Writers are encouraged to obtain feedback whenever possible, from friends, peers, critique groups, and readers. Honest feedback helps us identify our weak spots, find areas where we’ve not communicated our intent, and root out confusion and clumsiness. But at what point should you reach out to a professional? And what should you do to get ready? In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Lisa Poisso offers some advice on preparing yourself for a professional edit.
“Knowing when a manuscript is ready to be sent off for editing is fairly straightforward,” Poisso says. “The manuscript should be thoroughly revised, incorporating a close review of the plot, character arcs, story, and writing, outside feedback, and a healthy dose of author-powered proofreading. The manuscript you submit for editing should be the very best ambassador of your storytelling and writing abilities it can possibly be.”
Hiring a professional to review a first draft is probably a waste of time and money. Chances are, you or a trusted friend could have caught the issues in your novel had you put in the time. Further, advice on the basics of creative writing and good grammar are freely available on the internet. Viewing your manuscript through the cold eye of free advice is a lot less expensive than paying a professional to tell you the same thing.
Poisso recommends Janice Hardy’s free series of articles, Revise Your Novel in 31 Days (ed. note – we also endorse Janice Hardy’s Fiction University) or the full plan in Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft, or get Beth Hill’s The Magic of Fiction.“In the end, revision may reveal fatal flaws in the manuscript, or you may decide the story has potential but your execution isn’t there yet,” Poisso says. “That’s okay; better to know that now than after you’ve paid for editing. Sometimes getting ready for editing means shelving the manuscript for now and writing another.”
But even if your manuscript is ready, are you sure you are ready? A professional editor won’t hold back. If your novel isn’t working, they’ll tell you. How you accept their advice is up to you. “You could choose to approach editing as a brief but unpleasant course of medicine you should hold your nose and chug as quickly as possible,” Poisso writes. “Or you could choose to make more of it, as a relatively rare window allowing you to peer inside your writing in a new way. You, as a writer, are ready for editing when you’re warmed up and ready to grow.”
Be sure that you’re ready to accept feedback and advice and prepared to grow with your new knowledge. Your editor wants to help. They want you to succeed. Their opinions are based in their willingness to help you become the writer you can be.
