Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin
There are those who call themselves editors and there are professional editors, that is, those whose only job is as an editor (among other criteria). The entry bar for editing is quite low; really, it is as low as hanging out a shingle and proclaiming oneself to be an editor. Many self-publishing authors do not hire an editor at all. Of those who do hire an editor, many, if not most, have no idea how to locate a professional editor or how to distinguish a professional editor from a nonprofessional editor.
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It's not just the psuedo-editors that are causing problems. I know a proofreader who is in a battle with a self-pub author right now because the author is telling people she had her book
edited by the proofreader when that was never the case. She was hired to check for typos and grammar, and that's what she did. The plot was a mess, but beyond recommending that the author have her story edited, she had no further responsibility in that area.
I've seen posts (some here on MR) from authors who are looking for editors, and stating they only want their work checked for typos and usage. Some of them know that this is actually proofreading, but some do equate this with "what editors do".
It's not hard to find a professional editor, if that's what one is actually looking for and willing to pay for. For a first novel, the cost can't always be met. But it would be helpful to both authors and editors if everyone involved was honest about what's actually being done.