Why Spend All Of That Money To Get Your Book Edited When Your Sister Can Do It?

If you decide to self publish your book you should not overlook the value of a good editor. Most editors charge per word or page to review your work and can cost $2000 depending on the length and type of editing you need. You may think that you can not afford to pay for an editor but think about the cost of not getting your work edited.

Consider this scenario. You just received your first shipment of books from the printer. The feeling of holding your book for the first time is unbelievable. You send a copy to your sister, mom and best friend. One of them calls and tells you that the second chapter makes no sense and you have two misspelled words. You suddenly feel sick at your stomach as you look at the 500 copies of your book in your living room. You saved $2000 on an editor but now you have to reprint the book with the corrections. Now how much have you saved? 

If you want to sell your book online, after a speaking engagement or in a local bookstore you will want quality work. You want your book to reflect your expertise on your topic.  You should always self edit your work but even if you are an accomplished author you will not see all of your mistakes. You are too close to your work and no matter how many times you read it, you will not pick up on simple errors. 

A professional editor can evaluate your work for content, grammar, and flow of your manuscript. The editor is not emotionally invested in the content and topic and can be more objective about so it will make sense to your reader. The editor will be able to pick up mistakes that you cannot see because you have been looking at the same manuscript for weeks or months. 

Before hiring an editor you should familiarize yourself with the different types of editing so that you will know what type of services you are getting. Interview several editors to make sure you can work together. If you are writing fiction you will not want someone that mainly works on technical manuscripts. A good editor will give you references and will tell you what kind of work they are most familiar with. 

If you don’t plan on selling your book and just want the satisfaction of having your name in print then let your sister edit your book. If you want to sell your book or use it to promote your services then consider hiring a professional.