I’ve come across lots of different reasons why authors think they don’t need to have their manuscript edited, and most of them are unreasonable. These are the ones I hear the most.
1. I’m going to self-publish, so it’s not important to nitpick my work.
Self-Publishing is a viable publishing method these days. But since so many people have this misconception that their book is “good enough,” a large number of sub-standard books are available. The trouble with that is how savvy readers are today. They’ve been reading excellent writing for decades, so when they read something poorly written, they’ll tell others, and the author will end up with little to no sales.
2. A publisher will buy my book because the story is compelling. They’ll fix all the punctuation and other problems for me.
Ever since the “Great Recession” of the early 2010s when publishers had to scale back on their staff, they now tend to send rejection slips that say to get their manuscript professionally edited before submitting it. They want books that are close to publication-readiness before going to contract. Yes, they’ll still assign an editor, but gone are the five to eight different editors who used to work on each book. It’s up to the author to submit a book that is as close to perfect as possible.
3. I have a good grasp of punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar, so all my book needs is simple proofreading.
That’s great. But those are only the beginning for fiction these days. The publishers have been getting the word out there at writer’s conferences and blogs to let the writing community know that they have developed writing techniques that sell. They want authors to show the story and not tell it. They want the sentences to be active and not passive. And they want over forty other such techniques in the books they buy. It’s up to the author to do their research and find out what those techniques are because without them the author most likely won’t sell their book.
4. My book came straight from God, so I don’t want someone to change any of it.
Touchy situation. But God didn’t dictate the Bible word for word, which is why the four Gospels tell many of the same stories but each with a unique way of saying it, and he won’t do that for anyone else. He understands each individual’s unique way of talking and the idiosyncrasies of everyone’s writing abilities. He tells us to study to show ourselves approved. Ministers and evangelists must study for years before they can go out and preach the Gospel even if they have the Bible memorized. Likewise, writers must familiarize themselves with the PUGS (punctuation, usage, grammar, and syntax) of writing and the techniques the publishers tell us we must use today. Remember, the publishers are in this to make money, and they only want near perfection in their family of books.
5. It’s too expensive for me to hire an editor.
I used this reason before becoming an editor, and I still need another editor for my books. But every author needs to have a marketing plan with a budget to get the word out about their book. Saving up to have their manuscript professionally edited is advisable. However, many freelance editors will take payments. Some give different discounts. And others may offer to edit one book a year for free. Find out what will be required of you. If you need to save up for an edit, don’t despair. God knows the exact time he wants your book to be published, and he will bring it about in his time and way.
Pray about getting your book professionally edited, and then put it in God’s hands. Be patient, regardless of how long it takes. A good edit could take you from selling a few books to making it to a bestseller’s list.
