Editorial Expectations

Assuring successful author/editor collaborations depends on meeting expectations regarding process, changes, money, contracts, deadlines, communications and trust. This EFA Booklet, written for both freelance editors and writers who plan to hire an editor, highlights how to set up transparent expectations so they can be met by both parties in the relationship.
The collaboration between the author and editor should be rewarding, and if handled properly, will continue through the years as the author grows in their own experience. Establishing a successful relationship between the author and the editor depends on transparency between both parties. And, what does "transparency" mean? Both parties should ask the questions that will affect their relationship, and the answers should be clear and concise.
An author should have some idea of what questions to ask when they approach an editor. They should ask pertinent questions about how the writer's work will be, handled by the editor and what they will get back at the end of the process (the deliverables). When hiring a freelance editor, a writer can help negotiation get off on the right foot by attending to the following: Defining your goals for the project; Taking stock of where you are in the creative/publishing process; Researching the market for independent editorial services; Determining a rough budget for your project.