Benefits of Having a Book Editor

00:00 – Hi, I'm Amber. I'm an editor at Greenleaf Book Group, and today we're going to talk about why a manuscript would need an editor.

00:13 – Even when you're a wonderful writer, a professional editor can always help improve your manuscript. Maybe your book needs just a bit of finessing, or maybe it needs more of an overhaul. Either way, an editor can be a valuable partner. That's the case because authors tend to be very close to their subject matter. They've often worked on the project for years, and it's incredibly helpful to have someone else sit down, approach the work with a fresh perspective, and point out any blind spots that may have developed in the author's vision of their own work and that's precisely what a good editor does.

00:44 – Whether the changes they suggest are big like changing the whole focus of the book, or cutting out entire chapters, or small like punctuation and grammar, the book editor always serves two masters. First, they serve the eventual reader of the book. The editor points out to the author passages that may confuse or annoy or bore or possibly even offend the reader, then they suggest how to fix the problem. They also work on catching errors and omissions. Without this work done, the reader may regard the work as unprofessional and be less invested in the author's message.

01:18 – The book editor’s second master is of course the author. The editor has to make sure that the author is on board with any changes to the book, and that any alterations maintain the spirit and tone of the author's work. An author should never feel that their book editor is putting him or herself into the book or making changes that don't feel warranted. So, a book editor is sort of a test reader really noticing what your readers might before you take the book to market.

01:44 – A professional editor is also willing to frankly point out the problems a more sympathetic test reader might not, say your husband or your mom. You have to really trust someone to put your work in their hands, but we highly recommend looking for a professional, experienced editor and taking that leap of faith. You'll always come away with a stronger book.