If you are a writer, and especially if you are an experienced writer, you might be wondering why you would want to consider having your writing professionally edited. I am a writer myself, and while I do self editing on all of my writings, for novels and shorts I submit for consideration for publication, I have a colleague of mine, also a professional editor, review for me.
If I'm a professional editor and I have someone else review my fiction writing prior to publication, then someone not specifically trained to edit should really have someone else review their work before submission to an agent or publisher.
Even editors should not be the final editor on their own work prior to submission. Much like an attorney should never represent himself in a court of a law, a writer should never attempt to do the final edit on their own works.
Why?
Well, there are many reasons for this, but I'll just briefly touch on the most obvious ones here:
1. When you edit something you have also written, you read it from the perspective of knowing what you meant to write, instead of seeing it exactly the way it was written. Someone else who was not inside your head at the time of the written may not see it as clearly as you do, or may see things you missed.
2. If what you've written is quite lengthy, like a novella or novel, or a non fiction manuscript or eBook, then you probably are sick of the writing at this point, and being able to take a break from it will allow you a better perspective when you come back to it. Passing the writing off to a professional editor who has never seen the writing before and has not been as immersed in it as you have will provide a fresh set of eyes to ensure nothing is missed.
3. Having someone other than yourself look at your writing before you submit it for publication is critical, even if you do not hire a professional editor, because the feedback you receive from others who read your writing will be a good indication as to how your target audience will receive what you have written. However, a professional editor who is in the industry will be able to give you the added feedback from the perspective of how your writing will be received in the marketplace.
4. Professional editing services are something you can use in your query letter to editors or agents and will show that you are committed to investing in yourself and your writing to make it the very best it can be.
There are, of course, many other reasons and ways that professional editing services can help you in your writing career. These points above touch on the most obvious and probably the most important reasons why you should consider professional editing services from your writing.
I've heard the arguments from writers that good publishers will provide the edits on your book for you, and this is very true. The problem is, if you're using this as an excuse not to hire a professional editor, let me ask you a question: Don't you have to get the contract for publication before it goes into editing?
Would you go to a job interview with a resume that has lots of typos or is missing information? No, of course not. In the same vein, you should not submit to a publisher unless the manuscript is as close to publish-ready as possible and not rely on their editors.
When it comes down to it, if an acquisitions editor is faced with two manuscripts in which the stories are both close to equally good, both of them have a good marketability, and both are well-written, but the publisher can only accept one - which one do you think has the edge, the professionally edited one or the one that was not?
And that is the point to hiring professional editing services prior to submission. Of course, if you plan to self publish, then you should consider professional editing services on your manuscript to be an absolute must!
Michelle L. Devon (Michy) is an author, writer, poet... she's
also a professional dreamer.
With four published books and more under contract, as well as managing her
business, Accentuate Services,
Ms. Devon stays busy living her purpose.
Michy currently lives and loves with her unique and amazing family, including
a house full of furry critters, in the Permian Basin area of West Texas.
"Writing is more than a profession," she says. "It's a lifelong dream and a
passion. Who could ask for more than to wake every day to do what you love the
most and get paid for it too? I am a writer. It's not what I do; it's who I
am."
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