Editing my book was a beast! Don’t think you can edit your own material and do it justice. When I hired professional help in editing my novel, AFTER THE FIRE, I soon realized I was too close to the project to objectively see it. Now that I am about to send it off to a literary agent, I am grateful I spent the money for someone to tell it to me straight.
“I think you have something really special here,” is what my editor told me. This came after she said she made a lot of comments on my manuscript that I would need to go over. It’s hard to not take things personal when you are talking about your craft, your work for the last two and a half years, your baby! But if you want to produce the best possible novel, you really need a professional editor, and I’ll tell you why.
This is a complicated industry. There are rules that people don’t think about when they are creating a story to sell. You’d think it would be simple. Write a book, submit it to multiple agents, someone picks it up and sells it to a big publishing house, and you become famous and independently wealthy… WRONG!
There are many things to consider once the manuscript is complete, but the first one and most important before you do ANYTHING, is have it edited by someone who specializes in your genre. That’s right, not just any editor. Someone who knows the industry and how it works in the genre you plan to sell your book in. If you write science-fiction you wouldn’t want a romance editor to edit your book.
So this is REASON NUMBER 1: A professional editor that specializes in your genre will help guide you and mold your manuscript towards the best possible outcome for being picked up by an agent that also specializes in your genre. Professional editors know the market and the do’s and don’ts, or requirements, of the genre you write in. Listen, and heed their advice.
I thought I knew by reading so many books in my genre, which is romance, (or so I thought), exactly what my audience wanted. What I didn’t know is a romance novel has a required word count to be picked up by certain houses. Did you know that? I didn’t. But that’s why I paid someone who did know.
Also there are certain houses that will only take romance if it’s sweet, (no sex ), some that print books with sex only after marriage, and some that like steamy romance,( bring on the sex). It’s important to have someone help you navigate these waters. I’ve learned that. And each type of romance novel also has a different recommended word count. UGH!
REASON NUMBER 2: You need someone with fresh eyes to read your novel that understands plot holes and pacing. This is vital. Seriously, I thought my story was solid and it was pretty good, but not the best book I could write. When you are the writer, you see it inside your own head and put it to paper. Sometimes what you envisioned doesn’t make the mark. Sometimes you ramble, sometimes you miss timelines or over shoot them. A professional editor will catch these significant details and help you not only hone your craft, but tighten up your story so the reader is propelled forward.
Many people have asked me what it costs for an editor to do this. I can only answer from my personal experience with my own editor, and it’s costing me about three cents a word. Depending on the type of book you have and the word count, it might differ, but that seems to be the going rate for a novel.
The last reason is probably the most obvious but still critical as far as I’m concerned. REASON NUMBER 3: A professional editor will check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I try to be sure and get all that correct and even double check it so as not to embarrass myself, but I still miss things. I really hate it when I am reading a book and find errors that still went to print. I don’t want that to happen in my book.
Thank you for following my journey on getting AFTER THE FIRE published. If the same agent that wanted the entire manuscript back in February, is still interested in my book, then I’m one step closer to getting it picked up by a publishing house. Pray she likes it when she reads it. Then pray she can sell it!
I will continue to report on my progress. Until then, happy reading and many blessings to you all.
