Do You Really Need an Editor ?
Written by Free Audio Books - Free audiobooks on March 10, 2010 – 9:42 pm -Writer are going electronic directly online, bypassing the editorial process in a traditional publishing setting. “Why not? There is no editing anymore.” Not only is that not true, but it certainly didn’t understand the complex role of the editor in a publishing house.
True, with the economies of today, there is so much for the editor to do and the workload is so great, that in some cases, writers might get short changed. But in general, the editor today is working very hard, late at night and on the weekends, trying to get the best possible book from the writer. And I am happy to say that as many as there are who complain, there are just as many who acknowledge the good work that editors can and do for a writer. Huffington Post
Tags: editors
Posted in Publishing, authors | 7 Comments »
By Mark Oetjens on Mar 16, 2010 | Reply
This article should have been edited (or at least proofread) before publication. The first two words scream for help, “Writer are…” What is that?
By Simon Harry Brooke on Mar 16, 2010 | Reply
Even the Bible and Shakespeare were edited – everyone needs editing.
By Brooke Wheeler on Mar 16, 2010 | Reply
People think editors are extraneous — until they read text that hasn’t gone through one. If an editor does their job well, you won’t notice their work at all — you’ll just see good writing. That invisibility is what leads to a perception that editors aren’t needed. It’s a fascinatingly self-perpetuating cycle… sigh.
By kolf on Mar 17, 2010 | Reply
Mark Oetjens: read it again. It’s satire.
By dbmacsk on Mar 18, 2010 | Reply
I couldn’t agree more. We tried to sell edit. What a disaster. My book went through 3 printings before we had it right and I am not sure we got it then. An Editor would have helped. The next book is almost ready to send out to an editor. I have interviewed several and hope I have a good one now.
Don’t scrimp on having an editor, even if you self publish.
By Brooke Monfort on Mar 23, 2010 | Reply
When your nose is up against your own wall, it’s almost impossible to describe what the wall looks like. That’s why we need friends. They can stand back and describe our wall to us. The same goes for any lengthy written work. You get too close to it, so you need an editor. I always get fresh eyes on my writing projects. Heck, even editors need editors.
By Robert A. Saigh on Mar 24, 2010 | Reply
Yes, you need an editor. You need an outside or objective set of eyes. No matter how good you are or how long you’ve been writing, you need an editor. In a recent Sunday New York Times Magazine section article about Rahm Emanuel, the writer stated that he was “setting his sites on….” Really. Even the best need the rest (of their eyes). Let a good editor take over and assist you.