Writing is a process, and anyone new to writing books will find themselves on a learning curve. It may be that you’re retired and have finally found the time to write that book you always dreamed of writing. It may be that you’re on the opposite end of the scale and are young, with a burning ambition to be an author. The scale is long and varied, and wherever you are on it, you will always have something to learn. And some point on that scale you may find yourself asking, do I need an editor now?

Writing a book is not like writing at school.

There, I said it. This often comes as a shock to many would-be authors. We all did English lessons at school, right? So, we know how to write stories, don’t we? Well, sort of. However, certain things are no longer accepted, such as going heavy on the adverbs, or using a thousand other words instead of just, ‘said’. Likely, you didn’t write anything longer than a couple of sides of A4 at school, so when it comes to writing a novel, you have a lot more to think about than a beginning, middle and end.

Go ahead and write your story.

Get it out of your system. That is what many people do because when it comes to it, they can’t wait any longer. When you do this, though, writing those two little words, ‘the end’, does not necessarily mean you’re done. It is likely that this is the moment when the hard work begins. If you write your novel this way, you will no doubt love the process, but what you’ll find (more often than not) is that this draft will become the first of many.

Learn your craft and learn it well.

A quick Google search will reveal a plethora of writing courses. Whether online or in-person, there is something to suit every budget. Do it. Learn about how to structure a novel, how to plot, and how to develop believable characters, subplots, and character arcs. Buy a book on how to do this if a course isn’t an option. Don’t go in blind. You will save yourself a lot of time if you invest in learning before you even put pen to paper to write your first line.

Be in it for the long haul.

Unless you’re a very experienced writer, you can’t bang out a 50,000-word novel in one month and call it job done. You must be prepared to revise and re-draft again and again until you’ve got it right. And who’s going to say you’ve got it right? Who’s going to say you’re done? Well, that is a tough one because as any author will tell you, it is tempting to edit and edit again, never knowing when to call it. Of course, if you get an agent, they will make that decision for you. If you’re self-publishing, that’s where an editor can come in.

You don’t have to do this alone.

If you give your finished novel to friends and family, they will likely come back with a glowing report. They love you and want to support you, but let’s face it, they’re biased. On the other hand, beta reading groups can help to flush out fundamental issues with your story. Join a writing group and you will connect with similar-minded individuals who are treading the same path as you. Some will have more experience than others and you can learn from them. Don’t spread yourself out too thinly, though. When it comes to beta readers, ask one or two at a time, otherwise the term ‘too many cooks…’ will come into its own and you’ll find yourself drowning in conflicting advice about your story. Ask one to focus specifically on the plot and another to focus on the characters, for example. That way, you’ll avoid opinion overload.

Impartiality can be your saviour.

The job of a book editor is to look at your story from a neutral perspective. They don’t know you and they don’t know anything about your work. Their focus is on the manuscript you provide them, and from an editor, you can get everything from a full developmental edit to a proofread. So, where do you start? The answer to this depends on where you are in your writer’s journey.

What is a developmental edit?

We’re not talking about the correction of spelling and grammar here. Instead, we’re focused on the plot, the characters, the pace of the story, the structure. You’ll likely have major revisions to do upon completion of a developmental edit. Heed the advice and heed it well. This is where the learning process starts.

How does a developmental edit differ from a copy edit?

When you need a copy edit, you should have fixed any major plot and structure problems with your manuscript. A copy edit will check for grammatical errors, punctuation, spelling, and consistency (or otherwise) at the sentence level. Are there any clunky sentences? Does it read right? Is that something that a child would say? Etc. If you are wise, you will do most of this using online tools such as Grammarly or ProWritingAid. The final stage of your writing process should be a proofread, to check for anything that has been missed (and believe me, there will always be something).

Do you need a holding hand?

Some editors might also offer a mentoring service whereby you can send them your work chapter by chapter. Whilst this will save time in the long run, it’s not always as effective as getting an overall perspective on the entire story once it has been written.

So, in answer to the question, do I need an editor? It is really up to you. As a final word, writing can and is a wonderful process, and it is the process of writing that is the most important thing. You should enjoy this stage, knowing that your end goal is to finish the story, not to get it published. In my opinion, publication comes secondary to the writing itself. It is not a means to an end. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Be prepared to play the often-demoralising game of submission-rejection, as you send your work out into the world.

Know also that self-publishing is a viable option. Does every singer get a record deal before they upload their songs to Spotify or YouTube? Of course not. You can get your work out into the world without the help of an agent or publisher. Many authors purposely choose this route as a way of having more control over their work. The self-publishers that do well though, are the ones who know their stuff, have studied the markets, learned their craft and turned out well-polished, professionally edited novels.

Find out how I can help you on your writing journey by contacting me to discuss, or you can refer to my editing services page for more details.