Writer Wednesday: Don't Rush Your Editor

I've been editing a lot this past year and I'm booked for the next three months, so 2016 doesn't seem like it will be any different. Because I'm editing so much, I wanted to share what I believe is the biggest mistake you can make with your editor.
DON'T RUSH YOUR EDITOR. I want to repeat that. Don't rush your editor. I see this all the time. I have some clients who are very successful with self publishing. That's fantastic. It really is. But here's what you need to understand. If you give yourself a deadline, whether it be because you put your fabulous new book up for pre-order or you're entering a contest with an agent or publisher, then PLEASE make sure you can keep to your own deadlines. I get clients who email me to say they won't be able to submit their book to me on time because they got caught up with life. I get it. Life happens. But here's the problem. I schedule editing clients months in advance. If you are late, you obliterate my editing schedule, which affects not just me but my other editing clients. Worse, you're now asking me to RUSH your edit to keep the deadline you yourself missed. :( 
This is why I hate this. If I have to rush, I can't do my best when it comes to your edit. I'm looking very closely for errors so readers don't slam you and your book for them. If you rush me, I'm going to miss things. I go through every book I edit multiple times to avoid errors slipping through. I need time to do that and to do it well. Given the option between moving your release date or putting out a book that was edited in a rush, I'd choose moving your release date every time. This is your baby. You spent countless hours writing it, so why rush the editing?
So that's my plea. Please don't rush your editor. He or she is working just as hard on your book as you are, so give him/her the time needed to edit your work properly.
*If you have a question you'd like me to answer from the other side of the editor's desk, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll schedule it for a future post.