Why Every Writer Needs a Book Editor

Being a writer is a notoriously solitary endeavour, hours (even months or years) spent in creation can be an intensely private affair. Therefore it’s of little wonder that the thought of handing over your newly minted masterpiece to an editor may seem at first:

A.      Like an unusual and painful torture.

B.      An additional expense in an already expensive world.

I may have thought the same way at one time. How wrong I was!

That was before I self-edited my own first novel years ago to (what I thought) was an impressively high standard, only to be taken on by a publisher, professionally edited and sent back to me…

…it was a mind-blowing process the first time around.

The professional editing process highlighted plot holes, common mistakes, grammatical errors and characterisation suggestions that I just couldn’t see on my own.

Lesson learned.

It’s very difficult to self-edit to the standards of a professionally finished book.

Firstly, your brain will often trick you, reading what you think you wrote (or meant to write), or fill in important details, which either aren’t there or aren’t fully explained.

Secondly, you may not notice if you’ve switched between perspectives, or from an active to a passive voice, or use a lot of repetitive words (again and again and again).

As I’ve explained, there are many excellent reasons why every writer needs a book editor, but ultimately it boils down to this: An unedited book is not as professional.

In a sea of self-published books (both good and bad), it’s imperative to emerge on the side of high professional standards. This is where a book editor can help polish and elevate your written copy.  

I’m a professional proofreader, editor and author…and I still get my books edited by professionals who are not me!

Here at Scribbles we understand your author journey and can provide professional editing services to help your book reach its full potential.

Check out our editing services here.