Five Tips to Prepare for Editing Your Book

After dedicating countless days and nights to your manuscript, you are now approaching the final stages of your first draft and are ready to send it off for professional editing. If you're thinking about pursuing hybrid or self-publishing, here are five tips to help you better prepare for the journey of finding and collaborating with a professional book editor.

• Be Financially Prepared: You've likely envisioned your story for years, and now that it's written, you're eager to present it to the world in its best form. This can be an expensive endeavor. Ideally, you've invested in yourself and the process by planning ahead. Establishing a budget for book editing and publishing can alleviate the financial pressure that comes with searching for an editor. Here are some strategies to fund your book publishing journey:

  • Create a dedicated account for editing (and publishing).

  • Consistently add funds to this account over time. Beginning as soon as you start writing will ensure you have more than enough saved when you're ready.

  • Use this account to pay for your editor (and secure a publisher).

Editing is a crucial part of the publishing journey. Don't reach the end only to choose the cheapest editor available or neglect editing due to financial unpreparedness. You've worked too hard not to have a finished product you can be proud of. Moreover, you typically get what you pay for.

• Revise and Self-Edit: Engaging in self-editing is a cost-effective step every writer should take before hiring a professional editor. This process not only saves money but also conserves time. Here are some tips for effectively self-editing your manuscript:

  • Take a break from your manuscript for several days or weeks before beginning the self-editing process.

  • Avoid obsessing over minor details, as there will always be something that could be added or removed from your writing.

  • Review your grammar and spelling, along with sentence structure and flow.

The aim is to dedicate as much time and effort to your manuscript as possible before seeking professional assistance. Self-editing enables your editor to concentrate on significant details and the core editing work rather than minor corrections.

• Contact Early: The editor you want to collaborate with likely has a schedule that fills up fast, sometimes even months ahead. I suggest you:

  • Begin researching editors and the kind of editing you may require well in advance.

  • Compile a list of your top five (5) editors to reach out to.

  • Contact the editor(s) you're interested in working with at least a month before you plan to begin the editing process.

• Set a Realistic Timeline: Authors often have unrealistic expectations regarding editing schedules. I've encountered authors who expected a developmental edit of a full-length book to be completed in just a week. Before reaching out to an editor, consider the following:

  • Understand the typical timelines for the type of editing your book requires.

  • Recognize that quality editing cannot be rushed and requires time to be done properly.

  • Realize that if your editor has a busy schedule and it takes a month to start your manuscript, they won't be able to return it to you in two weeks to meet your publishing deadline.

• Be Ready for More Work: This is a challenge for many authors. Often, authors expect editors to take over their stories and complete them. They hand off their manuscripts and disappear, hoping that the next time they hear from the editor, it will be to receive a final, polished manuscript ready to send to the publisher.

  • Editing occurs in stages, and each stage requires you to further refine the manuscript, even if the changes are minor.

  • Your editor's role is to enhance your already well-crafted story. This involves asking questions, providing feedback, and prompting you to add or remove parts of your story. More work is involved.

  • Your involvement in writing a book doesn't end when you submit your manuscript to your editor. That's when the real work begins, turning into a collaborative effort.

I trust these tips will be beneficial as you get ready to contact an editor. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here or email editor@ammaedits.com.