On writers’ forums, I often come across people who believe that hiring an editor is not an important part of the self-publishing process for indie authors. If this is you, please check that your decision is not based on one of the following erroneous reasons.
I can edit my own book: Actually, you can’t. It doesn’t matter if you are a good writer, there is simply no guarantee that your work is as good as it can be without a second person taking a look at it. It’s common for writers to chase an idea, the images flowing so fast that they skip words in their haste to get it all down before they forget. Sometimes a writer will remember something they want to add, but tell themselves they’ll come back later, and never do. It’s also easy to forget that readers don’t know your characters nor the storyline in your head, so sequences of events that seem may logical to you might be lacking chunks of information for your reader. And we haven’t even talked about spelling or grammar mistakes yet!
I don’t have the money to pay an editor: While no-one can argue with you on this point, as the state of your accounts is known only to you, it may be interesting to consider the fact that the added value your book gains from being professionally edited far outweighs the cost of editing. Here are some of the benefits :
- A ‘tighter’ storyline without repetition and rambling
- A manuscript without holes in it
- You will become a better writer by learning how to avoid the types of mistakes editors fix
If you want to cut some of the costs of editing, think about writing and revising your novel efficiently and then asking friends or people who are avid readers to beta read your book and give you feedback. Make the changes they have advised and then let your book sit in a drawer for another few weeks before taking it out and reading it again. Fix any new mistakes you find and then start looking for a professional editor. By doing this you’ll have cut down on some of the work the editor will have to do to whip your manuscript into shape.
No book is ever perfect anyway: This is true. As editors and proofreaders are human, they do miss mistakes, but the percentage is small. Readers will forgive a semi-colon in the place of a colon or an occasional typo, but they won’t finish your book, and they most certainly won’t buy another of your books if all they can remember about you is that your book was a difficult read. Who wants to pay good money for an unfinished product? I’ll bet you don’t, so why invite your readers to do so?
All editors are crooks or failed writers: The editing community is filled with highly-educated people who have come to the profession because of their love of words. Many are accomplished writers and many have no wish to write at all. Editing is a job like any other job, and people choose to do it because they love it, not because they are seeking revenge on the publishing industry and writers more talented than themselves. Freelance editors run a business which takes time and energy to keep afloat – so much time and energy that anyone doing it for less than noble reasons would surely have to be a madman to even consider it. There’s a Machiavellian plot if ever I heard of one! However, it’s a Machiavellian plot that could only exist in fiction as the rest of us have bills to pay and no time for taking over the world through evil editing tactics.
The bottom line is that if you want to be proud of the book with your name on it, then make sure it’s being given the best chance possible to show people what you can do. You don’t want to be known as the writer who has great ideas, but who can’t string a sentence together without making readers cringe at bad spelling and incorrect tense usage. You want to WOW those readers and build up your reputation as a great writer they will want to read again and again.
The solution? Hire a professional editor to do what they do best.
