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The truth of the matter is that not
everyone can write. In fact, very few people
can write properly. However, that being
said, many people can craft great stories,
while forgetting about the grammar issues
they need to understand. That is where a
book editor comes in, and in an age where
there are literally millions of books on the
market, a book editor can make an amazing
living. It can be highly effective, and
profitable, to make a living as a book
editor, and once you have broken into the
industry, you will often have your pick of
clients and contracts.
The Concept
The concept of book editor is essentially
working as someone who edits what others
write. It is the book lover’s dream job, and
it can pay a lot when you are so busy you
barely have time to digest the books you
receive. As a book editor, you can work at
home or in an office, and thanks to the
world of the internet, the career of the
book editor is wide open.
Typically, a publisher, both large and
small, will come to you with books that have
yet to be published. You could be the first
person to look at the manuscript, or the
fourth editor to do so. Either way, you will
be reading the manuscript and not only
looking for grammar issues, but for how the
story reads, character development and
problems with the storyline (plot problems).
Startup Costs
This type of business is relatively easy to
start out with in terms of cash. You do not
need to have a great deal of overhead, no
office, nor anything else except a pen to
mark up the manuscripts. However, you will
need to have training in English, literature
and writing. This is very important because
if you are going to be rewriting and fixing
what professional writers write, then you
need to have the experience to back you up.
This experience can come through university
classes, a degree, or simply being self
taught. You can also have experience working
for a publisher in a variety of levels.
Except for the cost of setting up a website
and taking some writing classes, the start
up costs for this career is quite low.
How to Market It
This industry, possibly more than any other,
is all about who you know. If you know
publishers throughout the country, then all
you need to do is let them know about your
career path. It is highly important that you
establish connections with publishers around
the country to help gain them as clients.
The beauty of the industry is that
publishers need more than one editor, often
dozens, so there is room for everyone in the
publishing world. Forget about advertising
in the paper, it is best to make up fancy
report brochures to show what you can do,
why you can do it and why someone should
hire you as a book editor. Then, send it off
to the publishing companies in the hopes
they will choose you as their next book
editor.