12 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Editor

Editing is more than just correcting typos. A good edit will make your story soar.

But here’s the thing about editing. You can’t do it all on your own. There are limits to self-editing. However, when you partner with a professional editor, you experience the truly transformative power of polishing up your manuscript.

In this post, we’ll discuss the biggest reasons why you should consider working with an editor.

1. You Get a Fresh Perspective

You’ve stared at the same manuscript day in and day out for the last few months (or years). You need a break. You’re too familiar with the material to see either errors or opportunities, and there comes a point when your writing becomes stagnant.

An editor will offer a fresh perspective because they’re seeing your manuscript for the first time. They can read it with brand-new eyes, which enables them to spot trouble areas that you’ve missed.

2. An Editor Has a Professional Set of Eyes

Your editor doesn’t just offer a new set of eyes, but they also provide a professional set of eyes. The right editor will have years of experience in reworking, revising, shaping up, and polishing the works of others.

While you can choose from countless editors, we recommend going with a professional and not a hobbyist. Choose someone who edits for a living and not just on the weekends. That’ll give you the best bang for your buck.

3. An Editor Offers Experience

If you’re paying for a professional result, you need to work with a trained eye. Resist the temptation to ask a friend or trusted family member to edit your work. Unless they work as a professional editor at their day job, your loved one won’t be able to provide the necessary input to improve your manuscript.

Work with an editor who understands the assignment. When you hand them your script, your editor should know what to look for in terms of character, conflict, plot, setting, and theme.

4. An Editor Gives Objective Feedback

An experienced editor won’t just have a background in editing, but they’ll also know how to collect their thoughts and share critical feedback with you. An editor’s tact and tone are often shaped by years of working with writers.

An editor who can’t communicate your story’s strengths and weaknesses won’t be useful to you. Look for an editor who can give clear and concise feedback to ensure that your work improves.

5. You Can Become a Better Writer

One of the biggest benefits of working with a professional editor is that you’ll become a better writer. This comes as a pleasant surprise to many of our clients here at New York Book Editors.

Something magical happens in the back and forth between edits and rewrites. Editing is a painful process. But, if you give yourself over to the process of professional editing, you will transform into a stronger and more capable writer. That’s guaranteed.

6. An Editor Helps You Discover Your Voice

When you first start, you’ll inevitably struggle to find your authentic writer’s voice. Your writer’s voice is a combination of your storytelling style, perspective, and tone. Ideally, your writer’s voice should be as unique as your actual voice.

But finding that voice can be difficult.

That’s where an editor comes in.

An editor can identify inconsistencies when it comes to your attitude as a narrator and the way that you relay the information. These are variations that you may not see but will impact the reader’s experience. By relying on the editor’s feedback, you can identify and hone your voice.

Click here for tips on how to find your writer’s voice.

7. An Editor Will Check for Pacing

Do parts of your story drag? Are there areas where you’re speeding through and not adding enough content or context?

A good editor has an eye for pacing. They’ll evaluate the story as a whole to ensure that the ride doesn’t slow to a grinding halt. They’ll also identify areas where you can take your time and explore a character or elongate a scene.

A story doesn’t proceed at a breakneck speed throughout. But it should be moving forward at an engaging rate or your reader will grow bored.

8. A Professional Edit Ensures Consistency

One common problem we encounter when working with authors is inconsistency, not just in voice, but also in point of view, tense, and characterization. Inconsistency can make the reader lose trust. It brings attention to the faulty mechanics of your storytelling. This will immediately disrupt the reader and remove them from the world of your story.

A professional editor has eagle eyes that are trained to look for inconsistencies. They’ll often read through your manuscript multiple times on the hunt for deviations and discrepancies.

9. An Editor Will Identify the Fatty Areas

There’s meat and then there’s fat. You want a meaty story, but you’ve got to trim the fat because it’s difficult to chew, if not inedible.

An editor will point out extraneous or redundant parts of your manuscript that need to either be re-worked or eliminated. This will help you bring forth a stronger story.

10. You Will Create the Right First Impression

Whether you plan to self-publish, submit to contests, or find an agent who can help you break into traditional publishing, you need to submit your manuscript for a professional edit first. Start with the absolute best product that you can. This shows your intended audience (whether they are readers, judges, or agents) that you’re serious about writing.

This also gives your audience a positive first impression!

While you may never escape the occasional negative review, don’t let a negative review be based on excessive typos or incomplete character arcs. Using a professional editor will provide you with a level of protection against basic errors.

11. Your Work is Safe

When working with a professional editor, you can rest assured that your work is safe. They won’t share your intellectual property with others. They also won’t steal your ideas to create their own work.

As mentioned above, a professional editor isn’t a hobbyist. They’re not a writer by day and an editor by night. Instead, they’ll work full-time as an editor with the sole focus of shaping up the manuscripts that come across their desk. Your story should be kept safe, the edit should be confidential, and the feedback should be, too.

12. A Professional Edit is More Affordable Than You Think

Professional editing requires an investment, not just of time but also of money. However, it’s an investment that’s well worth it.

Your story will improve, but so will you as a writer.

All of the comments, questions in the margins, cross-outs, and suggestions will give you a thorough education that exceeds the price of a professional edit. You can take what you’ve learned in your edit and apply it to future work.

A professional edit may not cost as much as you think. Click here to get a quick quote on the different editing services that we provide.

Final Thoughts

Not all editors are created equal. If you’re looking for an editor who can positively impact your story and provide a return on your investment, definitely seek out our professional editing service. We have a team of award-winning editors who can help you create your best work.

Let us match you with a highly vetted editor now.