Does your writing need copyediting? Definitely. Ask yourself these questions;
- Have I spelled everything correctly?
- Is my grammar perfect?
- Have I put commas in all the right places?
- Is all of my other punctuation correct?
- Have I left behind any incomplete sentences?
That list isn’t for beginners. It’s for everyone. Even the best writers need copyediting. If you’ve ever heard someone say that writers should not edit their own work, they are probably talking about copyediting. It is absolutely essential on the road to publication. It’s also nearly impossible to do own your own.
While all writers should do their own editing, it is a well-known rule that you need someone else to do a round of copyediting for you. For smaller pieces, like short articles and blogs, writers might self-edit if they are knowledgeable enough, although they are taking a chance when they do. When it comes to longer works like novels, you can’t do without copyediting. Without copyediting, readers will find errors left behind and they will stop reading your book –and then they’ll tell others not to ready your work!
Copyediting is simply part of the novel writing industry. It’s indispensable and unavoidable.
You don’t always have to pay for it. Most writers have a friend who is good at grammar and spelling. Be careful though, they can burn out easily if you push them, especially when working for free. Joining a critique group is another free method. The downside of critique groups is the length of time it takes for the group to get through a book. 1000-3000 words is often the maximum covered per meeting. If you have a 100,000 word manuscript, it could take some critique groups a year to get through your book. One more free method is to exchange books with another author. You will find, however, that you and that other author will not have the same level of experience with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. One of you will be getting the short end of the arrangement.
Free methods work for some authors. For those with schedules to keep or goals to meet, slower, less reliable methods won’t work.
Most writers I know gravitate toward professional editing the longer they stay in the industry. That tells me that the ones who make it lean toward professional editing. Decide where you are in your writing journey and then choose the method that works best for you.
If you are interested in having your work professionally edited, Creative Assets Inc can help. Click here to see rates for Copyediting and more.