Once a writer has completed their manuscript, the next big concern they face is revising and editing their work to eliminate errors and add to its readability. Every writer knows about professional editors and their potential to bring the best out of a job, but they all have the same questions.
Is it worth hiring a book editor? What do they offer that a writer themselves cannot do for their work? These questions can make you feel conflicted. The best way to make the right call is to learn more about the conflict.
If you are unsure about hiring a book editor, here are some ways they can improve your work.
1 Strengthen Your Narrative
When you hire a book editor, you are not bringing someone on board to fix your grammar and format your documents only. A book editor has better things to do, such as helping you strengthen your narrative by providing their valued feedback.
They pay attention to every important aspect of developmental editing, such as your story’s structure, plot, character development, and pacing. Looking at these aspects, they use their third-person perspective to improve your manuscript.
2 Improve Your Copy
Self-editing is an excellent practice for authors of all skill levels. It can help you see room for improvement and make the necessary changes to your work in time. However, relying simply on self-editing can lead to some errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax being missed.
When these errors are highlighted after the book is published, you cannot do much but regret it. Therefore, taking timely action and hiring a book editor is wise. These professionals have a keen eye for pointing out errors and making necessary changes to save you from embarrassment.
3 Explore Line Editing
If you have revised your work several times now, you may not want to try line editing alone. This type of editing requires the editor to focus on every line, knit the sentences together correctly, and make the content sharp and concise.
This task requires a lot of focus and energy, which can be challenging for an author since they may be occupied with other vital factors of publishing a book.
You can rely on a professional editor to review every line and ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.
4 Receive Structural Guidance
Authors everywhere, especially beginners in the field, appreciate every bit of the guidance they can get. One of the most beneficial aspects you can benefit by improving on is the structure of your book. After all, a great book can only be created based on a solid structure.
Everything must be managed in a certain way to improve your book significantly, from the organisation of chapters to the scenes to transitions.
5 Maintain Consistency
When you have reread and revised your work several times, everything can start to seem consistent to you. You can only learn about the inconsistencies if you ask a fresh pair of expert eyes for their feedback.
Professional editors know the importance of Consistency and how it can help ensure the success of any book. They find gaps and ensure Consistency in every aspect, such as character traits, settings, timelines, and details throughout the manuscript.
6 Improve Your Dialogues
The dialogue between characters must be robust to create an everlasting impact on the reader. Even if you have written the most captivating dialogues between your characters, acknowledging that there is always room for growth is always good.
If you have already revised your work to improve the dialogues between your characters, there is no harm in asking an expert for their opinion. Expert editors can make your dialogues more engaging, reflective, and realistic for the readers.
7 Enhance Your Plot
One of the most embarrassing things for any author is to find themselves in a position where their readers point out their mistakes. Such incidents can hurt your reputation as an author and make you lose your respect in your readers’ eyes.
You can avoid this embarrassment by identifying plot holes, covering inconsistencies, and adding more layers to your plot with the help of an editor.
The plot of your story is the basis on which your success depends. Working with an editor can make all the effort worth it.
8 Check Your Facts
Of course, much research lies on a writer’s end, and they do their best to get their facts and figures right. However, the slightest chance of mistakes can affect your writing career. You do not want to take any chances, especially when establishing your trustworthiness as an author.
Do not miss any opportunity to check your facts and ask your editor to help you. Together, you can verify factual information, references, and any other details presented in your final manuscript.
9 Format Correctly
You may already know by now that a great idea alone does not lead to creating a great book. Many other things go into making your book stand out and the way it is formatted is one of the many factors that ensure the success of your book.
Small and seemingly insignificant details such as chapter headings, font styles, and pagination combine to format your book and increase its readability.
Your editor can help you discover the room for improvement in formatting and set realistic timelines for revisions, editing rounds, and manuscript completion.
10 Prepare for Publication
Getting your book published is not as simple as perceived. It can be a long and complicated process, and you need all the help you can get on board for a smooth experience.
Editors can be a constant support through this process. They help authors prepare the manuscript for publication and help them with other necessary steps, such as writing the query letters, synopses, and submission packages.
