So you have finally completed your book and so are in need of a novel editor or proofreader. Excellent! This means that you want to publish your manuscript. And I assume that you're wise enough to understand that getting the manuscript edited professionally is critical. However, I'll be the first to inform you that finding a great, knowledgeable editor who will treat your manuscript with care is a difficult task. So I have created 5 steps to help you get started.

1)Should I get copy editing or proofreading?
Why not both? Some editors charge less for 'proofreading only' as opposed to content editing. The distinction is that proofreaders fix errors only, while copy editors make a lot more substantial changes. I understand that you believe your book is perfect and you don't want anybody to mess it up, but trust me...a book (especially one just completed, and doubly a first novel) requires a whole lot of tender loving and care. A great editor will look for plot inconsistencies, badly written dialog, lack of character motivation, chapters that don't move the plot forward, unusual word selection and more. Spending money on an editor who knows what they're doing is much like getting a private writing tutor. You will get back a significantly stronger manuscript.

2) Costs. How much should you pay for proofreading as well as editing?
Costs can vary considerably. It is based on length of the project, experience of the editor and also quality of the editing. Do not expect a cheap cost and never look for a 'deal'. Along with that being said, a lots of proofreaders overcharge. Shop for the best, most qualified editor you can find who has handled similar projects before, and find out if they fit in your 'budget'. Editing a novel could be between $500 to $1500, but it's an investment.

3) Pick an editor that has a background in literature
Most professional editors never studied English or even editing. Find out what their experience and credentials are. They could be outstanding at fixing mistakes, formatting, or grooming the writing - however can they identify 'poor' writing and improve it? Is he / she themselves good writers?

4) Look for a native speaker, from the country you want your book to be successful in.
Proof of address isn't any guarantee that they're a native speaker. There are a lot of people that are excellent at English, although not all English is actually the same. Several countries speak blends of English which is not the same as the US/Canadian English, which is also different from UK English. Generally, US English is international English.

5) Where should you find an editor?
First of all, search 'novel editing/edit my novel' in google and see what comes up. Remember that the sites on the first page of Google are usually more established (have been around longer) and more expensive, but there are plenty of small companies with less advertising budget if you look past the first page results. I, personally had great experiences with smaller companies. Some of the companies are publishing companies as well that will also proofread and edit your book.