Are you looking for a children's book editor? Do you need development advice for your YA short story, comic, non-fiction work or novel? Old Mate Media has 25-years of professional editing experience!

Professionally editing your children’s book, novel or any other form of literature is vital to success. Editing involves a lot more than ensuring words are spelled correctly and everything is grammatically sound. That is the role and limitations of a sub-editor. An editor provides those services, but also builds on them to bring direction, polish and integrity to the story as a whole. They will work on the whole journey with you, applying their skills to make the most out of your vision. The result is a relationship between the overarching story and the text that builds from line-to-line, page-to-page, across the entire book. Our editing service follows these principles to provide the best reader experience possible for your target demographic.

It’s particularly important to note that even children’s picture books benefit from professional editors. This is because word choice is critical and there must be a relationship between the images and the text. In addition, a third-person (a parent) often reads the book and therefore it needs to function phonetically. Old Mate Media does edit novels, travel books, cookbooks, magazines and more, but we also actively create and publish our own children’s picture books. Consequently, this gives us a deeper insight into the genre’s requirements and how to maximise text for young readers.

What you can expect from Old Mate Media’s editing service:

• Your own, personal professional companion to walk with you on the whole journey through the publishing process.
• Instructional advice to help you grow and become a better and more powerful writer
• A soundboard on which to bounce ideas and ask for professional feedback
• Stories where grammar functions and flows in a way that is fun and immersive
• A product free from spelling errors
• Word choice and sentence structure that matches the understanding levels of your target demographic
• Ensure the narrative moves organically and naturally between pages, across chapters and through character arcs
• We help build out and add depth to the characters and scenarios – and the relationship between them – to maximise reader engagement
• Discover and pinpoint holes or missed opportunities in the story and suggest alternatives or prompt the author for more detail
• With children’s books, we check that each stanza connects to the next and are enhanced by the images
• Minimise fat/bloat in the text or unnecessary pages (cutting down on art costs with children’s books)
• Work on the back-of-the-book blurb and retailer product descriptions.
• Ensure the cover reflects the story and maximises its genre and selling power. We can also get that created for you.
• If you also take up our design service, we can work with you on font choice, chapter layouts, your dedication, copyright information, about the author bio and more

A case study

If you’d like a deeper understanding of what to expect from Old Mate Media’s editing service, please read this case study. It offers details on how we approached the novel Adam Exitus, as well as a testimonial from author Nicholas Abdilla.

Our experience in editing

Old Mate Media founder Chris Stead – a father of three kids – has been working in media for 25 years. This includes periods as editor and editor-in-chief of some of the biggest brands in the world. Famous names like Maxim, Game Informer, Red Bull, MCV, GamePro, Krash, NBN, PlayStation, Xbox, Sydney Morning Herald and more. Currently he is consulting on editorial direction for brands like Finder and the University of New South Wales. He is the creator and publisher of dozens of children’s picture books. And he brings all that experience and analysis to your book.

What to do with your edited manuscript

Once your book has been professionally edited – and together with our team you’ve eradicated any holes, maximised all the scenes and landed on a story that is the best it possibly can be – it’s ready to be designed or submitted. You can either try your luck submitting your work to traditional publishers for consideration, confident that your book is being presented in the highest possible quality. Alternatively, you can get the manuscript designed into a completed book. This completed book can also be shopped around to traditional publishers, or it can be self-published. To learn more about the design process, read our guide to design. We can also help you self-publish your completed book.

Sub-editor vs. editor – What’s the difference?

An editor will proof-read your work and check for grammar and spelling gremlins, but as detailed above, they will work on much more than that. Editors will add the polish that turns your book into a world-class product. A sub-editor, on the other hand, will just look at the proof-reading. For a more detailed breakdown on the difference between a sub-editor and an editor, read this guide to hiring an editor.

Hiring a freelance book editor – Price expectations

Every author has a different level of experience and ability. We’ve come across indie authors with stunning ideas and incredible imaginations who really struggle to express it all on paper. Other authors have error-free, perfectly formatted copy, but it’s dry and formulaic. One book will be a tight story with only a few characters that unfolds in just one or two settings. The next will be a grand opus covering vast distances, generations and even dimensions, which is way more prone to holes. Ultimately, we need to see a sample of your manuscript to gauge its state and how much work is needed. Do know, however, that word count – not page count – is the more critical factor.

What about the price of children’s picture books?

Picture books can come in all shapes and sizes, and as a result there is no one-shoe-fits-all price. They may be written by authors who may not have English as a first language or any previous writing experience.  The cost can also depend on whether you have prepared image briefs to run alongside your text or not, and whether they need to be edited or created. Due to the importance placed on an image in a children’s picture book, page count impacts the price as much as word count.

In order to get a quote, please email us. Or book in a call.