What’s the Difference Between a Freelance Editor and a Literary Agent?

Guest blogger Kate Epstein

Today's guest post is by Kate Epstein, who is both a literary agent and a freelance editor. Here she helps you understand how the two are different, when you should seek out each one, and why it's still true that you will directly pay a legitimate freelance editor, but never a legitimate literary agent. 

 A key similarity between freelance editors and literary agents is that both typically edit manuscripts. Years ago literary agents did less editing, and the need for a freelance editor was less urgent, because acquiring editors at book publishers had time to edit. A few acquiring editors still do, but for at least 15 years there’s been an axiom that “editors don’t edit.” It’s come to rest with others to do that.

Enter freelance editors and literary agents. Someone like me, who’d rather edit than do almost anything else, is a good fit for either function. Yet every writer should know the differences between a freelance editor and a literary agent, and when to seek out each.

1. One you pay directly…one you should never pay directly. Reputable agents don’t send you a bill. They don’t have to. If you have a reputable agent, she’ll do what she thinks makes sense to get you a publisher and take her money as a commission out of whatever the publisher pays you. The more you earn, the more she earns. She may well edit your manuscript (if you write fiction, she’s almost certain to) to try and increase your chances, but she doesn’t bill you for editing time (or reading time, for that matter). But an editor will charge you for her time and effort in improving your manuscript, and that may mean she has more time to improve your work.

Most other distinctions between editors and literary agents stem from this basic distinction as to how each gets paid.

2. Freelance editors may not bring other expertise to the table. While many editors have a background in other positions in book publishing, a freelance editor’s job is to know how to improve your manuscript, nothing more. A literary agent must also have expertise in what sells, relationships with acquiring editors, and the expertise to negotiate your contract. She needs all those to make her business work. A freelance editor needn’t bring all this to the table. This specialization can be a strength--she concentrates her energy on improving manuscripts. But it also means that her opinion as to whether your project will sell to a publisher (or to consumers) may not be much use to you. Not only do freelance editors not need expertise in this area; they may tell you what they think you want to hear. Literary agents hurt people’s feelings all the time and they’re less likely to shrink from that.

3. An editor may take you on when an agent will not. Editors can take on projects without regard for their commercial potential. They can take on projects that have commercial potential, but that don’t make sense for an agent because they’ll take too much time. If your manuscript isn’t ready for a literary agent, an editor may be able to help you to get it ready.

4. An editor really does work for you. A literary agent works…with you. I don’t believe that this distinction should make a huge difference, because in any case the relationship between you and another professional should be based on mutual respect, especially when it comes to something you care about as much as your writing--respect for one another’s feelings and opinions, but also respect for one another’s time and resources. But the tenor of the relationship with a literary agent and with a freelance editor really does sound quite different.

One upshot of all of this is that you should never plan to turn your freelance editor into a literary agent. Some people actively agent and edit--including me. Personally, I don’t take on projects as a literary agent in any category that I will edit. Turning your freelance editor into your literary agent is a little like turning your therapist into your boyfriend (if less illegal). While an ethical person can be someone’s therapist or freelance editor and someone else’s boyfriend or literary agent, an ethical person doesn’t try to be both to anyone, as the transformation from one to the other can involve exploitation.

Yet, just as a therapist might make you better at having a boyfriend, a freelance editor might make you more ready to have a literary agent, and a publisher, and a wide readership. You can learn a lot about writing from a freelance editor, because she has the time to teach. And that’s a good thing.

Kate Epstein offers editing services at EpsteinWords, www.epsteinwords.com. She also offers literary agent services to crafts authors at www.epsteinliterary.com.

Fifty Shades of Editing

by Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL

 ©Stina Lindenblatt

Regardless of whether you’re pursuing traditional or self publishing, your book needs to be well edited. If it isn’t, agents and editors will reject it. If you self publish and the story and writing is weak, your writing career is pretty much doomed, unless you use a pen name for your next book. With so many options out there for readers, it’s tough to get a second chance if you blow the first one.

The point of this post is not to provide you with advice on how to edit your book after the first draft. Like everything else in this industry, it’s subjective. What works for one person might not work for someone else. A writer who plots and figures out characterizations first will approach his second draft differently than a writer who jumped straight into writing the first draft without much planning. Instead, I’m focusing on the edits you need to consider from an outside perspective. In all cases, you want to make sure you give the individual the best version of the story to date. That means, no sending them your first draft. You just waste everyone’s time when you do that.

