I posted this the morning at my online writer's club, so thought it would be appropriate here as well!
Regardless of your publishing path, it is imperative that you have a professional book editor proof your work.
You are too close to your own work to do the final edit and only a professional editor knows the rules and standards of the industry. Your work will stand out among the masses of submissions if it has been properly edited. Skip this step and you take your chances in the slush pile!
This article highlights the importance of and editor: http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=129
And these two sites boast lists of available editors:http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/supplier.cfm - Dan Poynter’s Editor List
http://www.the-efa.org/dir/search.php - Membership directory of the Editorial Freelancers Association
Your writing represents YOU! Put your best foot forward.
8 comments:
That's great advice for all new writers looking for a publishing contract.
Thanks for posting this.
You have no idea how deeply I regret rushing into self-publishing without using an editor.
I'd add hire an outsider with good references.
bill
Thanks for this timely reminder. I have done most of the editing on our book, but I think before we put it into print, I will follow your advice and have a professional work it over.
In art we call it the "golden baby," when you're too close to your beloved artwork that you don't see the mistakes/problems/possible improvements. That's why frequent critiques are so important.
It's amazing what the mind supplies to a manuscript to fill in the blanks or overlook something that shouldn't be there.
Yes, editors are wonderful people.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://twitter.com/morganmandel
A slightly contrarian view: Yes, an editor is critical, but that's a large expense. Make sure your manuscript is just as polished as you can get it before you send it out for an edit. Get critiques from writing friends you trust. Also know that there are different levels of edit, incurring different time and expense. A book such as Self Editing for Fiction Writers will show how the writer can do a great deal for himself or herself.
Editors are a big expense, but it's the difference between an okay to good product and a great product. Even armed with the Chicago Manual of Style, we as authors can only self-correct so far...
I run my manuscripts through my critique group, do multiple edit passes myself, and often swap a full manuscript with another published author to do full critiques. Still, the editors assigned to me by my publishers find many ways in which to improve the story and fix problems. The result is an even better product. I am SOOO grateful for my editors!
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