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.

Publishing Pulse: 7/31/09

New Agents

Several agencies have new agents, and you know what that means!  People looking for great submissions!

Laura Wood has joined Fine Print.  According to the Guide to Literary Agents, she "specializes in serious nonfiction, especially in the areas of science and nature, along with substantial titles in business, history, religion, and other areas by academics, experienced professionals, and journalists." Her email address is laura@fineprintlit.com.

Ward Calhoun has also joined Fine Print.  He's interested in "nonfiction titles in the areas of sports, humor, and pop culture." His email address is ward@fineprintlit.com.

To submit to either, follow Fine Print's instructions: "For fiction, send a query letter and synopsis and the first two chapters via regular mail. If you query via email, do not send an attachment without invitation. If we’re interested, we will ask to see a few chapters or the full manuscript.  For nonfiction, send a query letter, proposal, and sample chapters via regular mail. If you send a query via e-mail, do not include an attachment. If we’re interested, we will ask for additional material."

Brenda Bowen is a new agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Again according to the Guide to Literary Agents, she "represents authors and illustrators of children’s books for all ages (preschool to teen) as well as...graphic novelists, animators and maybe a surprise element or two."

To submit to her: "If you plan to query via e-mail: Please submit a query letter in the body of the e-mail, and the following as Word attachments: the first three chapters of the manuscript (for fiction), a book proposal (for nonfiction), a synopsis of the work, and a brief bio or résumé. If you plan to send a hard copy query: Please submit a query letter, the first three chapters of the manuscript (for fiction), a book proposal (for nonfiction), a synopsis of the work, a brief bio or résumé, and a stamped self-addressed envelope for reply. Original artwork is not accepted (send copies only). Enclose a stamped, self-addressed mailer if you wish to have your materials returned to you. We generally reply to queries within 6-8 weeks."

Jacquie Flynn has joined Joëlle Delbourgo Associates. She specializes in these nonfiction areas: "business and career, technology, science, psychology, self-help, and parenting."

Jacquie does not respond to email queries--you will need to snail mail her with a SASE at Joëlle Delbourgo Associates, Inc., 516 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 5, Montclair, NJ 07042.

Caleb Seeling is now an agent at WordServe.  You can get detailed information about how to query him here.


Insider Tips and Tricks from Around the Web

Literary agent Kate Epstein has just started Twittering at http://twitter.com/EpsteinLiterary.  She includes
- advice to writers looking for an agent,
- notes and thoughts on the business and product of writing,
- commentary on the publishing industry,
- and authors' publicity announcements.
Bonus--lots of her tweets are inspired by the queries she receives, so you'll get tons of information on what to do and what not to do!

Moonrat posted an absolute must-read post on publicity called My First Print Run Is Tiny!! How Can I Save My Book?

The Blood-Red Pencil has a great post on Self-Editing One Step at a Time: How to Identify Dragging Narrative.

Quips and Tips for Successful Writers gives you 6 Tips For Building A Successful Writing Career.

Rachelle Gardner summed up the most pertinent points from her From Proposal to Publication blog series last week. (They'll make you want to read the whole series!)

Everyone have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you right here next week!




Dr. Carolyn Kaufman is a clinical psychologist and professor residing in Columbus, Ohio. A published writer, she runs Archetype Writing: Psychology for Fiction Writers and an associated blog. She is often quoted by the media as an expert resource. 

Interview with Literary Agent Kate Epstein on Platform

You asked for more posts on platform, so today we have literary agent and AAR member Kate Epstein joining us to talk about platform! Kate is the founder of the Epstein Literary Agency and specializes in nonfiction for adults.

Projects she represents include: Knitting the Threads of Time by Nora Murphy (New World Library), Peter Allison's Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide and his Don't Look Behind You! (Globe Pequot Press), The Day After He Left for Iraq by Melissa Seligman (Skyhorse Publishing), and Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot by Mary Beth Temple (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

What is your definition of platform?

A platform is generally anything that will get you and your book media attention--but it's something about you, not about your book. That is, subject matter, no matter how interesting, isn't platform--platform is something you specifically bring to promotion that will increase your book's visibility in a way that another author might not be able to do. I don't know where the term got started, but it seems to me that it has a fairly specific metaphorical meaning in that in a crowd of people, you will stand on a platform and people will see the book you're holding up because you are higher up than the rest of us.

What do you look for in a platform? 

Ideally your platform shouldn't just be connecting you with random people but with people likely to be interested in reading what you're writing about. So if you're well-known for fishing, it may not help much if you want to write a book about crochet.

Are there any “platform misconceptions” you hear from writers?

A few months back a lot of people seemed to believe that Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote Eat, Pray, Love, sold her book with no platform. Now, her platform wasn't such as to make anyone expect she would be so spectacularly successful, but she was a well-regarded memoirist, biographer, and journalist.

Many of our readers are intimidated by the concept of platform – they don’t know where to start.   Can you give them any tips?

A great thing to do is seek out gatherings of your market and start small. Nowadays there are so many online gatherings related to all different kinds of interests and problems; start getting in there and making friends. If you're credentialled in some way, offer to speak at conferences related to your book topic.

One thing many authors don't realize is that, depending on a book's subject matter, a small platform may be very leverageable. While the big conglomerate publishers don't take on anything wherein they can't expect to sell 15,000 copies in the first print run, mid-sized publishers are interested in books that sell 5,000 copies within 12 months.

Now, if an area is crowded in the bookstore, a small platform may not cut any ice--if your book is about how to get your baby to sleep, it may be hard to woo away ANY readers from Ferber and Pantley. And memoir is hard to launch without a really big platform, most of the time.  But if a topic is under-explored, but not too niche to have sales potential, a small platform may be enough--as good as a feast.

What separates people who are good at building platforms from people who struggle?

Generally people who are good at building platforms aren't afraid to be obnoxious. If you'd rather not be noticed, you probably won't be. It also helps I think to understand and respect your market. However, most people struggle. It's really hard to get noticed in this world.

Thank you so much, Kate, for taking the time to answer our questions!




Dr. Carolyn Kaufman is a clinical psychologist and professor residing in Columbus, Ohio. She is delighted to have Kate Epstein as her agent. She is currently working on a book to teach writers to use psychology accurately in their fiction for Quill Driver Books. If you want a sneak preview, check out Archetype Writing: Psychology for Fiction Writers and the associated blog!