THE FREEBIES

This group of individuals is invaluable. They are your first line of editing and they are free. Well, almost free. When someone offers to give you feedback on your project, remember it’s not a one-way street. There is nothing worse than giving feedback on someone’s 130,000-word manuscript and they do not reciprocate. This group includes critique partners and beta readers. What it doesn’t include is your mom, unless your mom can be critical and give valuable feedback. A lot can’t. On the other hand, if your mom is overcritical about everything in your life, you might want to skip on her feedback. Same deal with your mother-in-law.

Critique Partners and Critique Groups

With these individuals, you usually send your novel to them in chunks. Some groups will meet once a month and exchange chapters. They focus on the here and now, and chances are they won’t remember what they read last time. Because of this, they tend not to see the big picture. They point out places where you could rewrite a sentence so that it’s no longer confusing, and point out things that don’t make sense story wise. These individuals tend to be writers. 

Beta Readers

Unlike the critique partner, beta readers look at the big picture. They will point out problems with your plot and when your characterizations could be stronger (critique partners can do this, too). Some give line edits, but it’s not part of the job description. Beta readers can be writers or avid readers. 

PROFESSIONAL EDITORS

Professional editors tend to have a higher skill set compared to our beta readers and critique partners. But remember, not all are created equal. This depends on numerous factors, including their editing education and experience. An editor who works for Simon & Schuster, for example, will have a greater skill level compared to an author of several short stories who decided to make some extra cash on the side. 

Agents and Editors (with a publisher)

These are individuals are “free,” but they need to love your project and see a market for it before they will offer you a contract. Your book might be great, but if there’s no market for it (in their eyes), agents and editors will pass on your project. Are they right? Not necessarily. But if you’re planning to go the traditional route, you need to impress them first. 

Freelance Editors

These individuals are the ones you hire if you plan to self publish a quality book. This is a step you don’t want to skip. Even if you’re planning to pursue traditional publishing, it doesn’t hurt to have professional editing done before you query. In today’s competitive slush piles, this step might give you the extra edge you need to land a contract. I know one author who does this. The result is she has less editing to do with her publisher, which saves everyone time.

LEVELS OF EDITING

No matter which route you go, there are three levels of editing you need to consider. With traditional publishing, all three are typically done. 

Developmental/Structural Edits

These edits involve the big ticket items, such as plot, characterization, overall pacing, setting, story structure, etc. When you hear an author mention how they received fifteen pages from their editor, this is what they are referring to.

Line Edits

After the big ticket items come line edits. This is where the editor will make comments in your manuscript at the sentence level. She will point out sentences that don’t flow well and make suggestions. Remember, they are just that: suggestions. Be careful you don’t end up messing with your voice (unless you want to). 

Copy Edits

This level of editing is no less important that the others. A copy editor will point out typos, missing words, and inconsistencies. A good one will notice that your main character has blue eyes on page 30 and brown eyes on page 99. That is their job. I recommend you don’t skip on this one. A book filled with typos screams unprofessional. It also screams, “Don’t read my next book!”

The most important thing to remember is that the people giving you feedback need to share your vision for your book. If they don’t, you will end up ripping your hair out in frustration. When looking for the right individuals, see if you can get feedback on a few pages first. That way you can see if you are a good mix.

Have you used a professional editor? How many critique partners and beta readers do you tend to use for each project?

A Question of Betas

While I have several friends and colleagues who are willing to serve as "beta readers" for me, I feel that nobody who knows you can ever be truly honest.  And I'm culpable in this -- when I read for friends (I'm a 28-year journalist, so I'm asked to do this a lot), I can't really be fully open/honest/ forthright at times because I don't want to hurt my friend or colleague.

I think you finally need to hire a professional editor for unbiased input and reaction. But does this make sense?

This is really a tough question, which is probably why a good beta reader is worth their weight in gold.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as I've been doing a lot of beta reading and critiquing. Here are some of the things I've learned.


Not every beta reader is right for every story.


That's right. Not every beta reader should read every story. I am finally learning that it's all right to say no. And I'm not talking about when the request is made, but after, when I've had a chance to look the story over. Some stories are just never going to appeal to me. Same with the characters. But how to tell when this might be the case? 

