Boost Your Book's Success: The Importance of Editing

As a writer, you’ve likely spent countless hours crafting your manuscript. The words flowed effortlessly - your book seemed to write itself. You’ve received nothing but praise from friends, family, and coworkers, and you believe you’re ready to publish your work. However, there’s one crucial step that often not only gets overlooked in the writing process, it’s often met with both dread, and procrastination: editing.

While it may seem tempting to skip this important step and publish your work right away, editing is an essential part of getting your story out into the world.

There are various ways to go about editing your manuscript, and many authors are hesitant to invest in professional editing due to the associated cost. However, a writer can in fact save themselves from multiple rewrites by hiring a professional editor, who will help them identify errors in grammar, punctuation and style by providing objective feedback on the overall structure and organization of their work, as well as the clarity and effectiveness of their writing and storytelling. Refining your writing to make it polished and professional, increases your book’s appeal to agents, publishers, and readers, and ultimately can boost your book's success.

It may seem like a costly expense upfront, but a professional edit of your manuscript can ultimately help you sell more books, build a successful writing career, and ultimately increase revenue flow. You might even consider hiring a professional editor for a smaller portion of your book - the first chapter, or a particularly difficult section - to give you a taste of what a professional edit would look like. A snippet-edit can also help you identify areas in your writing that need improvement, such as repeatedly jumping tenses.

Now, I recognize not every writer can afford professional editing. There are still many options available to a writer on a budget to get feedback on their work. Perhaps join a writing group, or swap manuscripts with a fellow writer. Many writing groups have members who are also editors, so one may be able to get help with editing their book for free, or at a lower cost by networking. There are also many freelance editors who charge lower rates than professional editing services. You can search online, or ask for recommendations from other writers to find someone who can work within your budget.

You might consider hiring a student intern, or someone who is just starting out in the editing field, to help with your book. An intern may not have as much experience as a professional, but they might still offer valuable feedback, and help you improve your work. The first draft of my debut thriller, Death by Association, was edited for free by a friend of mine, a student in the editing/publishing program at the local community college. Not only did she help me improve my story, I improved my writing and storytelling skills at no charge.

While it’s not ideal, editing your own work always a possibility; though I would caution that it’s often difficult to recognize one's own mistakes. If you do choose to act as your own editor, be sure to take frequent breaks from your manuscript so that you may return to it with fresh eyes. Read aloud as you edit, to hear any issues with pacing or word choice. You might also want to consider asking a friend or family member to read your manuscript and give you honest feedback, though this often isn’t the best option for an authentic review; relations tend to pad their opinions with empty praise.

Lastly, you can search for online resources and writing communities that offer free or low-cost editing services such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Hemingway Editor, Ginger, Reedsy, Whitesmoke, or Scribens. Some websites offer free editing services in exchange for a review or feedback on other writers’ work. You might use editing software or tools such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, or Ulysses that can help you identify errors and improve your writing. There are also online tutorials and resources, in addition to videos, blog posts, and online courses that can help you learn how to edit your own work.

At the end of the day, while editing may seem daunting or expensive, the benefits it provides are essential for the success of your book. Whether you choose to hire a professional editor, join a writing group, or find a freelance editor, don’t skip this vital step in the publishing process. By investing in editing, you can increase the quality and value of your writing, avoid negative effects, and ultimately increase revenue flow. Remember, every writer’s situation is unique, so it’s essential to find a solution that works best for you.

~Dani

Boost Your Book's Success: The Importance of Editing Resource list:

Online editing services:

Grammarly: offers a free version with basic grammar and spelling checks. However, the premium version provides more advanced features, such as style suggestions and plagiarism checks, and requires a subscription.

ProWritingAid: offers a free version with limited functionality. To access all the features and get unlimited usage, a paid subscription is required.

Hemingway Editor: has a free web-based version that allows you to paste your text for analysis. There is also a desktop application available for purchase at a one-time fee.

AutoCrit: offers a free trial, but to access its full range of features, a paid subscription is necessary.

Scrivener: a paid software with a one-time purchase fee. It does not offer a free version, but it provides a free trial period to test out its features.

Reputable Professsionals I use: Indigo Editing: Indigo has been providing the best in publication services for traditional publishers and independent authors since 2006.