5 Reasons You Should Hire an Editor
So, you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into your manuscript. You’ve pushed through good and bad days, sat down to write even when you didn’t feel like it, went over your work again and again, and now you’re ready for publication.
Due to costs, you may be tempted to skip some steps altogether (editing, cover art, formatting, etc.), but those services are crucial in the publishing journey, specifically for self-publishers.
As expensive as editors can be, their feedback can help guide your story to its fullest potential, whether you traditionally publish (trad pub) or self-publish (self-pub). Here are 5 reasons you should hire an editor.
1. They’re a fresh set of eyes on your project
No matter the length of your project, you’ve likely looked at your manuscript repeatedly, picking it apart, trying to make it as perfect as possible. But an editor can catch a lot of things you may have missed.
For example, you may have given a side character blue eyes in chapter 5 but green eyes in chapter 11. You may have written a scene where the sun rises in the west instead of the east. Or you may have written an unintentionally insensitive or offensive line that an editor can point out to you to remove before publication.
An editor can also provide objective feedback. Have you ever heard of the phrase “in writing, you must kill all your darlings” by Nobel Prize laureate William Faulkner? If not, the message is to cut any words, phrases, characters, plot lines, etc., that you may have a fond attachment to that don’t serve the story.
It may be hard for you to spot, much less “kill,” your little darlings. However, a good editor will be able to not only catch them but also provide an alternative to replace them.
2. They have professional expertise you don’t have
Depending on their level of experience, editors could have professional knowledge you don’t have. For example, some editors, like myself, have worked with major publishers and are aware of internal publishing knowledge like style guides, publishing trends, and working knowledge of Merriam-Webster and the Chicago Manual of Style, which are required reading in the publishing world.
Many editors also have multiple skill sets. Some can perform varying edits or have other publishing skills, such as designing or formatting. You can access a wealth of knowledge if you hire the right editor for you.
3. They can give you valuable feedback or new ideas you may not have thought of
If you hire a developmental editor, copy editor, or sensitivity reader, they can provide invaluable feedback. A dev edit focuses on macro aspects like plot, theme, worldbuilding, character development, and more. A dev editor can provide more structural feedback that can shape your project for the better. They can suggest a new plotline, help refine dialogue, or shape your book to adhere more to your project’s designated genre.
A copy editor looks at the more technical aspects of your project, like punctuation, grammar, and the subtle differences between publisher style guides. This type of editor would know the differences between lay and lie, who and whom, and should be a good fact-checker. They can simplify and clarify your sentences and ensure your project is consistent and grammatically solid.
A sensitivity reader is someone who has a specific lived experience and can fact-check any character, plotline, etc., you may have in your project. For example, suppose you’re heterosexual but have characters in your book who aren’t. In that case, a sensitivity reader can amend the representation in your project to ensure fair and accurate representation of the group they’re a part of.
4. Some editors are also published authors, so they know the author and editor sides of publication
The editors who are also published authors intimately know about the publication process because they’ve been through it themselves. These editors can provide golden feedback because they know what it takes to get published and can give you feedback on your work that helped them and could help you.
One type of feedback is working on your story’s narration or the overall voice of the project. Editors can provide line edits, which are line-by-line edits, to ensure clarity and avoid clunky wording. If your editor has written or is familiar with your project’s genre, they can especially help your voice and overall tone.
In addition, they can easily empathize with you and be a reassuring voice during your publication journey. They know how much work it takes to get published, so they’d be more understanding, knowledgeable, and compassionate.
5. A good editor will polish your manuscript to get it ready for publication
An editor can’t guarantee publication, but they can help you clean it up for querying agents. The one thing you do not want when querying is to have the first few pages or chapters littered with grammar and punctuation mistakes or with awkward or clunky wording. Your story could be interesting, complex, and unique, but if those elements distract from it, it’ll be more difficult to get accepted.
A sign of a good editor is someone who’s your biggest cheerleader and who supports and encourages you. This type of editor will do their best to help your project reach its full potential. They’ll work alongside you, and depending on your edit/how many edits you have with one editor, they’ll see you through from your messiest first draft to the cleanest final draft.
Editors are valuable resources to indie and traditional publishers alike. Their love and passion for books and storytelling guide their work and expertise. If you’d like to work with such an editor like myself, please click here to contact me and see my rates.