November 6, 2024
Could your book benefit from editing services? If you’re a self-published writer, you’re used to doing things on your own. When it comes to editing your book, however, you may want to turn to professional editing services that can give your manuscript a helpful critique. Editing services include everything from proofreading to a total overhaul of your manuscript. Here’s how editing services can help you produce a better book.
You’re close to your book. In fact, that closeness can make it hard for you to take an objective viewpoint. Can you honestly read it the way a first-time reader, who’s new to the character and story, would read it? That may be difficult.
You’ve probably heard the advice to leave your manuscript alone for a week or two before you revise your draft or proofread it. That’s good advice, but it’s even better to hire someone who has never read your book and hasn’t carried it around in their head for months the way you have.
How well do you know the market you’re writing for? Whether you’re writing genre fiction, literary fiction, or nonfiction, there are certain conventions that readers will expect from your work. Professional editing services are familiar with publishing trends. They’ll give you an honest analysis and suggest changes you might make to make your book more marketable. You don’t have to take their suggestions, but you may find them worth considering.
Editing a book isn’t easy, even if you’re a skilled, experienced editor. It takes a lot of time. Hiring an editor saves you from endless rounds of drafting and revising. Editors will let you know when enough is enough, and when your book is ready to go. Best of all, they can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to restructuring your book. They can help you prepare your proposal letter and book summary before you send them to professional publishing companies.
Even a small mistake can affect the experience of reading a book. You’ve probably seen reviews of books that call out the writer for misspellings, poor grammar, or getting certain facts incorrect. Those mistakes are embarrassing. They can make any book look unprofessional.
These errors will make most readers instantly discount you as a credible source. That’s bad for a fiction writer, and it’s incredibly damaging to a nonfiction author. If people don’t believe you are taking your own book seriously, why should they? Mistakes damage your credibility, make your book hard to read, and turn off readers. Editing services can help you avoid these mistakes.
An editor is anyone who looks over your manuscript and suggests changes. If you’re publishing with a traditional publisher, you will work with a team of editors.
Professional publishing houses hire teams of editors. Today, many of them are freelancers on contracts with the publisher.
As a writer who’s publishing independently, you may not have access to a team of editors. You can still get help by hiring freelance editors. Whatever you decide in terms of editing, professional proofreading is necessary for every book.
Start by deciding what kind of help you need.
Some self-published writers work with beta readers, who give their opinion of a book before it gets published. Beta readers can give you an honest critique of whether readers will like your book, but you can’t expect them to do the work of editors. If you receive substantial critiques from a beta reader, you may need professional editing services to get your book ready for publication.
You can find freelance editors from various online marketplaces where freelancers offer their services. Look for editors who specialize in the genre you’re writing in.
Companies that specialize in working with self-published writers often offer editorial services.
Besides editing, you may want to hire a service to provide e-book formatting.
If you want to publish an e-book on format like Kindle Direct-to-Print, Apple, or Barnes & Noble, you must format your book to meet their requirements. This is not difficult, but it’s tedious and time-consuming. To make the process easier, you can hire a service that will do the formatting for you.
These services will design, edit, and format your book for print-on-demand:
You’ve decided you need an editor. How much will it cost?
According to the publishing site Reedsy, there are set ranges you can expect to pay for professional editing. The actual price you pay will vary based on several factors, including the book’s complexity, its length, and whether it has references or citations. The prices below are for a standard 80,000-word novel.
You may not need all these services. Figure out what type of help you need, and pick one or two to help you refine your book.
Writing takes a lot of time and effort. Between drafting your first copy, making revisions, and getting your book printed, you may find you’re swamped by work. It can be overwhelming, but it must be done. Why not get some help? By hiring editors, you can save time and worry. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Instead of stressing out about what you have to do next, hire an editor who supports your goals for your book.
Hiring an editor is optional, but it can help you refine and improve your book. Once your novel or nonfiction book is complete, professional printing will take it to the next level. If you need help with any aspect of the printing process, talk to Publishing Xpress.
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