Would you hire an editor for a webnovel?

Would you hire an editor? (Assuming that there were no financial issues involved?)

  • Yes, it is convenient.

    Votes: 4 12.9%
  • Yes, it is nice to get feedback and get the work briefed.

    Votes: 2 6.5%
  • Yes, depending on the situation.

    Votes: 10 32.3%
  • No, I already have a proofreader / beta-reader.

    Votes: 1 3.2%
  • No, I already edit my own work.

    Votes: 10 32.3%
  • No, depending on the situation.

    Votes: 4 12.9%

  • Total voters
    31

Phantomheart

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Just a question to ask about. I do freelance editing in my off time, so I wondered whether of not anyone online would even be interested because of how different online publishing is compared to novel deals or of contracted releases with a publishing house. I usually edit my own works and get my friends to read over the story on their off time or for fun since they usually get to beta read, but does everyone else do the same?

Tell me through the poll or in the forum below :P
 

Phantomheart

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Your "no financial issues involved" is very optimistic here.
Most people would say no because having an editor does cost money unless they are doing it for free. So, I just tacked it up there to get a more realistic response to those who would ever consider getting an editor. Then again, the comment section might as well serve the purpose as the editor with how many errors people point out these days :blob_popcorn:
 

binarysoap

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I mean, at that point, it's free proofreading, so why would you not?
 

Phantomheart

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I mean, at that point, it's free proofreading, so why would you not?
True, but unless the editor was someone I knew personally or at least heard good word about, I wouldn’t trust it. Editing things like novels is much more time consuming than any other scripture, even web novels take up a lot of time, which is why it’s an actual job. And if this is an actual editor, not just a person looking over your work for obvious errors that could be caught with slightly more precision, it would be extremely suspicious that they would offer their services for free. An editor becomes close to you over time because how much they invest in your story too, not to mention they have nearly all access to your story unless you are sending out copies every time, which sounds tedious enough already.

Though there are options of just sending your work to groups offering to look over it for free, there are often times where people disagree over certain edits or suggestions. Free editors also can range from any level of expertise, and if you are an advanced writer, you don’t want someone with no experience all over your documents. It becomes a waste of time and grows irritating even if you start to routinely switch them out. By the time a professional editor who does help look at stories comes along, they probably are looking at other works too, because everyone wants the free edits and proofreading. Their attention is divided and they won’t be able to help you in the same sense a contracted or paid editor would do.

that also brings up the point of when you finally get an editor that’s free and not suspicious. Eventually when their skills are high enough, they would want to get paid, so it just goes back into this strange cycle of trying to find an editor or look over your work yourself and hope you didn’t miss something.

most of this is spoken from experience.Very annoyed experience.
 

MrDarkness1234

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Well I would Iove that very much but It's hard to find on that helps you impove on your story much less understand how complex it would be later on but nice post @Phantomheart I might check how good you are at it if you are interested in my sever so here https://discord.gg/sd6ZhQC but be warned Im still learning as a owner of a sever of writers
 

Kotohood

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Depends on the level of editing I guess. Proof readers maybe I'll hire once I have enough chapters loaded up. You can get one for pretty cheap.

But for more serious works, and depending on my budget, I will go for a Line Editor, but only for stories that I have conpleted and tweaked to the best of my abilities.

If you are truly rich then maybe go for a copy editor, but you wouldn't be doing that for a webnovel that might get you 0 profit in return.

Cost benefit analysis and stuff.

Having worked with a copy editor(for an event back in college), I can tell you the level of feedback and care is very different from the nonexistent comment section. :blob_teary:
 

NiQuinn

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Didn't vote since I wanted to answer a simple, No.

No, depending on the situation.

That sounded like it could have been a yes if events were any different. Personally, I think it depends on what the author wants. Some do because they plan on publishing later on as a series of books. Some also hire because they just love their story that much. For me, I do it because I like it and it's a hobby at most.
 
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I don't really trust editors because I have a particular style of writing, and I don't like when they butchered it because it looks wrong to them, without even considering myself. unless they are someone i see eye-to-eye with, i won't even bother.

after i finish a chapter, i usually let it cool off for a day and did some edits, which often add the new things to a story i miss out. i don't try to make it perfect, just something i'm comfortable with by my own standards, 'cuz it's still something i do in the pastime.

for the minor things i can just use grammarly., and it's really helpful for me so far.

the nonexistent comment section. :blob_teary:

i feel you man
 

MrDarkness1234

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I don't really trust editors because I have a particular style of writing, and I don't like when they butchered it because it looks wrong to them, without even considering myself. unless they are someone i see eye-to-eye with, i won't even bother.

after i finish a chapter, i usually let it cool off for a day and did some edits, which often add the new things to a story i miss out. i don't try to make it perfect, just something i'm comfortable with by my own standards, 'cuz it's still something i do in the pastime.

for the minor things i can just use grammarly., and it's really helpful for me so far.



i feel you man
Me too Because if you do that then I might as well not hire you at all cause some sences are key for my novel.:blob_pat_sad:
 

Kotohood

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I don't really trust editors because I have a particular style of writing, and I don't like when they butchered it because it looks wrong to them, without even considering myself. unless they are someone i see eye-to-eye with, i won't even bother.

after i finish a chapter, i usually let it cool off for a day and did some edits, which often add the new things to a story i miss out. i don't try to make it perfect, just something i'm comfortable with by my own standards, 'cuz it's still something i do in the pastime.

for the minor things i can just use grammarly., and it's really helpful for me so far.



i feel you man
Me too Because if you do that then I might as well not hire you at all cause some sences are key for my novel.:blob_pat_sad:

I am not too bothered by that. Most editors will ask what you want and try to adapt to your style. Line editors for example changes only the wording to make the sentence easier to read/clearer,making sure you using the right words to convey a message.

