To Edit or Not to Edit?

Dario D.

Get an editor, or not?

I just finished writing my novel a few months ago, and have been sending it out, while editing it (which takes absolutely forever - my writing is like a shirt many small wrinkles).

What I WANT to do is get started on my next two books. I don't want to just sit here and waste endless days going over what I've already written, only to fix a bunch of petty errors, and rework misfit sentences.

So, here's where my question comes in. Can I just hire an editor to go over my manuscript, and polish it, while I write my next books and continue sending out the manuscript? For the sake of selling the book, I just need to have the first three or four chapters edited/polished for now. That's what I've been working on myself, and it really burns me out, because I'm just itching to get started on my next books.
 
Marlys

Marlys

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Whether you continue to edit on your own or hire someone to do it for you, I would stop sending it out until that sucker is polished to a high sheen. The whole manuscript needs to be as perfect as possible, because you could get requests for the full at any second.

I'm a big fan of people learning to self-edit themselves. Not only is it cheaper, but honestly--writers should know how to write! If you haven't checked it out yet, try Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King, or look around for a good critique group (either locally or online).

Also, many writers move onto the next project while continuing to take a few hours a day to work on editing the previous one. Have you tried that?
 

Dario D.

Marlys said:
Also, many writers move onto the next project while continuing to take a few hours a day to work on editing the previous one. Have you tried that?
Click to expand...

Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks :) (I'm not sure if I'll be able to, though, because I'm planning to write two books simultaneously, splitting my writing time in half between the two)

And yes, I'll look into Self-Editing for Fiction Writers as well. I could get a lot of insight into writing things properly the first time, as well, if I have a better understanding of what editors edit exactly :)
 

cree

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I'd be really careful about writing two books at once.

Here's how I structure myself: Write Book One. Put First Draft of book one on the shelf and refuse to look at it.
Write book two.
When you are done with the first draft of book two and it is safely fermenting on your shelf, edit/revise/rewrite sections of book one. When your book one revisions are complete, write book three.
When book three is complete, go back and edit/revise/rewrite sections of Book two....it's a cycle, and after a while I started putting time frames around things, as in "I need to begin the edit phase of Book Two by Oct. 1"

At first, until you build up a little inventory, it seems like you are getting no output for a long time. But once the cycle starts moving along, it works great. I always have inventory, I get breaks from the creative part which takes a lot out of me, and I get to go into edit mode with a fresh perspective of my work.
Good luck
 
Storyteller5

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cree said:
Here's how I structure myself: Write Book One. Put First Draft of book one on the shelf and refuse to look at it.
Write book two.
When you are done with the first draft of book two and it is safely fermenting on your shelf, edit/revise/rewrite sections of book one. When your book one revisions are complete, write book three.
When book three is complete, go back and edit/revise/rewrite sections of Book two....it's a cycle, and after a while I started putting time frames around things, as in "I need to begin the edit phase of Book Two by Oct. 1"
Click to expand...

Cree, thank you for putting my plan to words. I hadn't really looked at it in those terms but that's what I'm doing. It feels more concrete to see it written out. I've only written two novels, both this year, but it's working. I'm currently halfway through novel#1 doing a first readthrough and tighten. I'm sure I'll go through it a few times. :)
 
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