Hiring a Professional Freelance Editor
By Arlene Prunkl

Last fall, I attended the Express Yourself Authors’ Conference in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where I spoke to a large group of authors about the value of professional editing. The conference was hosted by Infinity Publishing, and provided a wealth of resources for self-publishing authors―everything was covered from cover design and editing to copyright, marketing and distribution, and much more.

Session panels included authors, agents, book marketers and publicists. Among the conference’s noteworthy panel members were some of the most well-known names in the business―Dan Poynter (“Mr. Publishing”), John Kremer, Brian Jud and Patricia Lorenz, to name a few. These folks brought their many different areas of expertise to the audience, along with a vast amount of wisdom, experience and insights from their own corners of the world of self-publishing.

What struck me most, though―and not just from an editor’s perspective―was the unanimity with which they all agreed on one thing: that professional editing is an essential part of the publication process. If you’re fortunate enough to have found a traditional publisher, then the editing element is built into your contract. But for the increasing numbers of authors who are self-publishing, an editor must be hired at the author’s expense, and too often this step is dispensed with.

The reasons are basic: perhaps because of a lack of time, financial resources or knowledge of the editorial process, perhaps out of fear of loss of originality, or for other misguided reasons, some authors feel that the editing step of the publication cycle is the easiest one to eliminate.

Other writers and professionals feel it’s enough to have their work reviewed by a colleague, business associate or university professor. Congratulate yourself if you have not yet fallen into this trap. These folks are respected because of what they do—and they are not professional manuscript editors!

Still others are certain their masterpiece is perfect as is—after all, they’ve gone over it dozens of times themselves. But the fact is that perfection in writing doesn’t exist. Writing is an art form—a very subjective one—and therefore always open to much interpretation and, alas, misinterpretation. And it is also true that by the end of the creative process, the writer is simply too close to his or her own work to view it objectively.

Having your work edited professionally is not a frivolous option. Many first-time authors who have the foresight to engage a freelance editor are nonetheless shocked at the hundreds of changes and corrections an editor will find in what they thought was a near-perfect piece of literature. Even—especially!—established authors need editors.

A good editor can view your ideas and writing with complete objectivity. A good editor will cause you to give your head a shake, exclaiming, “Why didn't I see that?” Flaws in an argument will be targeted, as well as weaknesses in plot structure, incorrect grammatical structure, or simply a poorly phrased paragraph, inappropriate word or misplaced punctuation.

If yours is a work of fiction, an editor can assist you in realistic character development. Inconsistencies will be spotted and smoothed out. Elements may be rearranged to provide more drama or suspense. An editor can view the “big picture” of your work, suggesting improvements that will capture and retain your readers’ interest. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be assisted with developing a compelling and individual style, without losing the essence of your unique voice.

There’s a clichéd saying about writers not being able to afford editors. Don’t let your precious manuscript become a victim of this erroneous thinking. This work is your legacy. You can’t afford not to engage an editor!

Arlene Prunkl is a professional freelance editor living in Vancouver, BC. She works with authors throughout the English-speaking world. She’ll be happy to quote on the editing of your book, while she drops unsubtle hints about her passion―the beauty of the English language. www.penultimateword.com; info@penultimateword.com; 604-734-2730.

send page to friend