In the self-published process, hiring editorial services can be undervalued. Having control over all the decisions that involve the key factors in the independent publishing route is beneficial to the authors but ditching an editor's services can be catastrophic.
The fact that authors don't know exactly what to expect from an editor, or even how to hire one since there are different levels of editing: developmental, copyediting, and proofreading, can make authors think that they can have a book published without going through an editing process. There is also the misconception that you have to spend a fortune if you hire an editor.
Before we even dive into the types of editing, let's understand why editing is necessary for the success of your book.
Present A Polished Product
Grammar, punctuation, and consistency throughout the book are expected by the readers. It shows them that you have spent time working on the quality of your book, paying attention to details so the readers can enjoy a smooth read. A well-crafted book will level up the perceived overall quality of the book;
Sharpen Your Topics
An editor can help you clarify what you are presenting in the book structure-wise. They see the content from a different perspective, helping you share it in the most effective way, with no loose ends or missing topics.
Make You A Better Author
Having an editor along the way will help you understand more about your own writing style, strengths, and weaknesses. You will start seeing your own writing process in a different way.
Once you identify which areas you need an editor to assist you, you can look for someone to help you with a specific type of editing. The types of editing are:
Developmental Edits: It is done as the manuscript is being developed and it examines the book from a wide perspective. The editor works hand-in-hand with the author, pointing out inaccuracies and weaknesses in these broad areas and making suggestions for author revisions.
Copyediting: Addresses the author's writing style and language use at the sentence and paragraph level, pointing out flaws on a technical level. The editor's job is to help you tell a better story, and a copyeditor's job is to ensure the grammar on every page is correct.
Proofread: Proofreading is the last pair of eyes on the book before it goes to print. In this edit, the proofreader will look for typos, repeated words, spelling, punctuation, and formatting issues as page breaks.
If working with an editor is not within your budget, an editorial summary can be a good option. The editor will look at the manuscript as a whole and share a summary of suggestions, and changes. The editor's feedback will point out what you need to implement to make the manuscript better.
Your relationship with an editor is crucial and we recommend you consider interviewing several of them before picking one to partner with as this will represent one of the biggest decisions of your writing process.
You are welcome to reach out to us today for a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to answer your questions and to share with you a few valuable publishing tips.
Kristen & Maira