Book doctors seem to be the hot topic these days. Author Helen Hemphill blogged about it last week on Through the Tollbooth, Moonrat wrote about it a couple weeks ago on Editorial Ass and agent Rachelle Gardner referenced them in this post and in the comments.
But for every experienced freelance editor, plenty more are there to take a writer’s money and give them little in return. It seems like the kind of thing you'd read about in Editors and Predators, yet it seems like a lot of authors are going this route in the endless quest for publication. We pay for books, classes and conferences to help us with our craft. Is hiring a book doctor the next logical step?
If so, how do you find a good editor? Should you pay for a freelance editor before you send your work out? No one is going to promise publication after a good editing. Can a critique group offer the same benefits for a lot less money? Have any of you ever paid for a freelance editor and how did that work out for you?
So many questions! I'm eager to hear your answers!
