Self-Publishing Wizard or Wannabe

How to Hire the Best Editor, Designer, or Book Guide

Mary E. Neighbour, TBD

• Publisher: UpRiver, DownRiver Books
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780996254168
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Filología
• Subtopic: Publicación

This is the first book of its kind.

Written for authors and self-publishers, this pocket guide takes the worry out of hiring editors, book designers, and book-production freelancers who are true industry professionals—not wannabes.

Author Mary E. Neighbour draws upon thirty years of experience to invitingly and convincingly introduce authors to the intricate world of pub­lishing. Chapters deftly cover:

-Distinctions between wannabes and wizards

-Terminology used by professionals

-Publishing industry standards

-Signs of a true professional

-Sample questions to ask job candidates

-Notes pages, so this guide also serves as a workbook

Don’t hire anyone until you read Wizard or Wannabe!

Chapter 1

Relationships with Wizards and Wannabes

The following chapters will cover the telltale signs that will help you determine if the candidate you wish to hire is a true professional, a wizard capable of helping you reach your goals, possessing real skill and relevant experience. First, though, let’s examine those less-than-perfect pairings and get them behind us.

Oz, as it turned out, was not “all great and powerful.” When Dorothy and friends deliver the broom of the Wicked Witch to him, they have accomplished the task he assigned, and they expect the fulfillment of the promises he made. But when the curtain draws back, the much-touted, much-sought-after wizard steps out in plain view, a common man. All the anticipated miracles and wonders dissolve to confusion, betrayal, disappointment—and anger.

“You’re a humbug!” the Scarecrow declares.

“A very bad man,” adds Dorothy.

But the wizard clarifies, “Oh, no—I’m a very good man. Just a very bad wizard.”

So what is a wizard? For the purposes of this book, wizards are good people, set apart from other humans by virtue of their specialized knowledge, skills, and experience. They are professionals with a body of work that demonstrates their talent. They operate a business in good standing within their community and the broader industry. They can explain their competencies to a lay person, and they provide references that can be checked, verifying that what they say is true. They have no use for magic; they are the real deal.

If the freelancer or contractor you wish to hire—whether a plumber or an editor—cannot match this description, then they likely are wannabes, promising more than they can deliver.

Regrettably, bad hires occur more often in self-publishing than they ought. Authors may find themselves in problem relationships with either of these two types of freelancers:

1. Wannabes: those who believe themselves to be wizards, yet they lack the expertise and track record to deliver on their promises to make your book the best it can be.
2. Impostors: those who know themselves incapable of delivering on promises but unethically take your money and waste your time anyway.

Each of these bad actors can be avoided when authors understand their own responsibilities.

The Author’s Due Diligence

Identity-theft experts recommend not signing your name on the back of a credit card; instead, they advise that you write “check photo ID”—because a face is a lot harder to fake than a signature. Though I’ve done this over the course of a couple of decades, only once has a retailer checked my photo ID. Hmm.

A similar malfunction occurs in the process of hiring a contractor or freelancer. Before hiring, it is incumbent on the author to check a freelancer’s credentials. Yes, we all know we should do it, but it’s a pain. And we trust our gut feeling. And we don’t like speaking with strangers. And we just want to keep things simple.

I’m sorry to say that gut feelings aren’t enough, for the plain fact that you don’t know what you don’t know. For example, few authors can tell the difference between a great cover design and a mediocre one. Your subjective preferences amount to one, minor factor in helping your cover meet industry standards. Do you know what the major factors are? (See Chapter 3 for the answer.)

Moreover, professionalism is easy to fake. You may encounter plenty of “experts” for hire who make you feel comfortable and optimistic about translating your manuscript into a great book—yet that doesn’t mean they’ll do a good job. In truth, it’s quite difficult to assess experience and know-how without first taking a few reasonable steps:

1. Visit the candidate’s website. Does it seem professional and easy to navigate? Does it offer the information you’re seeking? Carefully review book samples in your genre. (Professional standards for editing, design, and presentation vary from genre to genre. Subsequent chapters will go into detail about this.)
2. Ask for references. Talk to their previous clients who are authors in your genre.
3. How far back does their experience go?
4. Ask for a physical copy of books they have contributed to. Compare their work with comparable books at the library. Ask a librarian to weigh in on which book stands out and which is flawed. Also look to see if the author acknowledged the candidate’s role and learn what that author appreciated.
5. And finally, do a thorough interview before hiring anyone. The following chapters will provide you with relevant, important questions to explore in the interview process. You’ll note in these chapters that I also emphasize discussing your goals with a candidate. Be clear and detailed about what you want and expect a freelancer to deliver. Make sure you are both on the same page.

So, forget about “keeping things simple.” If you don’t check credentials, things may get complicated quickly; problems will accumulate, deadlines won’t be met, cost overruns will accrue, and no one wants to put a book out there, only to be embarrassed by it when they learn, belatedly, what they needed to know earlier.

A Word about Wannabes

Wannabes are, by far, a more common problem than impostors. In my own experience, wannabes do not intend to take advantage of you. Most frequently, those who disappoint truly believe in their hearts that they can be of help. They simply don’t know the depths of the publishing industry; they haven’t schooled themselves or kept up with industry standards.

Similarly, they also do not understand or anticipate the damage they wreak upon an author’s budget and timeline. Authors have come to me, distraught and angry, because they belatedly realized they wasted time, money, and energy on a supposed professional who just didn’t have enough skill. No author wants to hire a wannabe. Here are just four examples of a wannabe (you’ll find more examples in the following chapters):

• An editor who knows a lot about commas and how to use them, but she doesn’t understand hyphens and dashes—or dozens of other editing rules
• A cover artist who comes up with a great design, but he doesn’t understand the book’s genre, so the cover doesn’t perform well in the marketplace
• A typographer who adequately places the text on the pages, but who doesn’t catch “ladders” and “rivers”
• A book shepherd who capably guides you through the editing and design of your book, yet makes a hash of the manufacture, distribution, and release of your book into the marketplace

Indications of an Impostor

Just as there are telltale signs of a professional (listed in subsequent chapters), there are telltale signs of a scam. Some are known, industry-wide, to attract and swindle authors deliberately. Industry organizations, like the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) or the Independent Book ...