Plus, most of them edit using track changes. So at the end of the day, it's up to you if you want to accept their changes or not.



Edit: unless of coz you have one of those spartan editors, but why would you hire one of those?
 

Phantomheart

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Depends on the level of editing I guess. Proof readers maybe I'll hire once I have enough chapters loaded up. You can get one for pretty cheap.

But for more serious works, and depending on my budget, I will go for a Line Editor, but only for stories that I have conpleted and tweaked to the best of my abilities.

If you are truly rich then maybe go for a copy editor, but you wouldn't be doing that for a webnovel that might get you 0 profit in return.

Cost benefit analysis and stuff.

Having worked with a copy editor(for an event back in college), I can tell you the level of feedback and care is very different from the nonexistent comment section. :blob_teary:
I am not too bothered by that. Most editors will ask what you want and try to adapt to your style. Line editors for example changes only the wording to make the sentence easier to read/clearer,making sure you using the right words to convey a message.

Plus, most of them edit using track changes. So at the end of the day, it's up to you if you want to accept their changes or not.



Edit: unless of coz you have one of those spartan editors, but why would you hire one of those?
Bruh tell me about it. A good editor is flexible enough to mold to their clients writing style. I remember a client hired me to write a script based off the verbiage of another YouTubed that I worked for and it was hilarious to read and then watch as a video. Sadly the video is deleted 😞

took a while to do though, I definitely wouldn’t go into a career in publishing .

but yeah I was wondering what some people thought about editors in regards to web novels, since most people usually only get them when they decide to publish official novels for sale.
 

AlwaysxDreaming

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I edit myself (imperfectly tbqh) but I think its enough. Especially since I have no plans to publish my webnovel for profit.
 

IvyVeritas

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I'm self-publishing my series as ebooks (and as paperbacks, through Amazon's print-on-demand service). I'm in the middle of revising and prepping Book 1 right now, even as I continue to release new chapters for Book 2. I've paid for a professionally designed cover, and I'd pay for a professional editor if it didn't cost so much. However, if I did, I'd only go through an established firm that has references; I wouldn't hire an independent.

Also, if I were to pay for an editor, I'd be looking more for developmental/structural editing (which would have to come much earlier in the writing process). I'm pretty good at doing the copy editing/proofreading myself. I do need a few copy editing tips (such as expanding my repertoire of action beats), but otherwise, I've got that end of things covered.

Right now, I don't anticipate using an editor for this particular series, but as my writing improves on future projects, I may consider it.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Just a question to ask about. I do freelance editing in my off time, so I wondered whether of not anyone online would even be interested because of how different online publishing is compared to novel deals or of contracted releases with a publishing house. I usually edit my own works and get my friends to read over the story on their off time or for fun since they usually get to beta read, but does everyone else do the same?

Tell me through the poll or in the forum below :P
Eh i am usually pretty good at doing it myself. I normally get fewer than ten mistakes and they are just due to typing errors cuz of my thiccc thumbs and sometimes janky chromebook.

Of course the longer the chapter the more the mistakes.

But i got a couple readers who help me spot mistakes too and let me know in the comments. So im lucky there.

I dont feel and editor is needed when i can just comb over the stuff myself.
 

AliceShiki

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Even if I had the money to do so, I would never hire an editor for a webnovel. This isn't a very profitable business in the first place (usually speaking at least), and I wouldn't want to reduce my profits by paying someone.

Additionally, I might want to change things midway after writing a few more chapters, which would require going back and changing what the editor already went through, so... I'd be wasting their work by changing the very plot they edited.

If I were to get an editor, I'd only do it for a published version of the novel, and probably only if I wasn't going to self-publish.
 

DanielHell

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Personally, I write just as a hobby and English is even not my first language, but in the end, with a webnovel, if you do not want to make it something serious, there's no need to get to professional writing level.
I use Grammarly and control twice after publishing the chapters, and I'm quite satisfied

Also, almost every editor that works for free has two characteristics:
-They're bad at what they do
-They want to do something fishy

I would professionally hire an editor only if my novel would escalate at a working level.
 

Polpota

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No.

The main appeal for writing a webnovel to me is being able to avoid editors.
 

yansusustories

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Nah, I wouldn't. I edit the web novel myself both after each chapter to get rid of some typos/make some stuff easier to read and then after the draft is finished. At that point, I might or might not rewrite as well depending on how much I like the final draft. Getting an editor before that time would be much more time-consuming than beneficial.
After that ... I might if there was no financial constraint. Tbh, it's unlikely though. After some years of writing and publishing, I feel that there's no need to have a perfectly edited novel as a self-publisher. Even publishing houses are starting to reduce costs in the editing department so I think that readers will get used to that 'not completely perfect' product over time and it won't make much of a difference.
So I'd rather put that money I would need for the editor in something else that the next stories would benefit more from, e.g. more stuff for research, something to further my skills as a writer, marketing ... There are hundreds of places I could put that money to good use.
 
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