“To write is human, to edit is divine.” —Stephen King
Book editing is an important step in the publishing process — and just because you’re self-publishing doesn’t mean you have to self-edit, too. We actually recommend getting a second (or third!) pair of eyes on your manuscript so you can make sure it’s in tip-top shape. Because, let’s face it, when you’re dealing with tens of thousands of words, typos happen, and sometimes it’s hard for the author to see them since they’ve been working with the text for so long!
Good editors will make your book even stronger when they take their laser focus and identify any errors. In addition to copyediting for minor mistakes, they can also identify any inconsistencies or confusing elements in the story. Of course, just because they bring something to your attention doesn’t mean you have to change it — but it’s a good thing to at least consider during the book editing process.
If you’d like to invest in hiring a book editor, there are many websites that offer editing services from professional freelancers, such as :
You can also reach out to a local English teacher and see if they’d be interested in editing your book.
If hiring an editor is not in your budget, you can still successfully edit the book — you’ll just have to switch hats and be your own editor! If you are going to edit the book yourself, take care to meticulously read every page, line by line, and look for any errors. Try to approach the book with fresh, objective eyes. And take your time — this is not a process that you want to rush through.
If you have questions about style or formatting, the Purdue University has an Online Writing Lab with guides for MLA, Chicago and APA style. It’s a great resource for book editing.
In his memoir “On Writing,” legendary author Stephen King said that he entrusts three friends to read his first drafts. If more than one of them brings up the same issue, he considers changing that part. In addition to your own editing and/or the copyediting of a professional editor, is there anyone you know whose feedback you’d value? If so, it can’t hurt to let them have a read. King recommends it!
Remember, 786 Print Media doesn’t offer book editing. We stick to book printing and leave the book editing to the experts. 786 Print Media does, however, offer a careful file review and quality check where we make sure fonts are embedded, images are high resolution, trim sizes and margins are correct, etc.