4 Red Flags to Look For

Have you ever gotten an email from someone claiming to be a Nigerian prince and promising you millions of dollars? Did you assume he was telling the truth, or did you question his authenticity?

Thankfully, most people know better than to believe the prince scheme, but it’s not the prince you need to worry about — it’s the book editor promising you a perfect book for $100. Like the Nigerian prince, if the book editor making big promises for minimal investments seems to good to be true, it might be.

Here’s the hard truth: anyone with an email account can contact you and promise you millions of dollars. The same is true with book editors. Anyone with a computer can create a website or social media accounts and promise you a ready-to-publish manuscript in no time at all.

Neither of these people need to prove their identity to the internet. That’s why it’s crucial for authors to do their research and vet their editors before signing a contract. Here are a few red flags to look for before working with an editor:

1. Fraction-of-the-price fees. If someone promises an edit at 50-75% below their competitors, it’s okay to be suspicious. It could be that the editor is new and looking for experience, but it’s also possible the editor isn’t going to do the same quality of work as their colleagues (or, in this era, they’re using AI instead of doing the work themselves).
2. No contract. It might seem convenient not to have a contract, but every professional needs one — it clarifies expectations, including the work to be done, the timeline, and the fee. It protects both the editor and the author. If an editor won’t use a contract, keep looking.
3. No editing experience. Just because someone works in publishing doesn’t mean they know how to edit. When I worked as an acquisitions editor, I received many manuscripts “edited” by authors and agents. They were successful authors and agents, but knowing how to write or sell a manuscript doesn’t automatically translate into knowing how to edit one.
4. No professional affiliations or education. Is it possible to learn how to edit without formal training? Probably. Do all editors need to join professional groups? No. But if your editor doesn’t have any connections to editing groups or instructors, it’s safe to question how they learned to edit (and who evaluated their work to let them know they were doing it well).

Is this an all-inclusive list of potential red flags? No.

Does this list suggest that anyone who meets these requirements is automatically a bad editor and/or scammer? Of course not.

But because it’s easier than ever to call yourself an editor and start taking money from eager authors, it’s more important than ever for writers to do their homework and make sure they’re getting what they paid for and working with someone who can do the work they’ve promised.

 

Karin Beery is a published author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for publishers. She is an active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, as well as a PEN Institute instructor. Her specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.