These are a couple questions I was posed by a fellow writer on a scifi fantasy writer's group. I thought I would just copy-paste the questions and answers here so that everyone who finds it useful can see it. Sarah B. posed the questions to me. I've had limited experience with publishing before and figured I could be of some help to her here.
1. Do you use a developmental editor or other types of editors? How did you pick them and what does it cost? I've looked at various people's websites. They are quite expensive, which is to be expected, and there are so many, it's hard to know which are reeealllly good.
~~When I was more heavily involved with publishing (right now, I'm doing more of the attempt at writing process than I am the publishing process) I needed to start editing. Because at some point when you think a book is ready to start the publishing process, it's usually barely there.
First was the beta run. My list of betas might be anyone free or sometimes cheaply paid but willing to do a good job and has a record of beta work to prove their legitimacy. Usually my beta is someone close to me who is willing to look for story structure, analyze my work, find obvious spelling or grammar type errors for free because they truly have an interest in my success. The betas are people whom I can trust to discuss details of the short story, book, article, or whatever I'm working on. They help me find flaws that could be degenerative to my work. They help basically work out kinks in your first draft. If you have really good betas and they're doing free work and willing to do a second beta run, then after your first draft is reworked or rewritten, then you might consider using them again. Otherwise, I highly recommend using a new set of betas for the second/third/fourth/eighth drafts until the book is in tip-top shape. It's a long process and you should never underestimate the value of making contacts with new people, writers or readers.
Writer betas are excellent. Why? Because they're used to picking apart work just like you are. The difference between you and another writer is their eyes are fresh, and their red pen is full. Make sure they know that you're not going to shrivel up like a dried berry when they critique your work. But more importantly... follow through and don't shrivel up like a dried berry, because the best critique can be very hard and you cannot let yourself lose heart in your work! This is what you do, this is who you are, you are a writer because you write. Natural talent is falsely advertised as something that makes you good. You get good at writing because its something you want to do and you worked hard at it.
Reader betas are excellent. Why? Because they're going to be far more likely to pick out unique details they find important, and some of those things they notice will surprise you. And why will it surprise you? Because it's very likely you didn't even notice you put that insignificant seeming detail in there. And every reader will notice things. It's nice to see the contrast of what a reader finds important to the story versus what a writer believes is more significant.
Readers versus writers will each have a different take on your writing but there may be writers who can fill the reader role while doing the writer role, and vice versa.
After you've satisfied the beta runs and the many drafts you choose to do with betas...after the book is as perfect as betas can make it, then I'll run over to odesk which is now upwork (a website for freelancers like writers and editors). It isn't hard to create a client account.
It's very important that you understand there are many different features of editing. Finding one who can do structure with plots and the like is just as important as finding one who can place or erase a comma.
Hire an editor, and do interviews. Make sure you get a person who has a degree in editing specifically. This is where you pay good money to someone. You'll create a job posting and people will bid on the job. The editor I chose had a 30usd per hour wage, with a background in editing, teaching, and a degree in those fields. She was an older woman and completed her jobs quickly. Upwork can track her doing her job on her screen so I could verify that she wasn't wasting my precious money or wasting time doing her edits.
After she was finished editing, I was then able to go over her fine tooth combing and fix more structure/plot/various other issues with the book. If there was a serious issue, she was able to offer suggestions on how to fix things. Editors read the entire manuscript once before they begin serious editing (typically, though I cannot speak for all of them and it could be something to ask at the interview which you do entirely via webcam). Editors can be worked with multiple times, but it doesn't hurt to have fresh eyes once in a while. There is an issue with having too many editors, however, because this could affect the style of writing.
It's important to find an editor you can work with, and who will work with you. Shopping around with short stories you want edited for children's books, or articles or short pieces for a blog can be an ideal method of finding the right editor for you. It's a short term project, so you're not dishing out mega bucks, but you can get a feel for the editor and how they'll be while working with you. And remember, you can fire an editor at any time. All you have to do is find a new one. It's better to put a project on hold if you know you can't work with your editor until you find a new one than to spend more money.
Illustrators/artists can also be found on odesk/upwork website. There are multiple other freelance websites where you can find freelance workers such as artists, editors, and people with experience in formatting books. Is it different to find a cover artist verses an artist for interior art? Yes, it really is. A cover artist has specifically worked with books and is capable of formatting the artwork for optimal use on the front/back cover. Dimensions of the artwork is very precise. You don't want half your title getting hacked off, and you don't want a dozen fonts on the cover.
In fact, cover artists typically understand the aesthetics behind an attractive cover, and this is something you won't always find in the untrained individual. You want a unique book cover to your work. Readers don't realize it, but certain fonts on a cover can turn a reader off the book. You also do not want to get stuck with a boring, overused cover style. For example, Twilight set off a trend of covers of that style. Fifty Shades of Grey set off a trend of black/white/red/grey in the erotica genre to the point where every book looked the same and it got very boring to look at.
But I've gotten off track... hopefully I answered your question suitably.
2. Do you have any recommendations for someone who doesn't know anything to get started on the process of learning about self-publishing?
~~My recommendation on getting started to learn the process of self-publishing is first to complete the book from start to finish.
You write it.
Your betas read it x amount of times.
You rewrite x amount of times.
Hire an editor.
First draft, second draft, etc, gets edited until the book is perfect.
Hire illustrator for any desired interior art if needed.
Choose the dimensions of your book. At this point, you'll need accounts with companies like IngramSpark, CreateSpace, or Lulu. There are others.
You need a sales permit for your state, and you can get that usually directly from the Department of Revenue for your state for the most effective value. Don't get caught up by those weird legal let-us-do-it-for-you websites. They'll charge you extra.
Register your business for your publishing company which may require registration at the city/state levels, have a logo artist make a logo for your book.
Logo goes on the cover, and your cover artist will be able to help you ensure it is attractively placed.
A book formatter will be able to help you design your book which means put the cover and the interior together in the accepted format for the company you chose to work with. IngramSpark allows you to create hardcover books. CreateSpace does not, so be aware of that.
Purchase ISBNs directly from BOWKER, the company who handles ISBNs. Do not get them from any alternative source. You want to own your own ISBNs. BOWKER will sell you the ISBN and a barcode which goes on the back of the book. It's cheapest to buy the ISBNs in bulk at 10 at a time. If you have even a little thought of publishing 2 or more books, get the deal of 10 ISBNs. Your cover artist will help you get the ISBN and barcode on your book.
Once you have a completed manuscript/book fully formatted, you'll submit it to your chosen company who will return it with any issues they see in the book's production on their equipment. You will have a chance to fix those errors. Order a few proof copies before publication, and wait for their arrival. Check the proofs for errors in formatting that the company didn't catch. For instance, my company didn't catch the offset of the page numbers right away. We got that corrected so the numbers are uniform in the book.
Once you've been fully satisfied with the proofs (get more sent if you had to make adjustments), then publish. The company will distribute where you've requested they go. Physical stores will not automatically get your book from IngramSpark, because it is non-returnable. While you can assign books to be considered "returnable", it is not recommended by me because you have to refund that money if the book is returned, and you're only earning a small amount off the book.
Good luck, and let me know if you have further questions.
