Professional copy edit before or after agent submission

Mike_DJ

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Hi forum

I've finished a non-fiction manuscript, found some test readers, and did a couple of adjustments. Structure and content wise I feel confident to send it out to an agent. But I'm not an English native speaker hence grammar and text flow have room for improvement, the manuscript definitively needs copy editing work. In case an agent requests the manuscript, would you:
1) send the manuscript in the current form to the agent and expect the publisher doing copy editing later or
2) engage a professional copy editing service first before sending the manuscript to the agent?
 

cornflake

practical experience, FTW
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Hi forum

I've finished a non-fiction manuscript, found some test readers, and did a couple of adjustments. Structure and content wise I feel confident to send it out to an agent. But I'm not an English native speaker hence grammar and text flow have room for improvement, the manuscript definitively needs copy editing work. In case an agent requests the manuscript, would you:
1) send the manuscript in the current form to the agent and expect the publisher doing copy editing later or
2) engage a professional copy editing service first before sending the manuscript to the agent?

This is one of the instances I think a professional edit prior to looking for an agent can be a good move.

However, for non-fiction, you don't need a whole manuscript -- you need a proposal, which is an entire packet that contains a few chapters, outline, various information on why you're qualified to write the book, etc. You're not expected to have a finished mss.