Why Should You Use a Professional Editing Service?

Michelle L. Devon, owner of Accentuate Services, is working with me on the developmental editing of my book, Bubba Goes National. Through the process, I am learning a lot about fiction writing that I never knew I didn't know! After making the rewrites she suggested, I feel better armed to write my next book, knowing I won't make the same mistakes again. In addition, I have a more sellable and engaging book as a result of these rewrites.

Accentuate Services offers a wide range of services, including proofreading and editing, e-book services, publishing preparation, critiques and reviews, writing services and administrative services. When you visit her website, visit the Accentuate Writers Forum to network with other writers, enter contests, and get some good advice.

Michelle L. Devon has written four published books, with contracts in place for more, as well as many articles in print and on the web. She runs a number of blogs, including one for proofreading and editing tips and one where she providers book reviews and interviews of authors.

I sat down with Michelle (affectionately known as Michy) and asked her why it's important to use a professional editing service.

Why should authors use your editing services?
My editing services provide a lot more than just polishing a manuscript. For a new writer, I provide developmental editing, which takes the author through the entire process of creating a novel, from concept, to outline, to character development, to the writing, polishing and perfecting of the manuscript, making it as close to publish-ready as possible. I believe a new author who has never gone through this process can learn a lot about writing and the process of editing and perfecting a manuscript from investing in developmental editing services with someone experienced with what the publishing world is doing.

What about experienced writers? Shouldn't they be able to edit their own work?
For an experienced author who has gone through the process before, I offer editing service packages that can help look for things that the author of the book might miss by self-editing. I am a professional editor, but I'm also a professional writer, and I do not edit my own manuscript. I hire someone to do it for me, because I am too close to my own work. You see, writers have this image in their heads when they write of what they meant to say and that can sometimes taint what they actually did say, where a fresh pair of trained eyes will see it and point out where the author might not have written the scene the way they saw it in their heads.

Lastly, think about it this way, you wouldn't go to a job interview with a poor resume that is not properly formatted and checked for errors, and if your manuscript is your resume, you shouldn't send one in to a publisher that has errors either.

Don't publishers offer editing as part of the publishing process?
If you are going to self publish your book or novel, then you are going to be responsible for editing and formatting your book yourself. I have worked with many self-published authors to prepare the book professionally so they can focus on the writing. However, if the manuscript is to be submitted to a traditional publisher, the publisher will provide free editing on manuscripts for their authors. So the question is, why pay for editing services if the publisher provides them already? The answer is simple: publishing, as in any other business, is all about the bottom line. If two manuscripts come to a publisher and both are equally good stories, but one of those manuscripts will require less editing and work to prepare it for print, that costs the publisher less money, and that's the manuscript that it is going to get the contract. Professional editing of a manuscript prior to submission helps give the manuscript an edge.

If someone wants to use your editing services, how much can they expect to pay and how will the process work?
There's no clear cut answer for that, since every book and project is different and requires different services. I am not like some editors who charge a flat rate per page or make the author pay by the hour. For developmental editing, from concept to completed work, things such as the final length of the work, the timeframe the author needs I ask the author to send me a few pages of their very best writing on the project, and I provide a sample edit of the writing.

I highly recommend Michelle L. Devon, whether you're a beginning author or a veteran one!