I have been submitting queries of my novel, THE VALLEY OF DECISION to agents for representation. I'd like to know if I have to edit it before submitting to agents. I have read that agents will assist in getting your book up to par in the process. Afterwards the editor at the publisher will go over it and edit again. My big question is: DO I NEED TO GET SOMEONE TO EDIT MY NOVEL BEFORE I SEARCH FOR AN AGENT?
Editing means many different things. Are you talking about grammar and punctuation, or are you talking about the flow of the story, the plot, the characterization, etc.? If you are talking about grammar and punctuation, it needs to be very, very good. If you don't feel like you know enough to correct your mistakes, get a book or get someone who can both go over the manuscript and teach you. Eventually, writers need to learn how to do this type of editing themselves, if they don't already know it.
If you are talking about the bigger picture, you don't necessarily need a professional editor (they're expensive), you need some good readers who can point out holes in the plot, things that aren't clear, slow parts, etc. Almost always, an agent will expect revisions, but the story had better draw them in and carry them along, or they won't bother to take it a step further.