Congratulations on finishing your manuscript! Now, you’re probably thinking about what’s next. Hiring an editor seems to be the right move—but not just yet!
Editing is crucial to creating a professional, high-quality, and publishable book. However, there are a few reasons to delay hiring an editor.
An Editor’s Role
An editor is valuable to the writing process. Depending on your needs, they provide various services such as developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading.
Each type of editing will address different aspects of your manuscript, from the big picture to the smallest details. This can mean making changes to the story itself or improving the technical aspects of your writing (grammar, formatting, structure, etc.).
However, an editor’s services come at a cost, not just financially. Editing your manuscript will take time and you’ll likely need to relax your creative control of your work. Working with an editor is often a balance between following their feedback and exercising your creative license.
Reasons to Delay Hiring an Editor
Here are a few things to consider before moving on to the next stage of the writing process.
1. You need time to self-edit.
Self-editing isn’t just about fixing typos and misspellings; it’s also about refining your ideas and improving your writing style. You’ll develop critical skills that will serve you well in future projects.
You’ll learn how to spot inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and weak sections. The more you become aware of these, the less you’ll do them in the future.
Remember, only you have touched your work at this point. When you analyze your manuscript, you’ll eventually pick up on the unique bits of your writing. Eventually, you’ll refine them into your signature style and voice.
Moreover, a thorough self-edit can significantly reduce the work of a professional editor. You’ll get more value from them if they’re not distracted by small, easy-to-correct issues.
2. Your manuscript isn’t ready for editing yet.
There’s a big difference between a rough draft and a polished manuscript. A rough draft is full of too many structural issues, inconsistencies, and underdeveloped ideas.
Submitting the former to an editor can be a waste of time and money. At that stage, they might as well write your manuscript from scratch.
Going back to reason #1, you want to do some refining to establish a foundation for your manuscript. There should be substance to your character development and worldbuilding, so your editor knows how best to develop it further.
You’ll know your manuscript isn’t ready for an editor if:
- It lacks detail in multiple sections, resulting in plot holes or large gaps between storytelling.
- Some parts don’t make sense; they’re either too shallow or ramble on without providing any meaning.
- You overuse certain words and phrases throughout the manuscript.
- Sections are disorganized and hard to navigate.
- It’s full of basic errors such as typos, punctuation issues, sentence fragments, and formatting mistakes.
Again, you’ll get the most out of your collaboration with an editor if they have a solid manuscript to work with. Having all of these problems will add to their work and take their attention away from more serious issues.
3. You haven’t distanced yourself from your work.
There’s a reason why you don’t send your work off for editing right after you’ve finished it. That’s almost a sin in the writing craft. You’re tired; you’re elated you’re done; you’re too attached.
You’re not operating with a rational, objective mind. Your work probably isn’t at an editing level yet. It’ll be a waste of your money and everyone’s time if you get an editor involved right away.
You need to wait. When you distance yourself from your work, you can better evaluate if it’s good for editing. You’re also more open to feedback and changes.
Give yourself a few hours or days, but don’t put it off any longer. The longer you wait, the more you lose excitement about your work.
4. You haven’t received feedback.
Beta readers, critique partners, and writing groups are great sources of feedback. They can spot issues you’ve overlooked, point out confusing sections, and give you a sense of how your target audience will react.
Those are valuable information your editor will need to do their job effectively. It gives them a better understanding of your vision, your readers’ needs, and what your manuscript lacks.
5. You don’t know what type of editing you need.
Editing isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” service. Different types of editing target different parts of your manuscript. Some editors focus on content, others on technical details.
You need to understand what a specific editor offers. The scope of their expertise might not be what you need.
You’re looking for a developmental editor if you need help with plotting, structuring, and developing your manuscript’s main ideas.
You need a line editor if you have problems with readability, inconsistent style and tone, lack of clarity, and issues with narrative flow. Get a copy editor if you want to fix issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Finally, get a proofreader to catch any remaining mistakes such as typos, minor errors, and formatting issues. You usually hire one after you’ve consulted with other editors as proofreading is the final step before publishing or printing.
6. You don’t know who to hire.
You’ll likely do a lot of research before deciding with who to work with. Create a list of editors who you’d want to work with. Start broad and gradually narrow it down to 2 or 3 people.
Narrow down your choices by considering your budget and needs, the editor’s skills and experience, turnaround time, and scope of work. Some editors specialize while others provide a broad range of services.
Should You Hire an Editor?
Hiring an editor is a significant investment in your manuscript’s success. It’s not a required step to getting published, but greatly increases your chances. And while there are some aspects of editing you can do yourself, there are also some things a professional editor is better at.
For one thing, it’s their specialty. Their skill set is focused on helping writers like you create the best version of your work. They’re also a set of outside eyes that can take an objective look at your beloved work. Their detachment can reveal many elements of your manuscript you can improve on.
However, hiring an editor ultimately depends on your budget, needs, and goals. Ideally, you’ll find someone who fits all three, but compromises might be necessary. In such cases, assess your priorities and choose the best available option for your situation.
Have you hired an editor? Share your experience below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- The 3 Stages of the Nonfiction Book Editing Process
- What’s the Difference between Revising and Editing?
- Types of Editing: Knowing What You Need When
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
