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top 5 reasons to use an editor

You've spent what seems like an eternity writing your book and you think that it's ready to go on to the next step of design and layout. Before your head out the door with your manuscript, consider that perhaps you should have a professional editor take a look at what you've written to see if there are ways of improving your words to come up with the best possible product for your readers.

There are 2 types of editors and their functions vary depending on where in the book publishing process you engage their services:

The copyeditor usually takes your raw manuscript and weeds out any errors or inconsistencies before it goes to the layout stage.
The proofreader works with your text once it has been copyedited and designed, and proofs the pages for missed errors by the author, copyeditor and typesetter before going to print.

Although most authors believe they can save some money by performing these tasks themselves, there are several reasons why it is best to hire a professional to perform them.

1. Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation

A copyeditor will go through your manuscript and check for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They usually follow a set standard of rules about how to use punctuation and grammar and will bring your manuscript in line with publisher guidelines. Many self-published authors do not have a background in journalism or English and the copyeditor can help them with the basics that Word's™ spellcheck and grammarcheck will not catch.

2. Consistency and Clarity

A good editor will give suggestions on how to improve the manuscript for consistency and clarity - Do you switch back and forth from the first person to the third person? Do you switch from casual to formal dialogue? Do you mix tenses? Is there too much repetition? Does a plot thread just drop without closure? These and other issues can be clarified by your editor to help make your book more readable.

3. Fact-checking

No matter what sort of book you are writing, if you are including any facts in it (dates, names, technical jargon, industry-specific information, etc.), an editor will take the time to check your facts with several sources and ensure that you are not presenting any erroneous information. This can be done at manuscript stage, but should also be done at proofreading stage to ensure that errors have not been introduced by the typesetter.

4. Two eyes are better than one

By the time you have your manuscript ready to go to design and layout, you have read and reread it many times. When you read a piece of text over and over, you memorize it and begin to anticipate the words on the page - in this way missing any spelling or grammar mistakes. An editor is not only reading your manuscript with a fresh pair of eyes, but is trained to read for mistakes, and will catch those that you have missed.

5. Concentrate on your skills

As a first-time author, writing may not be your full-time career as you may be writing about a hobby, passion, or career-related topic. You realize the importance of hiring professionals in the field to help you make your book a success such as designers, layout artists, illustrators, and printers. Consider that an editor is another professional with skills that can help you make your book a success and can help you concentrate on what is important to you at this time - getting your book published.

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