The Importance of being Edited (A hold-all – hand-bag – handbag?) The Book Analyst

Does being your own ‘publisher’ mean anything more than getting to grips with Kindle Direct? The Book Analyst

Which services are provided by a publisher? Editing Marketing Cover design Sales team Publicity Rights sales Accounting The Book Analyst

Why Edit? The Book Analyst  ‘I do 5 drafts before I send it to the publisher’.  ‘It took me 20 edits over 10 years before my work was ready.’  ‘I never edit, it just pours out perfect the first time.’  ‘I do a rough edit in my head first, then a written draft, then another two rewrites.’

What’s the point of editing? The Book Analyst

Send out the best work you can do ‘It’s not bad – for a 99p novel.’ ‘I love everything she writes – I’m always waiting for the next book.’ ‘I found it really hard to work out what was going on so I didn’t finish the book.’ The Book Analyst

Different sorts of editing A read and review A deep structural edit Copy editing Proof-reading The Book Analyst

A read and review An industry expert giving an honest opinion on what works and what doesn’t work in your novel. What you get – advice on how to avoid common pitfalls, how well your book is working, and what to do to improve it. What you don’t get – a line-by-line edit, help on grammar or spelling, help on doing the rewriting. The Book Analyst

A deep structural edit Most similar to advice given by an agent or editor in a publishing house. What you get – your novel gets broken down and rebuilt – sometimes even to the extent of changing the ending or the genre. What you don’t get – although this is a very detailed edit, it’s not a line-by-line rewrite and won’t correct spelling or grammatical errors. The Book Analyst

Copy editing A line by line edit that looks out for continuity errors, and works with your writing to allow your prose to work to its best advantage What you get – word by word changes that should bring out the best of your writing. What you don’t get – structural or major changes. The Book Analyst

Proof reading What most people think of as ‘editing’, this picks up the errors. What you get – consistency of style, spelling and grammatical corrections. What you don’t get – any advice on the writing itself. The Book Analyst

How do you decide which edit your work needs? Fdsafasfasdfkajsd The Book Analyst Are you still working out the recipe or are you onto the icing?

Going it alone or paying Recent survey – see looked at 1007 self-published authors. Asked them how much they made each year, and what services they’d paid for (or got for free). Aimed at a ‘typical’ self-published author rather than the Million Club. The Book Analyst

Do the sums add up? Each professional service costs So which are worthwhile? If you only have money for one bit of professional input.. The Book Analyst

The Cover The Book Analyst

Do the sums add up? If you think you can sell over 250 copies – it’s probably well worth investing in some professional help. E books open a means of marketing more niche books. The Book Analyst

Who do you get help from? Yourself Your friends or relatives Your writing peers A professional editor The Book Analyst

How to pick a professional editor Look for someone with a good track record Would you prefer to be edited by an editor or a well-known author? A small outfit – or a bigger company? A style you feel fits your work A clear explanation of which edit you’re getting A clear explanation of costs and timings The Book Analyst

Essential tips for going it alone Don’t publish your first draft Do get someone to have a look at what you’ve done Read – a lot. Find a peer group. The Book Analyst

Conclusion Self-publishing is about a lot more than writing a book and getting it online. Editing is a vital tool that has polished the work of many professional authors and can offer great rewards. Consider one-off editorial advice to help you with taking your writing forward. The Book Analyst