by Talysa Sainz
Finding the right editor can be difficult. Even editors know the importance of an author finding the right editor for their manuscript. The best thing you can do before you choose your editor is request sample edits from a variety of potential editors.
What is a sample edit?
A sample edit is a light or full edit on a small piece of your manuscript. It gives both the author and editor an idea of what a complete edit would look like. If you plan to pay for a professional edit, you should get as many sample edits as possible. Sample edits benefit both the author and the editor. When it comes to finding an editor for your manuscript, do not hesitate to shop around a little or to ask potential editors for a sample edit so you can see an example of their work.
Who offers a sample edit?
Almost every freelance editor will offer a sample edit of some sort. Editors who have a full workload might not offer a sample edit for free, which is normal. However, most freelance editors will offer a free sample edit.
How long is a sample edit?
A sample edit is typically the first chapter or two. It varies from editor to editor. Some will do the first 3000 words, some the first 5000, some the first 1500. Don’t hesitate to ask editors the length of the sample edits they offer! Some editors offer longer manuscript evaluations, which can go up to the first 50 pages and gives a more accurate idea of the editor’s work, but that is usually a paid service.
Is the sample edit always the first chapter?
Typically, the sample edit for a novel is the first chapter (or first several chapters, depending on the length of the edit offered). Most of the time, the story and grammar issues seen in the first chapter are the same issues seen throughout the entire novel. Occasionally, the first fifty pages of a novel are more polished than the rest of the novel and an editor will request to see later chapters in order to get an idea of the time required for the edit.
How deep does the sample edit go?
Most sample edits will give an accurate picture of what the editing of the entire manuscript will look like. Some editors offer a light sample edit and won’t go in depth without payment, which is fair. Some editors will be exceedingly detailed in their edit of the first chapter because they don’t have the rest of the manuscript to compare it to yet. So much of what belongs in the first chapter is dependent on the entire novel, so editors like to leave notes to come back to later. Editors don’t want to edit the first chapter too lightly and then have to spend the time to edit it all over again when they are editing the rest of the manuscript.
What are the benefits of getting sample edits?
Before you pay for a professional edit, you should get sample edits from a variety of editors to compare and contrast. You will be able to judge their technical competence against their quoted prices to make sure you are comfortable paying for what you will be receiving. You will be able to see which editors connect with your work, which ones are invested in the story and characters, which ones ask the right questions in their comments, and which ones understand your vision. It benefits the author and editor alike to be on the same page when it comes to the manuscript’s heart and purpose.
How does it benefit an editor to give free sample edits?
Sample edits can increase an editor’s visibility and potential client base. When an author is shopping around for the right editor, a well-executed sample edit can draw the client to them easier than price and timeline constraints. Plus, editors want to make sure they are a good fit for your work—especially editors who already have a full workload and don’t get to work on every project that comes before them. Either way, the editor uses a sample edit to guestimate the time and skill it will take to complete your manuscript. This will affect how much time they budget for your manuscript and the price they quote to you. The editor doesn’t want to estimate too little time, fall behind the deadline, and charge more for the edit than you expect.
Whatever the course you take in editing and publishing your manuscript, sample edits can help you find the right editor to help your manuscript be the best version of itself.
Talysa Sainz is a freelance editor who believes life’s deepest truths can be found in fiction. She runs her own editing business and spends her time at the library or volunteering with the League of Utah Writers. Always fascinated with the structure of words, she studied English Linguistics and Editing at BYU. She then went on to receive a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from WGU. Talysa is the President of the Utah Freelance Editors.