Self-editing is an important stage in any book’s development and a valuable learning experience for authors—especially independent authors who are solely responsible for the quality of their own books. Here’s why.
Any author can make significant improvements on his or her own manuscript—before an editor enters the picture—regardless of writing skill or experience.
REASON #1: Working on your own material helps you develop your writing abilities.
When you hand an editor an unfinished manuscript, you rob yourself of one of the most valuable learning experiences you can have as a writer.
Careful self-critique can help you understand your own writing habits and quirks, then think mindfully about those habits as you expand and develop your own craft.
REASON #2: Taking care of the big stuff yourself allows your editor to focus on trickier issues.
Depending on the type of editing and the agreement with your editor, if you only have so much money to spend on editing, it just makes sense to take care of as much as you can on your own before spending money on a book editor.
By giving your manuscript a big-picture critical review to the best of your capabilities, you’ll free up your editor’s time to focus on the things you may not quite have a handle on, and your editor will be able to spend his or her time on the areas most valuable to you.
REASON #3: Its not the editor’s name on the cover—it’s yours.
If your story is underdeveloped, even if an editor is able to help you tighten it up, the more you lean on someone else to prop up your story, the less it’s really yours. Think around corners and outside the boxes on your own, and you’ll know deep down that the book is really, truly yours.
Another point is this: Once you release a physical book, there’s no way to recall every copy to correct something embarrassing. Is skipping an editor really worth the “savings”?
Your copyeditor isn’t a fact-checker, a lawyer, or a business coach. A good copyeditor will point out where you may have a copyright concern or factual error, but he or she won’t be able to point out every single potential issue, and giving your manuscript another sweep with these sorts of issues in mind is your responsibility and no one else’s.
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