All books get edited; pretty much every book you’ve ever purchased and read has been edited. In the traditional publishing model, all books undergo multiple rounds of editing. Even the very best, most highly regarded writers work with editors. Editing improves your manuscript by polishing the writing and correcting errors, as well as raising your confidence in releasing the finished product into the world.
Purchasing editorial services at the outset has an impact not only on your writing, but also on the marketability of your published book, the level to which readers will engage with it, and your credibility as a published author.
Editing brings fresh eyes and an objective new perspective. It looks for sense, logic, believability and meaning. It tests consistency, and ultimately improves your writing. It interrogates the overall content and structure, and examines the details at the word and punctuation level. It adds value and quality to a manuscript.
There is an unwritten contract between the author and the reader – a trust that is intact when a book is purchased, picked up, and opened. Not having the book edited is a surefire way to break that contract; it doesn’t take very many typos and errors to dissolve the author’s credibility. Long term, it helps you sharpen your eye and hone your skills as a writer and self-critic. If you get editing for this book, the quality of your writing will likely improve for the next.
Learn more from our Managing Editor on the importance of editing.