Leading to Change - The challenges of editing your own book
This article contains an associate link to a book I purchased and read on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
“I can edit my manuscript myself, sure, no problem!” I thought. And then I got stuck in an awful cycle. Sitting down to edit, I would end up doing extensive rewrites. Then I would edit the rewrites, only to start rewriting some more, which required more editing.
Five months into attempting to self-edit my manuscript, I was getting nowhere, and my book was no closer to being “done.”
When I was self-editing, I started reading Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should (Fourth Edition) (Let's Get Publishing Book 1) by David Gaughran. The book convinced me I needed to hire a professional editor to escape the rut I was stuck in. Even though hiring an editor was going to be expensive, I knew it was a cost that would, in the end, pay off.
David Gaughran suggested a site called Reedsy. Reedsy allows self-publishers like me to find many resources, like cover designers, editors, marketing folks, etc.
I researched a few editors, submitted samples of my manuscript, and waited to hear back.
For those of you who have been following my self-publishing journey, you’ll know I have struggled a lot with deciding to publish. I fear that the book won’t be well-liked or will be perceived as “bad.” Having poured so much of my heart and soul into something that others will provide feedback on makes me feel very vulnerable.
And… what happened next certainly didn’t alleviate my fears about how to book will be received.
Two of the three editors I sent the manuscript to didn’t want to work with me. One said it was too unclear what the book was, and without more clarity, there would be no audience. Now, why someone would turn down editing my book because they didn’t think it would sell struck me as a bit strange. Why would an editor care how my book sells? They’re getting paid to edit. Anyways, the first editor I sent my manuscript to bowed out.
The second person I sent my manuscript to was nicer and gave me some helpful feedback. He suggested I make the chapter titles a little better, which was great advice since chapter titles had been a bit of an afterthought. He gave me a price way out of my budget, stating that much work was needed to get my book ready to publish.
I couldn’t believe what these two editors seemed to think of my book.
On the rollercoaster-like emotional ride writing my book has taken me on, this was a low point.
And then, the third editor I had reached out to got back to me.
“Your book concept and synopsis are intriguing, and your sample was also immediately engaging. You can certainly write!”
And with a few kind words, an excellent, collaborative relationship began.
The copy editing is now officially complete, and as I peruse the new version of my book, I am stunned at how well it reads. The result was worth every penny of the $1,100 it cost to have an editor help me out.
A huge thank you to Influunt Publishing. I look forward to working with them when I write my next book!
So with the book edited and the cover design in progress, I’m getting ready to pick a publishing date—more about that next time.
Please reach out if you have any thoughts or feedback to share. You can contact me by clicking here.
