How to Know When You’re Ready for an Editor
If you’re serious about publishing your work but you’re somewhat new to the industry, know that you are going to need to work with a professional editor eventually—but knowing when and how can save you a lot of money and frustration. It might sound strange for me, an editor, to say this, but some writers just aren’t ready to hire an editor right away. Because it can be hard to judge where you’re at sometimes, here are some helpful guidelines to help you decide when you’re ready to work with an editor.
Before you start seeking out professional services, you should (1) have a finished draft of your book and (2) have an idea of how you want to publish, whether you’d like to try publishing traditionally (through a publishing house) or on your own (self-publishing). Some authors are also able to publish in a more hybrid fashion, and some want to at least try going trad before exploring self-publishing options. There’s no wrong way to do it, only figuring out the right way for you and your career.
If you’re still trying to decide your publishing path, that’s a whole other topic. You might find it helpful to watch author Brandon Sanderson’s free lectures on the publishing world to get more perspective on what will work for you in this video and this video. These focus a little more on traditional publishing, so you may also want to look at this YouTuber’s experience self-publishing or this advanced guide for self-publishing.
If you’re set on publishing traditionally, you may not ever need to negotiate with a freelance editor like me before you query agents. Typically, if you start querying and notice you’re getting personalized rejections from agents with feedback, that means you’re on the right track and you should keep revising and querying! You’re probably close to getting represented, the first step in the trad publishing journey. But if you’re getting crickets or generic rejection forms, you probably need to step up your game, and sometimes turning to an editor is the best way to do that.
If you’re planning on self-publishing, then you can technically do whatever you want—you’re your own boss! However, if you want to be taken seriously and have a successful career, you do need an editor to help you take your work to a professional level and polish it. (Sorry, AI doesn’t quite cut it. And that’s also another topic/soapbox for another day.) What may differ for each author is when they’re ready to work with editors, how many rounds of editing they might need, and how many separate editors they may have to hire out.
So, whichever path you’re pursuing, let’s assume that by now you’ve realized you’ll need an editor to move forward with your publishing dreams. Now the question is, are you ready to work with an editor? Let’s start by answering some simple questions.
1. Is your current draft of your manuscript (which is finished, by the way, remember?) the first book you’ve ever finished writing?
If yes, this may be a sign that you need a little more experience before diving into professional editing and publishing. It’s not a sure sign, but possibly an indicator. If your answers to questions #2 and #3 are also yes, you are most likely not ready to work with an editor yet. Sorry! Keep writing. You got this!​
If no, great! This may mean you’ve learned enough about story and style to be able to work with professional feedback.
2. Is your current draft of your manuscript also your first draft?
If yes, you need to buckle down and give your draft a good round of self-editing. There’s no set number of drafts you need to write, but try to push yourself to make your story the best you can! More than that, take advantage of as much free feedback as you can, whether that’s your writing group, your mom, your significant other, or whomever you trust to read your work. Consider finding beta readers or studying the craft to inform your efforts. If you ever attend writing conferences, see if any editors are offering free sample edits for first chapters and take advantage of what you can learn from them. (I do this for writers all the time!)
If no, good on you for taking time to revise! You’ve probably learned a lot. You may still need to make sure you’ve really taken advantage of all the free feedback you can get before you move on, but you’re on the right track if you’ve reached a point where you honestly don’t know how to make your story better without consulting a professional.
3. Is this your first time working with a professional book editor (beyond sample edits)?
If yes, keep in mind that sometimes getting feedback on a whole book can be overwhelming to sift through for the first time. If you’re starting at the developmental level, which I generally recommend most authors do, a full developmental edit may simply be too much information to work with. Consider starting with a less in-depth manuscript evaluation, which can actually be much more helpful in allowing you to further your craft because you can improve at a more manageable pace.
If no and you’re still looking for an editor, make sure you know what important qualities you’re looking for in an editor that match your vision of a successful writing/publishing career. Unfortunately, it can take time to find the right fit for you, so if you’ve had a bad experience in the past, don’t give up and keep looking!
Hopefully considering all these factors has given you some understanding of where you’re at and where you need to be to work effectively with an editor. If you’re feeling really new to the editing process, especially if you aren’t sure what the different levels of editing are, here’s a quick overview to orient you:​​
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Developmental Editing: Focuses on the big picture aspects of the story, making sure the story works (think characters, plot, themes, etc.).
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Line/Substantive Editing: Focuses on the paragraph/sentence level, making sure your writing flows and engages the readers.
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Copy Editing: Focuses on the individual character level, fixing typos and making sure even the smallest punctuation mark or font change is in place.
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Proofreading: Focuses on preparing the final product, polishing last-minute mistakes after the manuscript has been laid out and designed in anticipation of being printed.
You don’t necessarily need a different editor for each level of editing (and keep in mind that if you go through a publishing house, all these rounds of editing will be taken care of for you through the publisher). However, if you’re going through each or most of these levels before self-publishing or querying, keep in mind that sometimes it can be helpful to have a fresh pair of eyes when you’re ready to move on to certain levels—especially rounds like copy editing or proofreading, which require more attention to detail.
By now, I hope you know what step is next for you in the editing process. If for any reason you’re still a little uncertain, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with your questions. I’m always happy to help a writer with a little advice on their journey to publishing!