Writing & Publishing Professional Editor or Self-Editing: Which is better?

Nehemiah

Nehemiah

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Hey, everyone! I've recently been looking at the prices editors cost and it is EXPENSIVE! Way more money than I have, lol. So, I was wondering what are your opinions on self-editing? If you have the knowledge and skills to self-edit, is it fine to, or do you need a second pair of eyes editing it as well? Thanks!
 
I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about grammar, but I expect to send to an editor. My suggestion would be to clean your MS up as much as you can, and then select an editor that accepts a sample. If they have a good idea how clean your MS is, they may not charge as much.
 
You can also use our critique forum. And you can hunt for an English teacher or professor as a friend (or a friend of a friend) who may do it for you at a reduced price. Or maybe do it for free.
 
carolinamtne said:
I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about grammar, but I expect to send to an editor. My suggestion would be to clean your MS up as much as you can, and then select an editor that accepts a sample.
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Okay. I've always been told I needed an editor, and wanted to verify that. It is super expensive though!
carolinamtne said:
If they have a good idea how clean your MS is, they may not charge as much.
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Thank you for the tip! That should come in handy. I mean, I'm in college to become an editor, so I'd thought that between my own skills and some beta readers, I could avoid sending it off to an editor, but I do see how it is necessary to have another editor look at it as well.

Thanks!
 
suspensewriter said:
I hate to say it, but 5 sets of eyes or best, so let 5 beta readers judge your work and catch errors before you send it to a professional editor.
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Nehemiah, I agree with suspensewriter regarding the 5 beta readers, that's a great number. I used 5 on each of my books before submitting to my traditional publisher. NOW, I must say based on my limited experience, I have found, as I prepare to self-publish my first work next week, Grammarly caught as many mistakes as my paid editor did and Grammarly was free. My beta readers made excellent recommendations too; again for free.

Trust your instincts. Besides, I can't tell you how many books, articles or published essays I've read and found small mistakes in. Readers are generally forgiving of a grammar error here or there as long as your story is not a total grammar nightmare ;).
 
suspensewriter said:
I hate to say it, but 5 sets of eyes or best, so let 5 beta readers judge your work and catch errors before you send it to a professional editor.
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Okay, good to know! I've had a few beta readers read through my book already, but I definitely need more. Thank you!
 
AHumbleWarrior said:
Nehemiah, I agree with suspensewriter regarding the 5 beta readers, that's a great number. I used 5 on each of my books before submitting to my traditional publisher. NOW, I must say based on my limited experience, I have found, as I prepare to self-publish my first work next week, Grammarly caught as many mistakes as my paid editor did and Grammarly was free. My beta readers made excellent recommendations too; again for free.

Trust your instincts. Besides, I can't tell you how many books, articles or published essays I've read and found small mistakes in. Readers are generally forgiving of a grammar error here or there as long as your story is not a total grammar nightmare ;).
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Okay, great! I've only had two and they only had time to go through the first chapter. Maybe I should submit an official request for beta readers on here, lol. And really? Grammarly caught just as many errors as your editor did? That is amazing! I need to run my novel through Grammarly before I publish. I'm working on the third draft now, incorporating my beta reader's suggestion and making everything flow smoothly. Thank you so much for telling me that about Grammarly! I probably wouldn't have even run it through that software without you, so thanks!
 
Some editors do an initial assessment of your writing quality. From that they base their estimated fees. The better your writing, the fewer hours to edit it. So get your MS in the best shape you can using beta readers and your own self-editing, then hunt down a professional editor.
 
Pro editor.

That being said, even though I do two passes with a pro editor per book, I spent all of the time in between - from first line edit to completion - doing nothing but editing and revisions.

But, for the technicalities, it's always a pro editor.
 
There is more than one kind of editor, so first make sure you are clear on what you are looking for. I use a copy editor who is very reasonably priced. This year I hired a line editor for the first time; she was not cheap but did an absolutely amazing job for me. Some people hire developmental editors or other professionals.

I highly recommend using a professional editor, but if you're only looking for typos and grammar errors you might get by without one. You can also consider getting a copy of ProWritingAid or using Grammarly.

If you're searching for your own typos scan your lines from right to left. It forces your brain to slow down and notice errors rather than quickly moving over them.
 
Chris Brown said:
There is more than one kind of editor, so first make sure you are clear on what you are looking for. I use a copy editor who is very reasonably priced. This year I hired a line editor for the first time; she was not cheap but did an absolutely amazing job for me. Some people hire developmental editors or other professionals.

I highly recommend using a professional editor, but if you're only looking for typos and grammar errors you might get by without one. You can also consider getting a copy of ProWritingAid or using Grammarly.

If you're searching for your own typos scan your lines from right to left. It forces your brain to slow down and notice errors rather than quickly moving over them.
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Okay, thank you so much! And that actually is a good idea to read right to left, like you said! I'll have to start doing that. Thanks!
 
lynnmosher said:
You can also use our critique forum. And you can hunt for an English teacher or professor as a friend (or a friend of a friend) who may do it for you at a reduced price. Or maybe do it for free.
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Seeking an English teacher is an option that could work out for the best. What about an English major at your college. tell that person what you can afford and try to work something out that way.
 
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