• When I find myself dreading opening up the document
• When I can't find a single honest, positive thing to say about the story
• If it turns out that I'm really not the target audience
• I do this, because I may inadvertently give out bad advice without realizing it--especially if I'm not familiar with the tropes in the genre.
• When the story is not at the level the writer thinks it's at.
• Let me explain this one further. Everyone is going and learning at different rates on the writing spectrum. And what we may think is great when we're at level, say, three, we'd be able to spot the weaknesses on and fix them if we were at level five. So if the writer is at a level three, and the beta reader is at level five, there can be some dissonance there. When this happens, and I know the crit is going to be extensive and probably hard to take (because, let's face it, criticism hurts even if it's only meant to help us), I always email the person I'm beta reading and send the first 20-50 pages or so and ask for permission to continue the crit. I do this, because while crits can sting, I never want one of mine to crush. And I let the writer know that.

Not every writer is ready for a beta reader.

• As I said earlier, crits often sting when we first get them, whether they're from trusted betas, helpful strangers, agents, or editors. Not everyone is at the point in their writing journey where they're quite ready for that. I remember the first real crit I ever got. It nearly crushed me, even though I'd thought I was ready for it. I set it aside for a day or two and was able to come back and realize that the critter was being a lot more objective about my story than I was, and luckily I let my emotions cool before I did anything drastic. Like reject the crit or give up writing. But I have seen both happen to different people, and I think it was just a matter of rotten timing.
• And qualifying this--I think it's important that writers are completely honest with themselves before they seek someone to crit their work. We all want praise, I think. It feels good to hear what we did right. That we have amazing characters and an incredible story. But if that's all we're ready for, I think we need to let the critter know. If we're at the point where we want a mix of criticism and praise or an all out blood fest, we need to let the critter know. I think the key here is honest communication--first with ourselves, and then with those with whom we are entrusting our stories.

Not ever writer is ready to be a beta reader.

• I think there's a huge learning curve that happens, depending on a lot of personal factors. That said, for this point, I think it's important that those who are beta reading are honest with their motivations for critting for others. I think the best beta readers are those that are critting with an eye out to help make the story they're reading as strong as they possibly can. To align with the writer themselves and work together to make the story sing--not to turn the story into what they envision the story should be.

On Impartiality

So my thoughts on hiring a professional editor that would be completely impartial? To be honest, no one is going to be completely unbiased, because we all have certain things we like better than others, certain weaknesses that bother us more than others. So is hiring an editor a good idea? I think it depends on your goals. If you're looking to self-publish, I would definitely say yes. But otherwise, I'm not so sure.

I think it's important for writers to learn the skills they need to polish their own work, and to learn how to listen to their gut when it comes to deciding what works best for their stories. Editors are expensive (and rightfully so, I think), and I believe that a lot of the benefits from hiring an editor could be found for free by discovering some very good beta readers. Free, except for the time you must invest in returning the favor.

So what makes a good beta reader?

• Someone who will be honest with you. I believe there's honesty, and then there's honesty. In detailing what we think are weaknesses, I think it's important for critters to be honest, but kind. This doesn't mean sugar coating things. It just means stating your opinion and focusing on the writing rather than on the writer. It means not making sweeping statements that include the words: always, never, etc.
• Someone who wants you to succeed. My best beta readers are those that I can turn to not only for support for the story, but support for when I'm feeling down. They remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing. They're a shoulder when I need one most.
• Someone who complements your weaknesses with strengths. We're all in different stages in our writing journey, and at different stages within each part that encompasses writing. So while I might be a 10 at description, I might also be a 5 at characterization, an 8 at world building, and a 4 at grammar. So I'd be on the look out for someone who is a ten at characterization and grammar, and maybe I could help them with description and world building. Because a great crit partnership is one where both parties are benefitting from the relationship.

Where to find good beta readers?

I've found mine in a number of places:

• fellow bloggers
• forums (QT has parts of a forum dedicated to critting pages and queries)
• friends
• online crit groups
• Facebook
• any place where other writers hang out

I hope this helps!

Danyelle collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers in her spare time. She is currently getting ready to query SLIPPERS OF PEARL, a YA fantasy. She also enjoys making new friends, and can be found at http://myth-takes.blogspot.com.

Freelance Editorial Services: If, When and Why

Today's market is tough for writers.  It's become essential more than ever to have a manuscript that not only has a fabulous premise, but a great story arc and clean writing as well.  

