroy their work but rather enhance it. I can assure you: Every client who received my advice produced a great book, even making the best-sellers' list. That would not have been possible had they ignored my corrections.
5. Once you have conducted your interviews, make a decision after you have taken a day or two to process everything. Don’t feel pressured into getting into any contract immediately; at the same time, don’t wait too long. I remember when a client wanted to continue working with me a couple of months after initially speaking with me. By the time she wanted me to do some work for her, I had already committed to another project. I had to basically tell her that she would have to wait longer to have anything done, which displeased her. Keep in mind that an editor’s business is just that: a business. And they tend to clients as they see fit.
6. Lastly, after you have made a selection about your editor, contact her immediately and in writing. Never rely on verbal communication to create an agreement. If for any reason there are issues that arise later, you will have everything in writing.

The Difference in Editorial Services and Knowing What You're Paying For

When working with new authors, they assume all editors perform the same tasks for every project. But in the publishing industry, there are levels of editing you must know. Each stage in the process will determine how much you will pay to polish your manuscript. Let's review these phases now.
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1. Developmental editing: This is also referred to as substantive editing. In its basic definition, developmental editing is the process by which the editor spends a great deal of time working on and re-working a manuscript. At times, it can involve consultations and coaching elements; but for the most part, it’s about getting the organization together for the writer. For example, when I completed developmental editing for my clients, it took multiple forms. Some authors only had an outline while others had an entire manuscript created. However, because the flow of the story was not there, or because it “didn't make sense,” I performed the task of rearranging content for improvement. Here’s another way to look at it. When I performed developmental edits, I added elements of copy (or content) to the work, giving the author various ideas to improve the quality of the work. Unlike with my writing coach services where I simply tell the author how to improve the manuscript, I, as the developmental editor, did the improving. This type of work is especially useful for new authors, without question. If you have never published a book or never took time to practice writing, then you need a developmental editor. You need someone who will help you formulate ideas, and one who will work with you to construct the piece so that it flows well for your intended audience. And because the editor performs so much of the work, this is costly to the writer/client. Why? Again, because the editor is doing it. In order to avoid such cost, you will want to take some time learning about writing, organization, structure, etc. If you don’t have time for all that, then you will need to invest in this type of editing. Don’t put your work out there for others to severely scrutinize. You always want to put your best foot forward.
2. The next type of editing is copy- or content editing. If you do a quick search of the terms, you will find that many people interchange both terms, and they can fall within the boundaries of each other. However, when it comes to my business and working with self-publishing authors, copy or content editing involves my editor examining the “meat” of the work, and determining whether or not it meets the author's goals and the audience's needs. In other words, your copy editor may not specifically focus on the grammar and sentence structure of your manuscript. She will take the time to look at how to fix your content. With content editing, an editor will make comments and suggestions on how to improve your manuscript. The editor simply provides the suggestions without constructing the solutions for you. It is up to you, Beloved, to create the improvements or to move on without them. Once the content editor has finished working on manuscript, it's time to send it to the proofreader. 
3. The last type of editing is proofreading. This should always be the last stage because this is where the editor can simply identify grammatical errors, thereby cleaning up anything that still needs to be cleaned. Do not submit your manuscript to a proofreader when you have not hired someone to perform the developmental or content editing. Once you have done that, then you can hire your proofreader.

Don't Neglect the Weightier Matters

Far too many new Christian Authors refuse to hire editing services, particularly because of the price associated with it.

But you don't want to make that mistake. In fact, Amazon is cracking down on independent works that lack in expert editing.

You can't get away from the need for this service, especially if you want to be taken seriously as a professional Christian Author. And I'm happy to share with you that The Foundation has partnered with an expert editor who can deliver quality services to you.

Red Pencil Proofreading and Editing Services Ltd

Beloved, allow me to introduce you to Leanne Wickham. She is a freelance proofreader and copy editor who offers high-quality editorial services for new and established authors.

As a proofreader, she checks for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and more. As a copy editor, she will check all of the above as well as improve the flow of the manuscript, making it easier to read by removing redundant words and jargon. She will check for inconsistencies in dates, names, and style; and may also do/suggest a rewrite, if necessary, to fix any problems to ensure the style of the piece fits with your targeted audience. ​

Her mission is to provide high-quality editorial services, personalized to meet your needs.

I'm so pleased to have her affiliated with our brand. And as a scholar in LiyahAmore University, you will have access to her editorial brilliance based on her affordable rates.

I asked Leanne Wickham of Red Pencil to proofread the second book in a series I had written. Her attention to detail and sorting our rogue sentences was amazing. As a writer, it helped me distil my writing to lead the reader in the right direction or misdirect them depending on what I wanted to achieve. The book Revelation would not have been nearly as good without her valuable input and professionalism, and certainly wouldn’t have been ready for publication. ​-- Mark Innes-Jones

In Conclusion...

Beloved, that is all I have for you today. I pray this teaching was insightful and empowering.

If you know you want to see your story published this year, do not hesitate to receive the proper training that will make your dream a reality. Our award-winning online school, LiyahAmore University, is the solution.

​I know how overwhelming it can be to start this journey as a writerpreneur. You don't exactly know where to go or how to reach your goals, but you know you want to see them realized.

I want to encourage you today to know that the answers are right before you. Let me help you on this path. Here's how to get started.

​Trying to build a thriving writing ministry as a new and aspiring Christian Author is incredibly challenging. But the best support comes from those who are willing to share their knowledge with you.

Take the next step and enroll in the only online school for writers like you, LiyahAmore University. This training program has helped numerous authors transform from average writers into dynamic writerpreneurs.

I launched this school in October 2016, and have since worked with Christian Authors from around the world, helping them to build a business or ministry around their authorship. The lessons inside the school are based on best online business practices that have enabled online entrepreneurs to thrive. 

Today, as a result of applying the lessons to my own platform, my content reaches millions each month. I've built a loyal following and have established a solid brand in the market.

Each year, LiyahAmore University receives new lessons that take our scholars higher on their journey. And best of all, once you are a student, you remain one for life at no additional cost!
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The majority of new and aspiring Christian Authors assume that because God gave them the vision to write a book, then it's up to God to put everything together. They fail to realize that the success of their ministry is based on their training.

There are five pillars that Christian Authors generally lack:
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1. Vision
2. Faith
3. Clarity
4. Focus
5. A Plan

And without them, these writers are destined to fail. While you can work towards finding the answers and solutions yourself, it will take you years to cultivate your business and brand, just as it did with me and with other experts who paved the way for Christian Authors like you.

But you can avoid this stress when you enroll in LiyahAmore University.

With just 90 days of pure dedication (or you can work at your own pace), you can experience the benefits that my school has to offer you. You will learn how to:

• become a successful published author;
• develop an established brand;
• generate wealth using your craft;
• and lay the foundation to fulfill your God-given mission.

Best of all, you will be among a small percentage of independent Christian Authors whose writing ministry will not fail.

So, enroll today! It will be the best decision you make for your newfound career and ministry.

And as always, Beloved, let's grow together!