How can i get an editor?

Question

i'm still writing my fantasy series and wanted someone to share my ideas with and tell me what things should i change...but how i'm 16 and living in egypt...i'm hoping to publish it in america(it's very original)

but here we have no editors and no one from my friends gasp the simple mundane ideas of fantasy (they hate lord of the rings and harry potter)so how can i contact an editor from america and then pay him after the book is published?if possible u can give me links.Thanks guys.

Answer 1

Reality check here.  Most editors want to be paid regardless whether the book is published or not.  Any ad you see of editors will likely want to set up price for editing right away.  Since there are more writing works than there are published works, it's not feasible to ask an editor to go over your work on the assumption that they MIGHT get paid.

A better option would be to join some online writing forums.  There are some really good groups in Yahoo! Groups that will allow you to post your story and get advice and critiques from other members.  I've done the search for you below, all you have to do is find and join a group that you think will be good for you.

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=wri...

Answer 2

You can find people that will edit your work but you'd have to pay the fee at the time of service.  Instead of having friends/family read your work why not try to find others in the area who also enjoy writing and create a critque group.  I've belong to one for a couple years and it has helped my writing more than you can imagine.  If that's not an option I would suggest having a few of your teachers review your work and critque it.  Once you have it read to submit for publication and find a publisher their editor will go over it as well, but if you want someone to edit before hand and not get paid until after your book is published I seriously doubt thats going to happen.  Editors are not the same as literary agents, they expect payment up front because there is no guarntee you're book will be published.  Whereas an agent's job is to sell your book and then they get a portion of the funds from that sale, so if they ask for money up front to bother with them.

Answer 3

Magazines have columns at the back with adverts for pen-friends. Appeal for someone who is working on their own novel. You can swap chapters and ideas and advice. It can be refreshing for you, too, to take a break from your own writing to review the other person's.

Answer 4

Tarek,

Professional editors cost a lot of money. Many charge up to $5.00 per double spaced page. A manuscript with 300 pages can cost you up to $1500.00. Perhaps you can get a teacher to edit your work. He/She might do it for a small fee or free for that matter.

You also have to remember that manuscripts have to be double spaced in order to keep them in Industry Standard Format. Double spacing means more pages. A 300 page manuscript single spaced could almost double after it's made into double space.

If you're truly serious about writing for publication, you'll need someone who can actually edit your work professionally. That doesn't mean you have to hire an expensive editor. That's where a teacher comes in handy. If you choose to do so, just be careful of the language you use in the manuscript. Teachers are funny that way. :))

Good luck!

PJ M