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Five Ways of Looking at Editing Services: Toward a "Missing Manual"

  

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From two points of view—user and editor—I find most software documentation to be pretty poor, but one tech writer stands out as a great and shining model: David Pogue. Even when I couldn't care less about a given gadget or application, I never miss his weekly New York Times column. And several volumes in his "Missing Manual" series have saved me vast amounts of time and nearly eliminated the need for headache medication.

Of course, his clever series title has been adopted and co-opted often and widely: It's not unusual for me to mention wishing for a "missing manual" for, well, you name it. (This past weekend it was for replacing a toilet seat.) So, when a colleague recently mentioned that she wished there were a "missing manual" to help her locate and procure editorial services, I perked right up and (pace Mr. Pogue) began sketching in what I could offer.

Let's start with editing and look at five things to consider before you outsource this kind of work.

1. Assess technical expertise
   Since text samples generally show finished—i.e., printed or posted—content, it's hard to know how well they represent an editor's work (as opposed to the noodling others may have done later on). While I've devised a short test to determine this, noneditors usually rely on references. That said, view them with the same caution you would any recommendation.
   
   Hint: Don't be afraid to rely on intuition. You don't need to know a period from an ellipsis to ask questions regarding the manuscript that are calulated to elicit how much confidence and comfort the editor shows when answering them. Listen more to how they are answered than to what is actually said, and you are likely to get a very clear notion about where this editor stands on the experience spectrum.
   
   
2. Determining how seasoned the editor should be
   Ah, the eternal balancing act—do I need an editor who has contributed to dozens of projects, or can I rely on someone newly minted? The answer lies almost exclusively with you and your relative level of comfort. Arriving at this answer beforehand is crucial. Carefully consider the nature of the material. Does it call for a kinder, gentler hand (i.e., simple copyedit), or will the editor need to roll up sleeves and dive into making major revisions and rewriting?
   
   Hint: Beware overkill. If the subject matter is straightforward, requires little or no special knowledge of the field, and the writing is relatively clean at the outset, I'd shy away from a seasoned (likely more expensive) editor. Many of us have an unnerving need to make our mark, even where it isn't needed or wanted. That said, underkill for more complex material is just as bad an idea.
   
   
3. Fitting the editing into your schedule
   Before you can receive a reliable estimate of how much time the editor will need, you must provide a thorough description of the material to be edited—at the very least. Ideally, supply some (or all, better yet) of the actual manuscript in advance of your discussion. Don't bother trying to guess. Not only is estimating time among the darkest of editorial arts, every editor has her own approach and per-page rate.
   
   Hint: Apply a healthy skepticism. If the estimate seems too short, it probably is. But don't base your idea on how long it would take you. Just as the editor couldn't do your work in twice the time it takes you, she is apt to rely on techniques and skills that are unknown to you.
   
   
4. Timely delivery
   This is where references can be a great help. While previous employers may balk at offering qualitative details about an editor's skills, something as easily quantified as meeting due dates is pretty straightforward.
   
   Hint: Bear in mind that on-time completion is a two-way process. If the editor relies on you to provide material and feedback, you cannot fault him completely for not meeting predetermined deadlines.
   
   
5. The fee...
   Expect editors to be hesitant to provide bids before they examine the manuscript. We all know our "typical" per-page pace for various types of writing. A 750-page novel is apt to take less time than a 300-page book on the intercontinental railway, for example, because novels tend to need only basic clean-up and consistency checks, while works of nonfiction also require fact checking, calculation verification, close intratext consideration of term agreement, etc.
   
   Hint: Don't even broach this subject until the editor has had the opportunity to assess the manuscript's needs. His bid should briefly outline particular issues he noticed, and if his quote seems too high, question it and discuss your expectations in detail.