03/31/2010

Should You Hire a Professional Editor?

IStock_000008245569XSmall   Recently read a fabulous recent post on Writer Unboxed - Should You Hire a Professional Editor.  I'm nearing "The End" of my novel, - I've got my copy editor on alert but I've been wondering if I should do more or just put this bad girl out there.  The post by Jane Friedman, publisher and editorial director of the Writer’s Digest brand community, provides insight into the editing process - the whys, the why nots and what ifs.  I found it a truly valuable read - so of course I want to share.  Be sure to read the comments - they offer even more information, especially Jason Black's comment on the difference between development, line and a copy edits, all radically different, all valuable. 

Share your experience if you've worked with an editor or book doctor - leave a comment!

 Should You Hire a Professional Editor?

Posted using ShareThis

Mar 31, 2010 1:51:19 PM | Fiction, Posts by Donna, Writer's Craft

2 Comments

Donna

I agree! I learned long ago - writers are not editors, especially of their own work.

Posted by: Donna | 04/08/2010 at 10:37 PM

Poietes

Donna,
You must know my answer: Yes, you should hire a professional editor, not just a copy editor. It can be invaluable to you.

Posted by: Poietes | 04/08/2010 at 03:22 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.

NEXT POST
Writers: Watch Out for WGE Syndrome Inspired by pharmaceutical companies that create acronyms for as-yet unheard of diseases, I have invented one for my Six Great Books colleagues: WGE Syndrome. Writer's Group Euphoria Syndrome is something I suffer from every two weeks. It begins a few hours before our group meets with low-level anxiety: what if my next submission disappoints my most loyal writing group readers? Lively discussion suppresses my symptoms during our meeting. Following the group WGE syndrome manifests in full. I think back on the aspects of my writing that engaged my colleagues—their comments about what they “loved” and scenes that evoked strong reactions....
PREVIOUS POST
How Do YOU Get in the Writing Zone? You know the feeling. You’re in the Writing Zone – the words are tumbling out so fast that your fingers can barely keep up as they flutter over your keyboard. You know you’ll need to edit later for perfection, but for now you’re content – thrilled in fact – to be producing. You feel like Stephen King (who advocates 10,000 words a day in his book On Writing). If you’re writing fiction, the characters you’ve created have taken on lives of their own and are leading the way, speaking to you in your imagination as clearly as if they were...

Donna Sawyer

The Typepad Team

Search

My Other Accounts

Recent Comments