Self publishing? Get an editor.

I’ve written about this in the past, but I’ll touch on it again, as I now have first-hand experience. I hired my first editor back in February. For me, part of getting to the point of hiring one was getting past a small ego trip. You see, I am an editor. Or, at least, I was for 12 years until a recent career move to copy writing. Anyway, a part of me was just too damn proud to hire one. The other part was too damn cheap. Together, it made for a convincing case against it. But, I witnessed firsthand what not getting an editor can expose you to. My suspense/thriller books have their share of errors and inconsistencies that an editor would have pointed out (before the readers did). So, when it came time to work on my newest pride and joy, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. This was going to be a book I was proud of, through and through.

I reached out to an editor back in February. Right off the bat, she found several plot holes that needed filling in. In between those holes, she caught little inconsistencies and things that, as a writer, you pass over, but the reader would probably notice. For instance, how your characters magically shift rooms in the house mid conversation. Kitchen, dining room. Meh!

I’m now working through the second round of edits. We’re now to a point where the holes are well plugged and it’s just a matter of cleaning up the little stuff. I’m hoping to have ARCs available soon.

As self publishing gains momentum, we as authors have an amazing opportunity. But, we have to approach the production of our books in the same manner as a traditional publisher would. I believe this more and more as time goes on. Yes, there is a cost, but the flip side is that there is likely a cost for producing something that’s poorly finished.

I am very happy with my paid editorial results thus far. If you are in the market, I’m happy to recommend Kim from Another View Editing. She’s thorough and conscientious.

Have you hired an editor? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.