#WriterWednesday: To Hire an Editor or Not to Hire an Editor…It’s Not Even a Question!!!!

Editors. In the world of writing, we all need one. The question is when. During my writing journey, I've heard various tales, feedback, and opinions. No, don't hire an editor to read your work before submitting, you'll be wasting money. Let the publisher pay for it! Yes, hire an editor; it could increase the quality of your product and allow you to find an agent and/or publisher! The answer to the question is...Y0U DO NEED AN EDITOR!!!! Not a friend who reads a lot of books, not your old high school English teacher, but someone skilled and trained in the art (yes, the ART!) of editing your books, the right way! When it all comes down to it, the real question is: how much money do I want to invest in yourself? When I first started writing my books, the thought of an editor reviewing my work scared me. The idea of someone taking my words, ripping them to shreds, and spitting it back at me, demanding it is rewritten because it wasn't good enough had me cursing the profession. I pushed that thought aside and focused on writing a story I wanted to tell. Next, I focused on learning as much as I could about sentence structure, setting up the paragraphs, scene breaks, chapter breaks, and POV changes. Then, I built my infamous repeated/passive word list to tighten up my prose. I've gone over my list so many times while doing my own edits, I rarely have to pull it up to know what words to avoid. For the most part, the amount of repeated words has decreased, but I still use them out of habit, especially during the rough draft phase. BUT, it's always the first thing I tackle when I begin the editing phase! However, that doesn't cover everything. There are still the details of correct grammar usage, using the right word tense, and spelling...you know what I'm talking about. When to use you, your, or you're or there, their, and they're? Unless you were an English major in high school, college, or took a class specifically for this type of detail, there's no possible way you'll ever be able to catch every detail! A perfect example: how many times have you picked up a novel by one of your favorite big-name publishing houses or New York Times Bestselling authors, only to discover a significant editing error? Come on, we've all done that. Why? Human imperfection. No matter how many times a manuscript is read, no matter how many attempts are made to dot all the I's and cross all the T's, humans make errors. Our eyes see what our brains want us to see or expect to see vs. what it actually sees. *PRO TIP* Take advantage of any writing software you can get your hands on that will help you find and correct as may everyday grammatical errors. Free programs such as Grammarly allow you to do two types of searches. The free version will check for spelling and punctuation errors. Upgrade to the Premium version and you will have content issues pointed out, such as repeated words, incorrect tense usage, and much more! Not only will it point out the issues, but it will also give a basic explanation as to why it is incorrect. This program can be downloaded for use on Microsoft products, websites, and more! So, what does that mean for new, self-published, or Indie authors? It means you have a decision to make: How much do you want to invest in yourself? The investment is not only about money; it's also about time. How do you know you've found an editor you can work with? Of course, the first thing everyone looks for is reputation. Word of mouth from other authors in your writing network is excellent, nevertheless, in the end, it comes down to one-on-one communication. Does the editor understand your writing style? Do they edit a lot of work in your genre? Will they be able to follow the rules of the genre you're writing? What time-frame are you looking for? Will it take a few days or a few weeks before they return your work? And most important: What type of editing are you paying for? There are several types of editing available. What're the differences? Copywriter or Copy-Editing: Their job is to be sure your story is written well and logically structured. Correct grammar and spelling are checked, as well as ensuring the manuscript fits the publishers' style'. They ask questions of the author and check story facts. Content Editor: Their job is to ensure your work meets the standards for accuracy and style. They check for spelling, grammar, coherence, and consistent style. They also proofread to be sure copy-editing work has been completed. They also look for the correct use of tense, passive statements, wordy, hard to read sentences, as well as the general storyline. This is the most expensive editing, which can cost between $1200 to $ 1500. Proofreader: In the publishing world, a proofreader is generally the last person to see your manuscript after it's been through other editors' hands and before it goes to print. Their job is to do a final read-through to catch any mistakes the first editors may have missed. If you are not shopping your manuscript around and have decided to self-publish, you should seriously consider having at least one of these editors review your work. Depending on what phase of your writing career you are in, it may not be in your budget. If you go the proofreading route, then know, you MUST review your work again after it is returned to you! Don't hit the 'accept all track changes' button and not review the comments, notations, and corrections the editor has left behind. Failure to do so could mean missing areas that need to be rewritten for continuity or better understanding. If you don't and the issues make it to final print, it is on you, not the editor! Do not get offended! An outstanding editor will try and teach you what you've done wrong so that when you write your next book, you can work on those issues. **SIDE NOTE **: Over the years, I've run into authors who have paid to have their work published for by services or small publishing houses offering ebook/paperback conversions, publishing, and distributing to online websites. What they failed to realize was that most times, EDITING IS NOT A PART OF THE SERVICE! That is a separate service the company offers, but it is UP TO YOU to ask about it and pay for it! They could care less about the quality of your work and will only do what you pay them to do! So, read the fine lines of the contracts and ask questions! So, what route will you choose? Here's what I've learned. Agents are meticulous. Not only does your story have to engage them and keep them interested for at least the first three chapters, but so does the quality of your writing. Submitting an unedited copy - and by that, I mean, work you haven't spent time searching for errors yourself - makes a difference. The cleaner the read, the more focused on the story they will be, not the plethora of mistakes littering the pages. The smoother read they get from your work focus on the story, not the errors. It lets them know that you, the author, are willing to put in the work it takes to make a better product. With the current economy, every business is looking for ways to cut down their expenses. If you walk in the door offering a product they can spend less money on cleaning up before making it available for sale, you increase your chances of them choosing your manuscript. Here's another fact you must remember: if you decided to use an editor…don't just pay them and accept what they send to you in return doesn't need to be reviewed. Any editor will tell you that after they do their magic, it's up to you, the author, to review your manuscript. Just because they make changes or suggestions does not mean you have to accept them all. It's up to your discretion. But, you still have to re-read your work from beginning to end. It's up to you to put that stamp of approval on it before sending it out into the world. That requires more work on your part. If you don't do the work, then you will have to deal with the consequences of any uncorrected errors. The editor's job is to work with you, which means you, in turn, must work with them. I've had the opportunity to talk to a proofreader, a good friend of mine, TJ, and she shared some helpful information on how to determine what type of editor you need, depending on the amount of work you've put into cleaning up your manuscript. "A proofreader, which is my specialty, is generally the last person you see. They focus on clean manuscripts after they've run their gamut (through a publisher), but many people try to skip the steps. The fact of the matter is, if you are horrible at punctuation, you choose a copy-editor. If you feel you've got punctuation licked, but your story needs a scouring for consistency, you may choose a content editor. If you have a great idea but need someone to go through your MS with a fine-toothed-comb - rewriting sentences for clarity, passive statements, content, and punctuation – then you need a content editor." I hope this information has been informative. Whether or not you choose to use the services of any of the above editors, I wish you the best on your writing journey! -MJ #MJKane #MJKaneMedia #editors #writing #amwriting #amediting #proofreading #copywriter #copyeditor #proofreading #contenteditor #WriterWednesday #writingtips #editingtips #newauthors