As a business leader, hiring a freelance editor can be a great way to improve your company’s written materials. But not all editors are created equal. Asking the right questions upfront will help you find an editor who can best fulfill your needs. Here are some key questions to ask:
- What types of projects have you worked on as an editor? Look for experience relevant to your specific content needs.
- How long have you been freelancing/editing professionally? More experience is better when it comes to high-quality editing.
- Can you provide a short editing sample of my writing? Review it to assess their editing style.
- May I see your résumé? Look for fluency in your topic area and continuous editing work.
- How soon could you begin and complete an editing project of [length]? They should offer reasonable turnaround times.
- What is your fee structure? Get rate info and understand how they charge.
- What is your editing process and philosophy? Look for an approach that matches your needs and expectations.
- How do you communicate with writers during edits? Do you offer feedback calls? Ensure their process fits with yours.
Asking the right questions upfront ensures you find an editor who is the right fit for your content and needs. Let me know if you need any assistance with an upcoming editing project!
These are great tips! However, authors should always look for this information on the editor’s website before opening with these questions. Of course, if the editor doesn’t have a website, then these are great openers.
I coach editors on what to put on their websites and recommend that answers to many, if not all, of these questions be on their websites. But it’s not up to us to dictate a prospective client’s journey. They can choose to ask these questions via online research, phone calls, emails, meetings—whatever works for them.