If you’re planning on self-publishing your book, an editor should be on your list as part of your book production ‘team’. It’s an investment that you will want to include as part of your budget. Here are some reasons to hire an editor before self-publishing your book that you may wish to consider.

You’re a first-time author.

First of all, congratulations. Getting to the end of a book is no mean feat, and what a thrill it is to write those two little words ‘the end’. But of course, you know this is just the beginning, don’t you? A developmental edit offers a deep dive into the story structure and character arcs. If something’s not quite working with your story and you can’t quite put your finger on why, a developmental edit could be what you need.

You’re an experienced writer.

It doesn’t matter how many times you write a book, it can always help to have another pair of eyes run over it. If you’re happy with your story structure, you might not need a full developmental edit. However, a line edit will ensure you improve the overall flow and readability of your story without imposing on the structure.

You can’t see the wood for the trees.

By the time you’ve been over your story numerous times, you start to lose sight of what it’s even about. Your brain sees what it wants to see at this stage, and it’s often easy to miss things. This is when you might need a copyedit. By this point in the editing process, you only get a spelling and grammar check, without the editor looking too deeply into the overall structure. If they spot anything, they might tell you, but that’s not the point of this type of edit.

Your story’s ready to go. Or is it?

The final, final stage of the editing process should be a proofread. This happens once everything else has been done and you’re happy with your story. You’ll be surprised at what a proofread can pick up when you’re sure you’ve read through your manuscript a thousand times, but it’s the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes on the book that is most helpful at this stage, especially when it has been formatted because a proof reader will also spot errors such as double spaces.

What type of book editing do I need?

If you’re a first-time author, you’ll likely benefit from a developmental edit before self-publishing. Your editor will act as your mentor, so it is such a useful part of the process and something you’ll take with you as you progress on your writer journey. Your editor, however, will decide what you need based on a sample of your work. Don’t be offended if they come back and say you need a developmental edit. It’s a good thing: you’ll learn so much from it.

What to do now.

There are many reasons to hire an editor before self-publishing and these are just a few of the main ones. Get in touch to discuss your editing needs. If you’d like to know more about how much it costs to have your book edited, please refer to my blog detailing what the cost involves or the book editing services page of my website.