Number of Edits

[Rebecca]

Before you hand it over to someone to edit, how many times do you go through and edit your own work?

[Lauryn]

I was wondering this same thing recently. I've gone through my own book now probably five or six times, and I had a beta reader go through it. So now I'm looking around now for an editor, but part of me wants to go through it once more. This being the first book I plan to publish this is all new for me.

[Naiya]

As many as makes sense. To be honest, if you have finished revising the story and if you know you have a competent editor, then you shouldn't be spending time obsessing over your commas. You're better served doing what you do best--writing more books.

As an editor, I've proofread books that were all-but-perfect and those that have dozens of errors per page. By the time I was through, the two books were on the same page in terms of correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Whether they rise or fall will be decided by the story and how well it was written.

In the end, the author should do his or her best, but the author is ultimately responsible for crafting the best story possible.