Editor Myths: A Good Writer Doesn't Need an Editor

Over the next month or so, I’m going to be outlining several deadly myths and bits of misinformation about the editing of books. If you’re a seasoned writer and you’ve published before, you know the value of editing well. However, during my time in the writing and publishing industry, I’ve come across all of these so many times that I felt compelled to write about them and set the record straight.

The Myth: A Good Writer Doesn’t Need an Editor

You’ve slaved over your book for months or even years. You’ve had your mom, your best friend, and your black lab look through it twice. You’ve personally gone through it with a fine-toothed comb over a dozen times, and during your last read, you found a few missing commas, but other than that it was clean and mistake-free.

You might have even used Grammarly, thinking that a computer-based application couldn’t screw it up. Well, you’re dead wrong.

The Fact:

I used to think the same thing. I wrote and completed my first book way back in 2009, and I went through that baby two-dozen times, each time feeling more and more confident that it was ready for the eyes of publishers and readers alike. Brimming with confidence that I’d written the next Fantasy masterpiece, I asked my editor friend to complete a beta-read before I sent it off to agents and publishers. Her first comment was:

“You need a developmental edit, followed by a thorough copyedit.”

Her second comment?

“The premise is great, but the book isn’t. This story is too big for you at this stage in your writing career. Come back to it again in a few years.”

Damn.

Once I got over her second comment, I asked her how I could have possibly missed so many grammatical mistakes. Her answer was simple:

“You’ve been through this book too many times. You’re glossing over your grammar, even when you think you’re paying close attention. The mistakes weren’t many, but they were there. Readers will pick up on them.”

And she was right! Just the other day, I was reading one of my favorite authors, Joe Abercrombie, and found a missing period at the end of a paragraph (wait…can you find something that’s missing?) His book went through the rigors of a major publishing house, saw several editors and still it had some proofing errors. Those are going to happen no matter who you hire, but let’s just take a moment to imagine what that manuscript looked like it before it saw an editor.

Having a manuscript that doesn’t flow, that has plot holes/inconsistencies, as well as grammatical and spelling mistakes is a huge detriment to your legitimacy as a professional author. You need your book to be strong, clean, and professionally edited to find a market and a long-term readership. If a single Amazon review on your book reads: “This book needs to see an editor, but otherwise it’s a good story” it throws up a red flag on your book that will never go away. Say goodbye to 50% of your potential readers. And if you’re looking to get traditionally published, well, say goodbye to that publishing deal.

Don’t take shortcuts. Hire an editor, and preferably one with experience. Your well-read friend with a BA in English just won’t cut it. Take yourself seriously, because if you don’t, your readers won’t either. Full stop.