Asking for Help

A few weeks ago, I asked what publishing questions writers would like me to answer. This one came up again and again: When is the right time to hire a professional editor?

If you’re planning to independently publish, you need one. Full stop. You need a developmental editor, a copyeditor, and at least one (if not more) proofreaders. The goal is to make your book stand up to all of the traditionally published books out there and you cannot do that alone. Readers don’t care how you publish. They will care if the book feels unedited or if there’s a typo on page 12, although there are plenty of typos in traditionally published books. It is almost impossible to make a book “perfect” because we are all (ideally) only human readers and writers, but make it as perfect as you possibly can.

If you’re planning to traditionally publish, the answer is a little fuzzier. You don’t necessarily need to hire a developmental editor, which might surprise you since I am one. Every writer and every manuscript needs to be professionally edited at some point, but the editing you get from your agent (although they have less time to edit these days and may end up referring you to a developmental editor you have to pay for anyway) and your eventual editor at your publisher will ideally be enough. The problem is that it is very hard to land an agent on your own without professional help.

Once upon a time, agents had a lot more time to take on rough diamonds. They could spend time editing and polishing manuscripts that arrived with only potential. That is no longer the case. There are less agents, less places to sell to, more demands on everyone’s time. Agents need to focus on the clients that are actually making them money and the revision process for a new author could take many years before even a dime is seen by anyone. If a manuscript is only about 96% there, they often just pass. With a form letter. So you’ll never know how close you were. Many of my clients come to me when they’re getting these vague rejections.

I also have clients who only want to indie publish. Clients who know they’ve taken their manuscript as far as they can on their own. Clients who are traditionally published but want me to give their manuscript a once over before they send it to their agent. (Once upon a time I found 300 instances of “just” one client’s agent AND their in-house editor missed. My eagle eye is the stuff of legends!) There is really no wrong reason to call in an editor. I’ll even work with authors when they only have a germ of an idea or a bunch of pages they don’t know what to do with. I’m always here to brainstorm or work in whatever way works best for my clients.

Most manuscripts I receive to edit are fine. I do not traffic in fine. I’m looking for unputdownable. I’m looking for miss your subway stop, ignore your bedtime, the house could fall down around you and you wouldn’t notice. That is almost impossible for any writer to accomplish on their own. And that is why almost all of my clients have ended up happily published in some way. In fact, just this week one of my clients told me she received her first ever full request from an agent for a manuscript we worked on together, even though she queried on her own with many manuscript before this one. And that was only from the very first small batch she tried. Those are the kind of results I want for my clients. This isn’t a hobby for them..or me!

But don’t panic. Professional editing can be cost prohibitive and that is why I started this newsletter. I want to help you learn how to become a more commercial writer on your own. Here are is a very good place to start:

No MFA Required: Why your reactions are often better revision guides than any craft rule.

And remember, making your manuscript more commercial doesn’t mean it was ever bad. Again, it is only about taking it to a more professional level. No shame if you need extra help to get there. Honestly, calling in help and letting someone else see your soft underbelly and the hopes and dreams you’re trying to put into words is one of the bravest things you can do.

I am always here for questions.

Warmly,

P.S. If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Kristen Weber, a former Big 5 editor turned freelance developmental editor. I started this newsletter because I wanted writers to have the kind of publishing advice I wish more editors shared: honest, encouraging, and practical.

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