By Michael Heath / selfpublishingUS.com
It might be hard to fathom, making such an error. Could you believe we made that mistake? We did! A big, embarrassing mistake. We caught some well-deserved grief from our newsletter subscribers. It was a lesson that taught us a lot. Most importantly, we realized a need to more attentively practice what we preach.
There is an adage in the publishing world: editing doesn’t cost; it pays. Editing takes time and editors must be compensated. The cost of a month-long edit can be sticker shocking. So why not just skip the process and go straight to layout? The simple answer is that editing makes the manuscript so much better. Poor structure will slow down the reader. Mistakes are distracting. There is also a loss of credibility. Why should the reader care, if the author doesn’t? Writing a book takes imagination, effort and large blocks of time. It certainly makes sense to release your work to the world in the best light possible. Imagine buying the sports car of your dreams and not bothering to wax and polish it before showing it off to friends. Are they going to care much for your dirty, dull car?
Editing is more than having an English teacher proofread your work, although that is much better than nothing. An editor can go beyond correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling. The scope could include improvements in structure, content and consistency. As writers we become too close to our project and fail to see the obvious flaws that a second set of eyes can spot. Our brains tend to “fill in the blanks” for things that don’t clearly convey in our written words. An editor will focus on these lapses and more. Making the manuscript the best it can be shows a respect for the reader.
When selecting an editor, it makes sense to choose one who is experienced in the genre you are writing. A children’s book editor may not be good for a romance novel. Some editors specialize in specific non-fiction professional areas such as history, medicine or law. Whatever your situation is, editing can only bring more value to your book. More value will almost certainly translate into increased book sales.
SelfPublishingUS has some edit options learn more about our book editing services.