New writers in particular find themselves wondering if hiring a freelance editor would give them the edge needed to stand out in the slush pile.  

The answer...um...maybe?  Maybe not.  It depends.  How's that for decisive? Only you can know what's right for your book. 

If you do decide to go the freelance editor route, writers beware!  There are scam artists in every profession, but writers get so wrapped up in the process that we are sometimes less cautious than we should be.  Editorial services for pay is an area that harbors lots of crooks waiting to take money from writers for shoddy work in return. 

Because I'm not an editor by any stretch of the imagination and can't address this issue from that side of the fence, I've asked several questions of two writers who are freelance editors.  I selected people with whom I am familiar because I am confident of their integrity and experience: Christine DeSmet and Lauren Baratz-Logsted. 

Christine DeSmet: 

Christine DeSmet is an award-winning writer who also teaches retreats and workshops and provides professional editorial services through University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has directed the annual Writers' Institute conference in Madison for twenty years. She writes novels, short stories, screenplays, and plays. She belongs to a group of writers called Jewels of the Quill; samples of Christine's writing can be found at the Jewels' website, www.JewelsoftheQuill.com.

When and why would an author seek professional editorial advice for a manuscript?

Two kinds of authors benefit greatly by seeking professional critiques or editorial services. First, new authors have discovered that getting a professional critique saves tons of time and heartache. I call it the "Start Smart" approach. An experienced professional knows a lot about what won't fly with agents, editors, publishers, and in contests. So why not save time and learn all that stuff in one fell swoop? In addition, we're neutral parties and not among your group of critique friends saying only nice things about your pages, or worse yet-avoiding telling you things out of lack of knowledge. Or maybe you lack a critique group; we fill that gap for many writers, too. Professional critique people are compassionate and kind; it's our job to help you stop the frustration. We work hard to help you raise your manuscript several notches in days or weeks instead of months or years.

The second group that seeks out editorial services is the intermediate/advanced writer. That group is made up of two kinds of writers:  the nearly-published, serious writer, and the published writer who likes that extra pair of eyes on their work before it gets sent out. These writers love saving time and learning all they can to improve their writing. They're somewhat voracious and love new ideas. They want to stop getting so many rejections, and if they're published, they don't want to send anything less than polished material to their agent or editor. These advanced writers come to a person like me with very specific questions, goals, or problems with their story or manuscript. The advanced writer likes the quick diagnosis and brainstorming someone like me can provide.

When you approach a manuscript, what elements are your priority?

I have a "big and small" approach because frankly, agents and editors tell us all the time that they reject manuscripts based on either big issues or small issues.

Many manuscripts are rejected based just on the amount of clutter or typos or mistakes in things like punctuation. Those small things destroy a manuscript fast. Editors at publishing houses and agents don't do that sort of line-editing. That's your job to correct it, and my job to point it out to you and help you correct it or suggest you hire what's called a line editor to clean up your manuscript. A manuscript filled with clutter is like a house filled with clutter; the house or manuscript won't sell in that condition. I always go through a manuscript and circle or strike out clichés and over-used words, and I help you with punctuation.

The harder to fix, and more important things are the "big" issues:  emotional content, dramatic tension on every page, story structure and the right plot events and plot points, characterizations and character arc, pacing, scene work and transitions, and the development of the writer's voice on the page. I'm always looking for ways to help a writer make all those big elements work in harmony for great storytelling. I'm also looking for ways to make sure an editor or agent will look at your work and think, "Wow, this is fresh. Fresh story, fresh voice." Editors and agents today are well-versed in structure and all of the things I've mentioned above. They go to all the conferences writers do, and they read books by structure and story specialists such as Christopher Vogler, Donald Maass, Robert McKee, Linda Seger, Dwight Swain, Blake Snyder and others. I steep myself in what those experts say, and try out their ideas in my own writing. I synthesize all of these experts' advice and bring the appropriate techniques and tricks to each writer's manuscript.

I should mention that each manuscript gets a unique approach from me. Every writer and every story is different. There is no formula approach to polishing. Editorial professionals want you to retain your unique voice and story. We don't rewrite your stories. We don't ask that you take out all the words you love; even some of those "clutter" words get to stay now and then. What we're after for you are these two big things you've heard about before: Emotion and Entertainment. Stories have to connect to reader emotions, and stories must entertain in some way.

