All writers want to produce high-quality work, the next best seller or just something that will engage their audience. A good story is obviously key to this with a killer plot, excellent characters and good twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, but so is editing.
Editors are trained to tweak word choice for the best presentation of ideas, to suggest options for improved character development, to enhance setting details and to make sure the plot is constantly moving ahead with tension and conflict. They can be the difference between a good book and one that really sings to the audience.
Investing in profession book editing services is a worthwhile investment for any serious author. Not only do they pick up the small issues, like spelling or grammar mistakes that can irritate readers, but actually improve your story. Let’s take a look at the importance of editing in the publishing process, whether that’s with a traditional publisher, self-publishing via a vanity press or through Kindles and e-books.
The multifaceted role of a professional editor
Editors wear many hats when they’re helping with your work. Choosing one and the type of editing you need is another topic of conversation, but let’s look at the different aspects of their job.
Improving clarity and conciseness
Professional editors look at both word use but also how ideas are being conveyed to the reader. They can weed out unnecessary filler wording, improve the clarity of the phrasing or argument, remove ambiguities you may not have been aware of and make sure the idea you are trying to present is actually the one that is being presented. They can also make suggestions about unnecessary detail or even unnecessary scenes.
Enhancing story structure and pacing
The right balance of pacing and tension are essential in any good story. Editors can identify where these elements might be missing, or perhaps when there is too much detail and description, or long dialogue that becomes a monologue, and everything goes off the boil a little. An editor’s input into these moments can help liven the story up where it’s needed. Editors can also advise with the pacing feels forced. Perhaps the writer has overdone their use of staccato or active phrasing, and does need to unwind the plot at times when perhaps reflection or a timeout is needed after some intense scenes and events.
Identifying and addressing plot holes and inconsistencies
Skilled book editors are good at identifying any gaps in your story narrative. These could be plot holes or just inconsistencies that you hadn’t thought of. They don’t have to always be huge problems. Perhaps there’s an object that suddenly appears in a scene at the right time, that hasn’t been included before. Or there’s missing sentences to explain how a person got to one location when they were somewhere else in the previous scene. They might also point out unnecessary scenes or subplots that shouldn’t be in the story, or are needed to explain events better.
Improving dialogue
If dialogue doesn’t develop naturally, doesn’t properly identify characters when needed, or is just clanky or doesn’t sound realistic, it can be boring, annoying or just come across as implausible. All are recipes for disengaging your reader. Good editors will point out unnecessary dialogue or explain how you can tweak aspects of it to make it resonate better with readers.
The impact on reader engagement
A polished manuscript is a joy to read. There is nothing more irritating for readers than to find spelling, grammatical or tense mistakes littered throughout what would be an otherwise good story. Readers do put stories down for these reasons, write poor reviews and all of this ultimately impacts on the book’s success. You want that word-of-mouth recommendation so that your story is the one a reader will tell their friend going on holiday to buy who wants a good read.
An investment in success
An investment in a good editor is not only an investment in improving the reader’s experience but in the chances of publication. A well-edited manuscript is a marketable product that is more likely to attract the attention of agents and publishers in a fiercely competitive environment. For certain kinds of publications, like reputable academic journals, they can be very picky about style and citations. A good editor can help with all those details, making sure the manuscript conforms to the required style guide and is formatted correctly.
Boosting your confidence
Receiving positive feedback from a professional can boost an author’s confidence. These comments can often be used in review descriptions you need to boost your book sales. The other benefit of an editor’s feedback is to learn from it in order to improve their writing over time. Depending on the type and detail of the editing, editors will explain their changes and reasoning for them. Learning from them is key to producing an even better manuscript the next time.
If a writer finds a good editor they can work with, it can often be very beneficial to use them for ongoing projects. This gives your work a consistency of style and approach, but also you may find their editing changes as you improve your work. If they start on a better polished manuscript to begin with, you’ll get more out of them.
Gaining a second opinion
Editors provide valuable feedback and a fresh perspective on things writers may have missed, as they are just a little too close to the manuscript. Writers often have invested their time and efforts in a story that can feel a bit like their baby. This might mean they don’t recognise that description or phrasing that took them a long time to develop might not be aiding the plot or the scene at all and needs to go. An editor may also point out a character arc that just doesn’t work, or a plot twist that makes no sense.
Whatever it is, it’s good to take their feedback as constructive—designed to aid and improve your work. When you hand over your manuscript baby, it’s good to sever the maternal ties and begin to consider it as a professional manuscript that needs all the help it can get to grow and mature. Editors understand the value of your work and that you might be attached to it. They only seek to help.
As American writer Joseph Kanon said, “When you’re editing, you want to the be the perfect appreciator, not another writer.”
Conclusion
Editing is one of the most important investments you will make in your writing. It’s a bit like sculpting by forming a lump of clay or a piece of stone into a masterpiece. You chip away at the bits that aren’t needed, and improve the beauties it contains. It’s always worth it in the end.
