For most people, editors are the professionals in charge of correcting grammar mistakes and typographical errors in your literary work. While that is right and true, editors do so much more than just correcting errors missed by the writers; they also help lessen the burden of you going through your own manuscript again and again. Here are 5 reasons why you should hire an editor.
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To correct your errors—typos, grammar, and facts, to name a few
Yes, that is indeed one of the roles of editors. Here’s the thing, even the most skilled writers can make mistakes, whether they are typos, syntax, or facts. Sometimes, they become so focused on what they are writing that they tend to miss a punctuation mark, misspell a word, or misquote a factual reference. That’s understandable but definitely avoidable.
This is where editors come in, to make sure that your work has no typos and grammar errors; they are also responsible for reviewing the important details stated in your work. They have to make sure that your work is presentable, ready to be read and perused by your readers.
To save you time
There are times when writers become so engrossed in their own writings that they tend to lose sight of other important things, which may lead to delays in submission. An editor may help you with that. Every manuscript needs a fresh pair of eyes to read and review their work. There are writers who can do this on their own, and while that is commendable, having an editor do this for them instead can save everyone so much time.
To give you a different perspective
An editor’s work is more than just checking your manuscript for typos and syntax errors; it also includes giving you a different and fresh point of view of your work. It is normal for writers to write from your experience, so having an outsider’s perspective that an editor can provide can greatly help writers see how your work may be received by readers.
Even the most skilled writers need that kind of guidance, especially because literature is meant to be read by a target audience. Providing another perspective on the writer’s work can help improve it, sometimes even foresee a possible loophole or problem in the plot that may not be that obvious to a writer while working on the manuscript.
To help with the tone
The tone of your writing can help determine your target readers, but this is something most writers take for granted. Some think that plot themes and character ages are enough to determine the right tone, but it is so much more than those things. The tone of writing, which may reflect not only in the dialogues or flow of the narration but also in the level of vocabulary used and the structure of the story, can be a tricky thing to work on.
Sometimes, when a writer is not familiar with the topic they are writing about or the character they are introducing in their work, they may end up making the text ‘sound’ awkward. Here is where an editor comes in. They may suggest other ways for you to give specific voices to certain characters in your story. They may provide insight on how you can better narrate a backstory or describe the tension in the plot. The editor will polish these instances and make the tone of your work sound more plausible and realistic.
To assist you in the development of your idea
Another important role of an editor is to help you develop your ideas or your manuscript. Oftentimes, there are writers who have this great story idea that they have a hard time developing it further—whether their manuscript has a strong beginning but sort of loses its direction as the story progresses or they have an idea on how they want it to end, but they seem at a loss at how to get there. An editor, particularly a developmental editor, can definitely help with that.
An editor may pose questions for you as the writer to help you process the storyline you want to work on. They may also suggest how a particular flow of a scene or a plot may produce different outcomes, which may in turn give you more opportunities to work on your plot to ensure its flawlessness.
Most writers, if not all, are protective of their work. They have a hard time entrusting other people, most especially editors, to check on their work. It is understandable, of course, as you pour your heart and soul into it. However, writers must know that editors are allies, not enemies. Their job is to help you improve your work, and trusting your editor to do so can definitely help you improve further as a writer.
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