Trying to save money by skipping a professional edit is stupid.
Sure, it’s tempting. Good editors cost money. But your book is going to represent you for as long as there are books. You want to produce the best book that you can.
A good editor will save you from yourself. He or she will catch your mistakes and your writing tics. A good editor will help you create a book that doesn’t reveal your lack of experience in publishing. Here are three reasons you need a professional edit for your book.
You’re probably not a good editor.
Editing is a specialized skill. Good editors combine talent with experience to do their magic. The odds are that you’ve never done much editing. The odds are even steeper that you’ve never done editing that you’ve been paid for. Don’t start with your own book.
One more thing. When we read our own material, we often see what we think we wrote instead of what we actually wrote. It’s hard to improve your writing when you do that.
Your editor brings fresh eyes to your work.
A good editor will see your writing clearly. He or she will catch things that you would miss. But wait, there’s more. He or she will make suggestions that improve the entire manuscript.
Your editor brings professional eyes to your work.
Your editor will compare your manuscript with a recognized style manual, then suggest changes that will make your work conform to its standards. Two popular style manuals for business books are The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook.
Takeaways
Trying to save money by skipping a professional edit is stupid.
Good editors save you from yourself.
You’re probably not a good editor.
You are likely to see what you think you wrote.
A professional editor sees your book with fresh eyes.
A professional editor compares your work to professional standards.