Finding an editor..
February 5, 2020 12:27 PM Subscribe
How to find an editor for a more academic financial services focused book around 30,000 words especially when....
I'm not sure I'm done completing the content, but the majority of it is there. The primary thing I'm struggling with is structure / order of the various topics I'm covering. there's an inter-twining and inter-reliance of the subject matter. Complicating factor is that it's a non-covered topic - meaning I'm marrying together topics from applied linguistics, from a much more academic point of view (but in the vein that applied linguistics is about problem solving and applying linguistics), and diving into the somewhat eclectic underbelly of processes and interoperability between various communities that support the functioning of global financial system. I know from research / speaking with academics /being in the industry that this has never been done before.
It's fairly technical from a standards/data/function/process side of things in financial services, and then juxtaposing it with an academic applied linguistics view.
So, I'm not sure I'm 'ready' for an editor, but I'm also at an impasse that I believe I need an editor to do a manuscript critique and get me re-organized. I'm not sure that this is something for a Reedsy, or a NY Book Editors, neither, or something else, but if I'm posting here, I'm at a dead end, and you may be my only hope.
I'm not sure I'm done completing the content, but the majority of it is there. The primary thing I'm struggling with is structure / order of the various topics I'm covering. there's an inter-twining and inter-reliance of the subject matter. Complicating factor is that it's a non-covered topic - meaning I'm marrying together topics from applied linguistics, from a much more academic point of view (but in the vein that applied linguistics is about problem solving and applying linguistics), and diving into the somewhat eclectic underbelly of processes and interoperability between various communities that support the functioning of global financial system. I know from research / speaking with academics /being in the industry that this has never been done before.
It's fairly technical from a standards/data/function/process side of things in financial services, and then juxtaposing it with an academic applied linguistics view.
So, I'm not sure I'm 'ready' for an editor, but I'm also at an impasse that I believe I need an editor to do a manuscript critique and get me re-organized. I'm not sure that this is something for a Reedsy, or a NY Book Editors, neither, or something else, but if I'm posting here, I'm at a dead end, and you may be my only hope.
Best answer: It doesn't sound to me like what you need is a manuscript critique (editor with 30+ years of experience here). It sounds more like you want a developmental editor or at the very least a substantive editor to help you shape what you're doing--a critique wouldn't be much use without a finished manuscript, and they often don't go into serious organizational issues.
Two good places to look are the Editorial Freelancers Association and Copyediting-l editors' email list directory of freelancers. With the EFA, you can peruse the directory for someone with the kind of experience you want (someone with finance experience, that sort of thing, or just a developmental editor in general) or you can post a job listing that goes to a list and editors can respond directly to you. You can also try ACES, which has a job bank, although I'm not as familiar with them as I am with the other two. You can also search for a local organization for freelance editors if you want to find someone nearby--many regional orgs have job posting boards or email lists of their own that can help you find someone.
I'd be really cautious around bidding sites, because you'll often get what you pay for, which is people just starting out, although that isn't always true. New graduates of certificate programs or people just beginning their business might not have the wisdom or experience to help shape a manuscript like that. If you have any specific questions about this comment, feel free to memail.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:50 PM on February 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
Two good places to look are the Editorial Freelancers Association and Copyediting-l editors' email list directory of freelancers. With the EFA, you can peruse the directory for someone with the kind of experience you want (someone with finance experience, that sort of thing, or just a developmental editor in general) or you can post a job listing that goes to a list and editors can respond directly to you. You can also try ACES, which has a job bank, although I'm not as familiar with them as I am with the other two. You can also search for a local organization for freelance editors if you want to find someone nearby--many regional orgs have job posting boards or email lists of their own that can help you find someone.
I'd be really cautious around bidding sites, because you'll often get what you pay for, which is people just starting out, although that isn't always true. New graduates of certificate programs or people just beginning their business might not have the wisdom or experience to help shape a manuscript like that. If you have any specific questions about this comment, feel free to memail.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 2:50 PM on February 5, 2020 [3 favorites]
Best answer: MeMail sent, and kitten kaboodle has given you solid advice.
posted by sardonyx at 3:31 PM on February 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 3:31 PM on February 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by tilde at 12:30 PM on February 5, 2020 [1 favorite]