Edit Your Book
Why You Should Edit Before You Send to An Editor
Whether you’re publishing your book yourself, sending to an agent, or to a publisher follow these important tips.
When you’re getting ready to send your manuscript off, always remember you are the writer.
Editors do the editing.
You wouldn’t send your car to the car wash and expect them to put a new coating of paint on it would you?
Likewise, don’t send you’re half-assed manuscript to an editor, and expect them to sort through your poorly articulated ideas and mangled syntax, and try to make sense of it.
If you send an editor substandard work because you think it’s their job to write for you, you’re sorely mistaken.
Keep in mind too, the old adage, say what you mean, don’t mean what you say.
If more than, for example, one percent of your manuscript is incomprehensible to the reader – in this case, the editor – then you should probably go back and reexamine your manuscript, and wherever necessary, repair, rewrite, or revise. In other words, don’t expect your editor to write your book for you.
That’s your job.
For Initial Polishing and Revising See These Posts:
- Fine Tuning Your Manuscript – Part One
- Fine Tuning Your Manuscript – Part Two
- Fine Tuning Your Manuscript – Part Three
Why then, should you take the extra time to edit your work, and make it as close to perfect as you can?
You are more than likely too close to your work to be objective. As a result, you’ve probably underestimated the number of errors you’ve made.
It’s your work.
Take pride in it.
Take responsibility for it.
No editor should have to correct a poorly written manuscript.
If you give less than 100 percent, you shouldn’t expect an editor to give 100 percent.
You should endeavor to establish and – once you’ve done that – preserve your reputation as a writer who is conscientious about your work.
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