Authors rarely overpay because an editor is greedy. They overpay because the file that arrives is still a workshop: three chapter versions, a PDF with drop caps, comments from five betas stacked in the margin, and a note that says “ignore chapters 12–14, I’m rewriting those next week.” The editor then spends billable time reconstructing the book instead of improving it.
This is a practical prep guide. It will not make you your own copyeditor. It will make every professional hour worth more. If you still need ranges, use the editing cost calculator after you know the word count of the file you will actually send.
Send the draft you mean
Complete means complete: beginning, middle, end, in the order you want them read. Not a perfect manuscript. Complete. If a chapter is a placeholder, either write it or cut the promise of it. “[Fight scene here]” is not a scene. Editors can diagnose a finished rough draft. They cannot honestly developmental-edit a book that is still arriving in pieces.
Do a self-revision pass first. Read once for structure only—no comma hunting. Read aloud for voice and clunk. Fix the problems you already know about. Then stop. Polishing the same paragraph for a month is not preparation; it is delay. For timing, see when to hire an editor.
Cool off if you can spare even a week. Fresh eyes start at home. Beta readers help after that, not instead of it. Specific questions beat “any thoughts?”
File format (this is not fussy; it is how markup works)
Send one .docx file unless the editor asks for something else. Microsoft Word (or a clean export from Google Docs / Pages saved as .docx) is still the working format for tracked changes. One manuscript, consecutive pagination, not a folder of twenty chapter files and a mystery “FINAL_v9_really.”
Do not send a designed PDF for a developmental edit or a copyedit. PDFs are for proofing laid-out pages. Designing the interior before the text is frozen is how you pay for formatting twice. Clean body text, a readable serif or default font, a simple chapter heading style, and page numbers are enough.
Use styles rather than a forest of manual tabs. Scene breaks should be a consistent mark. Accept or reject old tracked changes and delete comment threads you do not want in the working file. The editor should see the book, not the archaeology of the book.
Name the file like a professional (AuthorLast_Title_wordcount.docx is a useful pattern). Include a real word count from the processor, not a guess. Quotes and invoices hang on that number.
What to fix yourself (and what to leave)
Fix completeness, continuity you already know is broken, and search-replace problems: a renamed character who still appears under the old name, a city that moved countries, a placeholder “TK” you forgot. Run spelling and grammar tools once, then do not worship them. They will flag voice and miss homophones.
Fix the problems that would embarrass you if a stranger saw them on page one. Do not try to copyedit yourself into a corner. If you are hiring a copyeditor, you do not need to spend six weekends on comma splices. If you are hiring a developmental editor, you do not need a flawless sentence on a chapter you may cut.
Leave genuine craft questions for the editor: structure, pacing, point of view, argument, whether a subplot earns its keep. Leave consistent style decisions you are unsure about—they belong on the style sheet, not in a last-minute rewrite of every number. Do not hide known issues. A one-page note that says “I know the midpoint sags” is more useful than a cheerful cover email.
A starter style sheet
A style sheet is the project’s memory. You do not need a publishing-house bible on day one. You do need a short list so the editor is not reverse-engineering your world from chapter 18.
Include:
- Character names, nicknames, and how they should appear in full versus short form
- Place names, invented terms, magic or tech vocabulary, and any words you have already decided to capitalize—or not
- US or UK English (and whether you want that enforced strictly)
- Number treatment, time format, and hyphenation you care about (email vs e-mail is a hill some authors will die on; say so)
- Series facts if this is not a standalone: prior books, timeline, what is already published and therefore locked
The editor will expand this. For a copyedit it becomes a core deliverable. For a critique it may stay light. Either way, a starter sheet saves hours of “wait, is it Magrethe or Magrethea?”
Sample pages that tell the truth
Reputable editors ask for sample pages before quoting a full manuscript, or they include a paid sample in the hiring process. Chemistry and the intensity of the work matter more than a pretty website. See how to find a book editor.
Send the opening—because that is where readers decide—and, when asked, a stretch from the middle. Middles tell on you. Do not privately polish ten pages that do not resemble chapter nine. A sample that is an island of perfection trains the editor to under-quote, then both of you are unhappy.
Ten to twenty pages is a common request. If Polar Bear asks for a specific range, send that range. If you want to test fit before a full critique or developmental pass, say so in the contact note.
Brief the editor like a professional
Alongside the file, send: genre (the shelf, not “it’s kind of everything”), word count, audience if you know it, deadline with honesty, and the stage—“draft two, post-beta,” “pre-agent,” “pre-upload,” “I think it needs structure but I’m not sure.” Name the three problems that keep you up. Name what you do not want touched (voice, dialect, a formal constraint) so the editor can tell you whether that constraint is viable.
Do not send a moving target. If you plan to rewrite the ending next weekend, wait until next weekend. A scope written against last Thursday’s file is how relationships sour.
What not to do
Do not format for print or Kindle before the content freeze. Do not pay for proofreading while chapters are still migrating. Do not staple five previous editors’ comments into the file and expect a clean read. Do not inflate or deflate the word count. Do not ask for a guarantee of deals, lists, or sales; a serious desk will refuse.
When the file is ready, ask for a written scope: deliverables, timeline, price, what happens if word count changes, and whether a sample is part of the start. Polar Bear would rather tell you to revise first than take a fee for the wrong stage. Get a quote when the manuscript can sit still long enough to be seen.
FAQ
What file format should I send an editor?
Send one .docx file of the complete manuscript unless the editor specifies otherwise. Word is the working format for tracked changes. PDFs are for proofing laid-out pages, not for a developmental or copyedit pass.
Should I format the book for print before hiring an editor?
No. Finish content work first. Drop caps, fancy fonts, and a locked PDF make markup slower and often force you to pay for layout twice. Clean, styled Word is enough until the text is frozen.
How many sample pages do I need?
Enough for chemistry and intensity: often the opening chapter plus a stretch from the middle. Ten to twenty pages is a common request. Sample the book as it actually is, not a privately polished island.
What belongs on a style sheet before I hire?
A starter list: character and place names, invented terms, hyphenation choices, number treatment, and US vs UK English. The editor will expand it. You are not expected to deliver a publishing-house bible on day one.
Does a messy draft cost more to edit?
Usually yes, because intensity—not only word count—drives hours. Incomplete scenes, placeholder notes, and unresolved structure turn a copyedit into a rewrite. A twice-revised complete draft is the cheaper professional hour.