Ah, the classic argument in writing. Who knew we would have come to this point? Arguing about whether or not you should have an editor. That’s because the answer should be yes, all writers should really get their book edited by a professional. However, this option isn’t so easy in the world of self-publishing.
Now the facts may be in a writer’s favor. In one year, authors earned $334 million from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). But while there are plenty of writers who are banking on their self-published books, the vast majority of them don’t make a ton of money. And here’s where we come to our big issue: hiring an editor is expensive. Which forces many indie authors to edit their own work.
The editing debate is something I’ve been struggling with, since I’m preparing to release my latest book, The Howling of the Dead, and I’m finishing up with the Dissecting House sequel. Here’s a fun fact: I didn’t hire an editor for Dissecting House, but I decided to get an editor for my future books. I’ll explain why later.
So, can you get away with giving your book a good ol’ read-through? Or is hiring an editor worth the money?
Hiring an Editor
As a writer, you’re probably wondering if hiring an editor is truly worth it. There are both pros and cons to handing over your book so someone else makes it better.
Pros
Improved spelling/grammar. Hey, I’m sure you’re a great writer. But I doubt you’re a perfect writer. We all make mistakes, including me! Unfortunately, you may not catch all of these mistakes. This is where a professional editor comes in. They will fix all of those typos and grammatical issues, so your book is error-free.
Improve the readability of your work. Readability is an underrated issue and most writers struggle with it. Hell, I’ve read bestsellers (where I’m sure editors were involved) and the book still had terrible readability.
Why is that? Because we writers love fluffy and adverby bullshit that takes away from the story (even though it shows off our literary excellence). I actually wrote a blog about writing your book without fluff, in case you care to read my blog for free and potentially save thousands on an editor.
But in case you don’t feel like reading my blog and/or want to spend a ton of money, book editing services can improve the readability of your work. This includes removing fluff as well as hard to read parts, passive voice, adverbs, and simply rephrasing certain areas to accentuate what you’re trying to say.
You get an unbiased opinion. A literary editor means business. If they tell you your book is good and doesn’t require too many edits, they will say so. But if they truly think your book needs some special attention, they won’t hesitate to say something.
Editors are an unbiased second set of eyes. They likely read books for a living (or just read a ton of books), so they know what works and what doesn’t.
Your book will be more professional. So I’ll be honest. I constantly read books by indie authors. While I love supporting those hustling like me, these books could have been better if they had an editor.
And this is beyond grammar issues — honestly, my grammar nazi days are over. An editor helps improve your readability and makes your book’s tone more polished. All of this results in a more professionally-written book.
Cons
Expensive. You’re getting someone else to read your book and fix all of the minuscule errors. So yes, an editor will be expensive. However, all editors price differently. How much does an editor cost? I’ve heard everything from free to a couple of thousand dollars. So don’t immediately dismiss an editor because of the price, find someone who will work within your budget.
May take time for your book to be finished. The biggest con of hiring an editor is not the price in my opinion, but the time it takes for them to finish editing your book.
As stated previously, an editor is reading your entire book word-by-word and fixing it. They also likely have a family, other life priorities, maybe a second job, etc. Don’t expect to get your book back for several months, unless you feel like handing out more money.
You may not need an editor. Yes, an editor offers a ridiculous number of benefits. But if your book only needs minor edits, looking for an editor may not be necessary. If this is the case, I recommend onboarding a few solid beta readers and following the other advice I’ll state in a future section.
DIY Editing
Pros
Cheaper. Hey, if you edit your own book then you may save lots of money! That’s a benefit in itself!
Edit at your own pace. You can also edit at your own pace, ensuring you’re 100% in charge of the book’s production and you release it in a timely manner. For DH, my goal was to edit a chapter a night. But I also did a few rounds of edits to ensure the book was top-notch.
Edit the book how you want it. Writers aren’t perfect, but we’re also stubborn. You may not like an editor’s advice. Rather than spend the money and not be satisfied with the final product, self-editing results in you being fully satisfied with your book.
Cons
It may not be the best/most professional option. As stated previously, I know many self-published authors who are talented, but their book could have improved with professional editing.
May not catch all of the spelling/grammar errors. Having a second set of eyes is beneficial. If you don’t catch all of your mistakes, someone else will. Let’s hope that the second person isn’t a reader who spent money on your book.
My Experience
As stated previously, I didn’t have an editor for Dissecting House. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t inquire.
