A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: To Hire (or Not) an Editor before Submitting a Book Proposal with Sample Chapters

 

photo by Frank Perez

Because we work with first-time authors, we often receive book submissions that are clear they would have benefitted from a professional edit. Yes, we edit, but when it is clear that the task will be immense, we are not interested in taking on the book.

You may not need to hire an editor if:

• You have professional writing experience.
• You have a friend or acquaintance who is an English teacher, editor, or something similar.
• You were the star in your college English class in short story writing, advanced composition, or the like.

Most new authors can benefit from a professional editor if they can afford one. (If not, then find a friend to help.) A professional editor can give your manuscript the edge among the vast number of manuscripts received. 

• An editor can, of course, find your typos and grammatical errors, but so can a good computer program. If you are writing a book not because you are a writer but because you are a content specialist and want to share your content, then you almost definitely will need an editor.
• Sometimes, word choice is not consistently appropriate to the audience you have in mind; an editor can help with that.
• What you write is clear to you, but it may not be clear to everyone. An editor can find any instances of lack of clarity.
• Sometimes, the narrative fails the continuity test. An editor will notice that and be able to recommend fixes.
• An editor can also pick up on an unwanted tone or other things that might turn off a potential reader--or publisher.
• If you are not the leading expert on your topic, you might need a content editor as well as a literary editor.

Someone will need to edit your book if you expect it to be accepted by a publishing house. If you can find and afford a professional editor, you are all set. If you cannot, here is a resource for self-editing your book: How to Self-Edit a Book. Or, for another set of tips, check out The Write Life.

Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Even the best author needs another eye--actually, as many eyes as the author can get. If an editor is out of reach, then find a dozen or more friends who are well educated and ask them to provide feedback. Together, they can make that book of yours look and sound professional, a requirement if you want to be published.

Read more posts about publishing HERE.