The Importance of Editors
- Primrose Passage
- Aug 23, 2022
- 2 min read
Every story, whether it be in a book or showcased on a blog, requires a few rounds of edits. To me, it’s possibly the most crucial part of the writing process. Editors have what’s called the eye because they catch what others seem to miss. Unfortunately, I’m probably just as guilty as other writers about self-editing before publishing. This blog will most definitely show the lack of edits, though I do use one for business purposes.
So, I cannot stress enough how vital editors are for writers. They catch what you miss as well as assist in developing the storyline. Often, writers will opt to do away with a professional editor because of the costs. I’ve seen a few companies that offer a reasonable price, whereas others are astronomical. Many writers don’t pull in a considerable sum of money, so investing in edits can be disheartening. But I’m here to say that the writer should place funds aside to invest in their art because it’s worthy of that investment.
What I can say is to run your manuscript through grammar software before submitting it to an editor. It’ll help with minor issues but won’t fix all the problems. There are roughly three steps to the editing process: developmental, copyediting, and proofreading. I know many authors who had no clue three steps were involved when editing a book. So, to begin, the developmental stage focuses on plot, world-building, pace, and so forth. You want to make sure your story ‘makes sense’ to the reader and does not lack any substance or become dull. The second stage focuses on spelling and grammar. This portion also depends on what region you’re writing from. For instance, the US writers will use specific word spelling different from the UK.
An example would be favorite vs. favourite. The final stage focuses on catching what has been missed in the copyediting stage. It’s a good idea to hire a proofreader because sometimes things ‘fall through the crack’ and are bypassed before the publishing process. Remember, writing is your art, so investing in yourself is worthwhile. If you don’t invest in yourself, no one else will.
Below are some editors who offer fair prices. I hope this helps.
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