Cherry Tree Editing

So, why should an author hire an editor? After several rewrites and re-reading, an author can easily get so close to his own writing that he is not be able to see his own errors. Some may not even be aware of the mistakes they are making because they are not familiar with style guides or grammar rules. For example, there are several different style guides and while most agree on the basics, there are acceptable word usages and punctuation that make writing a book different than writing for the Web.

Additionally, we see so many typos and grammatical errors on the Web and in books that are self-published (or brought to market by publish-on-demand companies) that after a while, these mistakes become so commonplace, many people view them as acceptable. To an avid reader, these errors are sure signs that the book was either written by an amateur or by someone who did not care about preserving the foundation upon which good books have always been built. That is not the image an author wants to portray.

Devoted readers are accustomed to a high standard of quality in the writing, layout, and physical properties of a book. They will not tolerate blatant errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, nor will they be inclined to backtrack to locate what they missed when they are confused by what an author has written.

Another reason authors should have their books edited is because an unedited or poorly written book is a legitimate reason for a publisher to reject it. It is difficult enough to get a book accepted by a conventional publisher without having to further reduce your chances with a book that an agent can’t “sell” to a publisher or acquisition editor.