From what I've seen . . . self-published authors DEFINITELY need editors. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of good book editors you're likely to find working for someone else who isn't exclusive to their company. Book editing is very unlike line editing or article editing or NF editing. It takes a story-teller who can disociate at the same time as he engages in the narrative. Someone who can line-edit without robbing the prose of color and character. Someone capable of suggesting critical revisions as well as making certain the mechanics of each individual sentence, paragraph, and chapter is as clear as it needs to be.

Needless to say, it is a lot of painstaking work. So, don't sell yourself short. Charge what you're worth! If they can't come up with the cash, then they aren't determined enough to publish the book properly. Period. End of story.

That's my professional opinion. I don't always follow my own advice, though; that's why I give it away.

Thanks, Jordan. Great breakdown he has there. I guess I'm a bit odd, but I tend to charge higher hourly rates for smaller works and taper as wordcount builds. But I don't publish my rates specifically because I don't have the available time on any kind of regular schedule. JB appears to be very professional. If I were looking for a book editor, I'd at least open a dialogue with him. But then, I edit my own work . . .

How did we get to be editors?

We're writers. Editing is part of the process.

Seriously, though, I started my own poetry journal about a decade ago. Then I went back to college for a BA and then an MA in English. During my graduate matriculation, I spent two years as a tutor in the writing center. I learned by doing. I was also brought up in a very dysfunctional way that led me to be overly critical, and so I decided to turn that evil character flaw into a power for good.   Once I unlearned being critical, I learned to critique. Via numerous programs and books, I taught myself a great deal about communication and brought that into constructive criticism. And then I partnered in a publishing company, published three great books and went into Andromeda-level debt. Which led to freelancing and eventually to an editorship at a state agency.

I don't recommend my path, Grasshopper.   There HAS to be an easier way.

Actually, the one work I suggest every editor read (over and over) is Alexander Pope's "Essay on Criticism". It's especially beneficial for fiction and poetry editors. Might be able to find it on Google books or Bartleby's.

Weeelll...I think a free first taste is a sound policy, for both the editor and the author. If you aren't going to like what you are going to get, its better to have tested the waters first, saves a lot of time for both parties.

Yes, the first issue of S&S went through some printing difficulties and the final product was not exactly what we'd meant it to be.

That's layout though, not necessarily the editor's job. Large publishers have separate people, even divisions, handle that; small press, it's probably the same guy.  In the case of TROTS, I did handle all that.  Of course, I had a helluva steep learning curve and did experience some setbacks along the way, but in the end I'm quite happy with the final product.

Layout is not really what an author would be paying a private editor for, though. Layout will end up being done by and within the parameters of whatever publisher the author lands with.