Why You Need Good Editor(s)

You’ll notice I wrote editor(s) because you might need more than one. I’ve had problems trusting professional editors in the past, so I haven’t made enough effort to find a good one. But after I published my first novel, A FALSE DAWN, without much editorial help at all, I realized how much I needed one.

I used a professional editor, paying him $600, for my second novel, still unpublished. I wasn’t happy with his work. He basically summarized what I had written but offered little comment on how the manuscript could be improved. I followed up on his written report and got some information from him that way, but still not enough to justify the cost.

Recently, I’ve developed an informal network of non-professional editors that has worked better for me, much better. Two women in particular, one a playwright and the other a librarian, gave me feedback that was detailed and extremely helpful. All one other informal editor told me was, “Gee it’s great,” which was nice but not helpful.

My point is: It’s amazing what you don’t see in your own work because you’re so close to it. My informal editors (and I’d like to find more. Who couldn’t use good feedback?) have really helped me.

That doesn’t mean a professional editor wouldn’t help me, too. I just need to find the right one. Whoever you are: You need editor(s).