I found an editor through an all-female writing group I’m in. The editor offered a free consultation where she edited the first few chapters of my book. After a couple of days, she sends back the manuscript and informs me that she found no spelling/grammar errors. However, there were parts where I could improve my readability. And that would cost $1,000.
I scratched my head at that offer. Pay $1k for something that Hemingway App could do for free? No thank you. DH is my first book and I wasn’t sure if I could pay that money back. I also had more expenses associated with the book’s release, such as buying the book cover and marketing the dang thing.
Now, I could have said no from the get-go. Instead, I gave her another chance. I explained that the price is too high for me and tried to negotiate lower. She said she won’t go below $600. Sure, significantly cheaper. But there’s still no guarantee I would have made my ROI. I declined her offer.
Do I think I made the best decision? Yes and no. I could have negotiated a bit more. But I understand why I declined her offer.
However, this is changing with my future books. That’s because I received great advice from other writer colleagues. They recommended I find an editor who I know and trust well.
Sure enough, I reached out to a colleague of mine. He’s an amazing writer and also works professionally as an editor. I gave him the first chapter of the Dissecting House sequel. He said he didn’t have to do a lot, but the changes he made improved even that first chapter. I decided to hire him to edit The Howling of the Dead.
Options for Self-Published Writers
Hiring an editor for a book comes with many pros and cons, but this isn’t your only option when editing your book. Here are other options that self-published authors have.
Grammarly Premium
Before anyone asks, no I’m not sponsored by Grammarly. This is 100% my own opinion because I use this dang program every single day of my life. Hell, I’m putting this very blog post through Grammarly before it’s published.
In case you live under a rock and/or don’t pay attention to the Grammarly ads on YouTube, just know that Grammarly is an actually good spellcheck program. While it’s not perfect, it does catch many spelling/grammar issues.
Grammarly is a freemium service, meaning they have a free and paid plan. I recommend their paid plan Grammarly Premium when editing your book. It goes a step further, making your writing more concise and improving your tone.
How much is Grammarly Premium? I think I paid $140-ish for a year. But I also chose a yearly plan, which is significantly cheaper than the monthly and quarterly plans.
Hire Beta Readers
First, let’s dive into who beta readers are and why they may be as useful as an editor. A beta reader is simply someone who reads your book; however, they read it before it’s available to the public. They provide the author with honest feedback, whether it’s positive and/or negative.
If you’re unsure if you need an editor, make a beta reader a must. Hell, have at least one beta reader even if you hire an editor. The more eyes on your book, the better.
Who should be a beta reader? Someone you know is reliable and will actually read your book. You’re more than likely not paying your beta reader, so you need to be sure they will do what they promise.
Seek a Consultation
Going back to my example, I had a consultation with an editor to see if this service was for me and my book. I ended up deciding it wasn’t. But if it wasn’t for that consultation, I could have said goodbye to $1,000.
The consultation will also help you decide if you like that editor. Let’s go back to that other example. I gave the first chapter of the Dissecting House sequel to my current editor. I honestly thought his changes strengthened the chapter and gave it more life. He also honed in on the voice, especially the character Mina. Therefore, I knew he was the perfect editor.
Not sure how to know if an editor works for you? Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I like their edits?
- Do I agree with them?
- Do their edits strengthen and improve my book?
If you said no to these questions, either seek another editor or go forward with DIY editing.
Negotiate with Editors
An editor will usually put a steep price for their service. Don’t be afraid to try and negotiate. The editor needs your business as you need their help. If they’re sympathetic to your needs, they will work with them.
At the same time, you’re paying for high-quality work. If you ask the editor to price their services extremely low, this could be insulting.
While declining may seem like your only option, see if they’re open to a pricing plan. Instead of forking over a couple thousand at one time, pay them in small increments over a course of a few months. I even told my editor that if my edits are extensive, I will push back the deadline to ensure he gets paid and that it works in my budget.
Hiring an Editor vs. DIY Editing: Which Is the Best Option?
At the end of the day, hiring an editor is the best option. But this may not be ideal for all writers. Fortunately, there are other resources for writers so you can have a great book.
Yes, talking about grammar errors and bad readability can kill any writer’s inspiration. I’m sure the pandemic also screwed with your productivity, too. No worries, read this blog post about how to get writing inspiration, whether there’s a pandemic or not.
Featured image credit: Image by ROBERT SŁOMA from Pixabay