Should You Hire an Editor for Your Own Writing?
Good writers and editors work with manuscripts all the time, polishing them to the point of being ready to publish. But if you have a book of your own, should you trust yourself to edit it?
As I share in this video, there are two opposing, important points to consider.
What I DON’T discuss in the video? Cost.
Good writers and editors are willing to invest to support their own careers. But especially today, money’s tighter for wordsmiths than its ever been. And for a book-length manuscript, fees easily can be four or five digits. So, I completely get it if you don’t hire an editor strictly because you’re barely keeping the lights on yourself.
But if you can’t hire an editor, you might be able to get an informal polish from others, such as beta readers. They’re often happy to point out small mistakes or even to make plot and flow recommendations.
The bottom line is, another pair of eyes almost never hurts, so long as they belong to someone you trust. If you do decide it’s time to hire someone, do what you’d do with any other hire and vet them well, asking for samples and/or references. Because editing is such a time-consuming and intimate process, look for someone you truly vibe with, too.