Find the Right Editor for Your Book

Are you ever curious about editing?

Bryon Quertermous

Oh sure, we all know what editing is, at least as it pertains to our writing. But my experience of editing is probably much different than yours.

Authors published by the Big 5 wonder if they can find the type of editor they’re used to working with if they indie publish their next book. Indie authors wonder how much control they would lose if they signed a contract with a Big 5 publisher. And, of course, new authors wonder how to find the right editor.

Being a naturally curious fellow, I searched for an editor that could clear some of this up for us. Someone with Big 5 editing experience, who’s now working as a freelancer.

Bryon Quertermous is an editor and an author. His first book, MURDER BOY, is being published March 31st.

He has over a decade of publishing experience that began in New York with Random House. He spent time spent running Angry Robot Book’s crime fiction imprint as well as working as a freelance editor for New York Times bestselling authors. Books he’s edited have been selected as the best of the year by USA Today and Library Journal among others.

Bryon answers my questions on editing and more in this 52-minute interview, including:

Bryon describes his career in publishing, which included stops at Random House, Angry Robot Books and Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin) among others.
How the indie community supports one another when it comes to information sharing and recommendations for top professionals.
An in-depth conversation covering the different types of edits and the importance of each of them, with a focus on Bryon’s specialty, the developmental edit.
Byron shares his thoughts on whether or not there is a quantifiable difference between the quality of the editing provided to Big 5 published authors vs. that available to indie published authors.
How much should an author be prepared to pay for a developmental edit?
Laura Lippman describes Bryon’s new book, MURDER BOY, as a “Dark comedy with a heart.”
Bryon describes MURDER BOY and explains why he wanted outside help for the developmental edit of his book.
Bryon shares his making it up as he goes along marketing plan, and the way serendipity comes into play when you’re hand selling books to local bookstores.
Bryon offers advice to traditionally published authors interested in becoming hybrid authors
Bryon offers some surprising advice to first-time authors who will soon be looking for an editor.