Don't be afraid of the editor!

Today I am here to tell you there is no need to be afraid of your editor. Don't fear sending your book to one. Let me start with a story . . .

Once upon a time I wrote a book. And I thought this book was going to be the most fair in all of bookland. I wrote and I wrote, late into the night. Knowing that one day this story would see the light. And I knew one day a publisher would want it. But it wouldn't matter because I decided I would self-publish it.

I wrote, revised, edited, sent it to beta readers, and edited some more. And finally after grueling hours of work, I was one more edit away from sending it to my editor. The one who would perfect this little story of mine. I began editing the same as last time only to realize that I was only going to see the same mistakes.

So instead I decided to read the story, as a reader would. And not like the author would. I lay in bed, reading this story. And I realized, this tale was more like the dark, scary forest than fair and beautiful. Full of mistakes, plot holes, and sentences that would make any editor cry.

I set the book aside and I wept. Big, fat, tears that soaked my pillow. I vowed to never write again. Even if I worked on this book non-stop for weeks, I would never have it perfect enough to send to my editor.

I let a week go by before telling anyone the issue. But  finally I told two of my closest friends. One, who had read the book, assured me that the book wasn't nearly as bad as I said. It made me feel better, but I still refused to work on it.

The second person responded with words that made me cry, laugh, and then smack myself for being so stupid.

You see, I was scared to send my book to my editor because it wasn't perfect. It wasn't ready. And you know what my friend said to me?  

"If you're supposed to have it perfect before 
sending, what's the point of an editor! I bet just sending it will 
help ya."
I quite literally felt like an idiot. Seriously, why had I not come to that conclusion myself? Well because I am 
an author who fears her work isn't good enough. And for some reason I believed I had to make my book 
perfect before the editor looked at it.
Do not fear the editor! The book does NOT have to be perfect 
before your editor works her/his magical powers on it! They will 
help you fix the mistakes.


And now, I am gonna go edit Only Half Alive!