How do you approach a chapter for edit?

The first thing I do is look at the placement of the chapter within the book's structure. There are different elements of plot and character that readers want for a chapter that's in the middle, for example, versus the opening chapter.

With any chapter, I look for it to start with a hook or a good transitional hook (if it's a chapter further into the manuscript). It's amazing how often we writers forget to catch readers up on the time or day or where we are, and the character's emotional state-of-being since "yesterday." I look for the Point of View character, making sure the author is getting inside the character's head and action and trouble fast. Too often, we writers back into what's going on with a lot of fancy words that I call "throat clearing." The real action or nugget is buried at the end of that first page of the chapter or on the second or third page. So I'm on a treasure hunt for the "nuggets." At least fifty percent of the time I ask writers I'm working with to move something up from the second or third page to the first page of the chapter.

A hook need not be a big, serious thing like action. A hook comes out of the character's Central Question or problem that has to be solved by the end. A hook can be a piece of dialogue, a setting, a big battle or a quiet moment, or even something thematic. But a hook has to startle us somehow; it has to hit the gut, heart, and mind. We have to feel that jolt and think, "Oh my, that's good writing. I'll read on."

The other common, big item I work on with writers within a chapter is the scene work. Often, writers will short-change their scenes or summarize things when they really need a full scene with good action (big or small) and dialogue. Sometimes they write scenes with no purpose. Sometimes a scene has a beginning, but the conclusion comes too fast and we're robbed of character development. Writers also seem to be in this mode of interrupting a scene and picking it back up after the next scene-a sort of hopscotch approach to writing a book. Interruption is a good technique. But the over-use of it and the constant interruption of scenes can wear on readers instead of providing the suspense you think it does. So I look at stylistic choices like that, too, and note how the patterns of the scenes are working or not for the story and reader.

I also look at issues such as settings, claustrophobia, and the like. For example, if you've set three scenes or chapters indoors and people are always sitting when they talk, might it be time to get them outdoors and in an activity while they talk? Is your book becoming too claustrophobic? And if you have a story that has to take place primarily indoors (like a prison), how might we find fresh ways to "open it up"?

Finally, I look for clichéd scenes. One big advantage of hiring a professional critique person or book doctor is that we've seen a lot of scenes. We also pay attention to what agents and editors are saying they're tired of seeing in manuscripts. When I get to your Italian restaurant scene, you can bet I'm going to ask you a few questions about that cliché. Is there a way to make it unique and fresh? Or should you change the restaurant? Do you need that restaurant scene at all? Could they meet instead in a butterfly exhibit or whatever is appropriate to your story and characters? Or, if you really like that Italian restaurant scene, maybe you can turn it into a "set piece" scene that is so fresh and memorable that no editor can refuse buying your manuscript.

What can the author expect to receive from you (line edits, revision letter, etc)?

I ask that writers try me out first without spending much dough. Send the first chapter or no more than twenty pages along with a short synopsis of the entire novel. We don't charge for the synopsis; it's just for my information. I go over the manuscript using everything I've mentioned here in this article or blog. You can expect lots of scribbles on your pages along with explanations of "why" I had that reaction. I also send a detailed letter filled with suggestions. I never leave a writer wondering "how" to correct something. I also welcome unlimited emails. And I look at your rewrite at no extra charge and will write comments on it a second time, as needed.

I work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, so you're paying a fine university's outreach program for the editorial service, and not me directly. We charge $4/double-spaced page or 300 words. Please email me first when interested in a critique so that I can fit you into my schedule around the retreats and other things I teach. Email and address:  cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu; Christine DeSmet, UW-Madison Liberal Studies & the Arts, 21 N. Park St., Madison, WI 53715-1218. Our website:  www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing

Christine will be leading a session for first-time novelists at the June 15-19 "Write-by-the-Lake Retreat" in Madison. She'll also be teaching two workshops for writers at the July 20-24 "School of the Arts" held in Rhinelander, Wis., and will be one of the presenters at the "Weekend with Your Novel," Oct. 24-25, in Madison. All are sponsored by UW-Madison.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted: 

Lauren Baratz-Logsted  was kind enough to answer my questions as well.  Some of our readers are already familiar with Lauren.  She addressed the topic of writing for multiple genres last month when she was a guest on the QT Blog.  Her article is here.  

When and why would an author seek professional editorial advice for a manuscript?

