Editing can make or break your book. If your readers are constantly stumbling over mistakes when reading your work, they will feel cheated. Why did they spend the money and take the time to read your book when they could have read (and enjoyed) someone else’s that was better edited?
There’s an excellent chance that their resulting irritation will be reflected in your book reviews (or lack thereof)–and cause a drop in sales.
This is why it pays to have your book professionally edited.
That said, because of current constraints on my time, I can only offer final edits in the context of a publishing project. Final edits cover proofreading for spelling, grammar, syntax, and missed or misplaced words.
If you need developmental edits, editing for flow and smoothness, or line edits (or any other kind), I have a couple of excellent editors that I am happy to refer you to.
You can lower the cost of editing or eliminate it altogether by:
- participating in a critique group with other writers who know their craft and are willing to exchange critiques with you.
- swapping edits one-on-one with a critique partner.
- using the voice options on your computer to read your chapters back to you while you mark up a printed copy.
- making effective* use of Word’s Spelling and Grammar check. (*sometimes Word gets it wrong)
- using any of these online editing apps:
One final note:
When I edit, it is very important to me that I take care to preserve your writer’s voice while polishing your writing to help your book shine. You also have the final say on all recommended edits.