When a writer has completed a book and has revised that book to the point where they have tunnel vision - you know in your heart it can still be better but no longer have any clue how to make it so - that is the time to seek out professional assistance.  

When you approach a manuscript, what elements are your priority?

Everything! I do a complete copyedit - even the cleanest manuscript typically contains hundreds of minor errors - as well as a developmental edit where I point out any major issues that might prevent an agent or editor from falling in love, providing a prescription for how to solve each problem.

How do you approach a chapter for edit?

I don't really think of looking at books so much on an individual chapter level unless it's to see how the chapter fits with the whole. To give an example, I had a client who wrote a marvelous book...but it was impossible to see that before around p. 75! At that point, the rhythm was finally established, which was of two main characters alternating chapters. Before that, the chapter focus was random and with the book starting out with the less charismatic of the two. I recommended leading with the more charismatic character and then telescoping the earlier chapters, losing some dead wood along the way, so that the rhythm that worked so well later in the book would be established from the get-go.

What can the author expect to receive from you (line edits, revision  letter, etc)?

As I said earlier, a complete copyedit as well as developmental advice. I request my clients snail mail their books to me. I mark up the pages using standard proofreader marks, returning any necessary pages to the client. I then email a revision letter. These tend to run anywhere from 1-14 pages, depending on need. Like real doctors, I believe in "First, do no harm." So I don't try to change what doesn't need fixing. The client requiring the 14-page letter was an interesting case. Her book had four first-person narrators. One of the biggest problems was that one of the four, and the one the reader should have most connected with, suffers from depression through most of the book following a life-changing event. The problem with that is: How many of us want to spend time with someone who's clinically depressed when this is pretty much the only way we ever see that person? It was a downer. So I advised her to do two things: 1) have the first scene with this character occur just a little bit before the life-changing event, so we have a sense of her as a more emotionally rounded human being and have something we can root for her to get back to; 2) have other characters testify for her, i.e. through dialogue etc talk about what she was like before, again so we have something to root for. There were several other problems with the book - 14 pages of notes worth! - but the author met the challenge. She made the changes and after she informed me of that, I referred her to an agent who offered representation within 48 hours. Her book is now out on submission and I hope it sells. Will the same thing happen to everyone who works with me? No. But I can guarantee that anyone who does work with me will wind up with a better book and that going through the process will make subsequent books even better because one of my goals is to help writers turn on their own editing ears so that in the future they can better help themselves. 

Anything else? 

I've always said that all writers have a weakness in one of three areas: bad beginnings, saggy middles, unsatisfying endings. And I've always said the first is the hardest to overcome: you may be brilliant later on but no one will be there to see it when you are if you're saddled with a bad beginning. But I never realized until I started working closely with so many writers how prevalent and truly detrimental bad beginnings are. You've read the two examples I've already cited. Here's a third: A client wrote a middle-grade fantasy novel about a girl who's about to start at a new school she fears. If you look at books clinically you'll see there's always an establishment of the ordinary world followed by the call to adventure. In this instance, the ordinary world was the girl's home and it somehow made the opening very like a Kate DiCamillo book while the rest of the book belongs more on the shelf with Spiderwick Chronicles. Can you see how that wouldn't work? So I advised the author to have the ordinary world be the girl's first beloved school, doing a brief chapter showing her happily immersed there. Then at the end of the chapter it's announced the school is closing and they all have to go to this new awful school - there's your call to adventure!

 

OK, that's enough anecdotes out of me.

 

Credentials: I was a book buyer and seller for what was at the time the largest independent bookstore in the northeast. I then became a Publishers Weekly reviewer (292) titles, a freelance editor (nearly 100 titles) and a sort-of librarian. By the end of this year I will have had 15 books published: seven adult books, four for teens or tweens, four for young readers. My books have been published in 11 countries and my publishers have included Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Simon & Schuster, Random House, Red Dress Ink and BenBella. Earlier this year, I decided to launch my own freelance business. Interested parties can reach me at glogsted@aol.com.

 I appreciate time Christine and Lauren spent answering my questions.  

There are lots of excellent editors out there. Writers just need to be sure to do their research before paying anyone to evaluate their manuscript.  

Have a great week, everyone!

Mary Lindsey writes paranormal fiction for children and adults. Prior to attending University of Houston Law School, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama.

Mary can also be found on her website.