How independent are you when it comes to editing?

Totally independent. That goes with being incompetent.

caw

I want to show my work to a beta reader, but I'm still nervous about it, so I haven't done it. I'm afraid they're going to be too harsh in their critiques and tear my work to pieces. I definitely don't know how to edit on my own. Word 2016 edits for spelling and grammar mistakes as I go, and it even edits for clarity and conciseness, so I have no problems there.

Maryn said:

One way to deal with that fear of betas is to post the first thousand or so words of that work for critique first. You can ask that people be gentle, and they will. What flaws and weaknesses it has will be pointed out, and if you're like the rest of us, you can then seek and correct the same goofs in the rest of the manuscript before a beta lays eyes on it.

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That is a great idea. I'm going to post the first chapter of a manuscript I wrote four years ago, tomorrow. I'm just not ready to receive critiques for my current WIP. Thanks, Maryn.

I normally do a tonne of editing. I am part of those people who just chuck it all onto a first draft without thinking too much about it, including using words or sentences as "placeholder" (I know they are not right but they'll do until I find exactly how I want to say it) and then refine, refine, refine. When I can't see what more I can do that's normally when I ask beta readers or I put it up for critique. I like getting the perspective of someone who's a blind reader, as they can sometimes see things that can elude me as the writer, especially when it comes to picking up on clues, hidden meanings. They help me as well checking if the misdirection works. They can even interpret things a way I didn't consider at all. Then I take the feedback I believe useful and then refine some more.

I edit heavily, but I search for people to look over my manuscript.

For example, I'm on the fourth draft of one of my manuscripts. I figure it will be another two edits before it's ready to show to anyone.

blacbird said:

Totally independent. That goes with being incompetent.

caw

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Me too.

I edit my manuscripts heavily myself maybe three of four times before I give to people to read. Then they give me suggestions before I apply those suggestions with another edit.

Hell to the no. Every short story I sub goes through about 10-15 pairs of eyes, a combination of here, my online critique clique,and my local novelist group. This is how I learn. I sought out loads of feedback for my MS1 too. It helped me go from unreadable to readable.

That said, as I start to find my feet, I seek out less. Probably 5-8 people now, for short stories (usually in a closed group) and I'm more selective in my beta swaps.

Totally independent. When I sub, I do everything myself. Of course, my product itself still needs a lot of work, but that's not the nuts & bolts of my writing - it's my thinking that needs fixed...

I'm pretty confident in my editing skills, so after I'm done with my self edits, there isn't much major to correct. I know that sounds overly confident and bitchy. I DO have an editor, and she makes some minor tweaks here and there. Mainly, the things she suggests are phrasing and wording in subtle changes that only a fresh pair of eyes can provide. Her suggestions are a matter of preference, but I almost always take them as I see her as a new approach whereas I've read my work so many times that it's lost all meaning by the time she sees it. I also need the confidence boost of her saying "this is fine the way it is, but how about...."

Everyone needs at least one set of extra eyes. You will never catch all of your own mistakes, even if you're a very good self-editor.

I'm not a native English speaker so always trudge through the obligatory critique rounds for anything I aim to publish.

I edit my work myself many many times before showing anyone. I think I'm quite good at spotting grammatical errors and going over the technical side of things. Less good at darling murder. Trying to get better. Form rejections from nearly all queries after round one has made me think I need to get some more eyes on the cover letter and first three chapters though. Or maybe the whole thing. (Other than my sister and best friend saying it's good, ha)

I'm a professional writer and editor (in software technology, not fiction), so I'm independent for writing and editing the story and query. That said, I'm in a critique group that meets monthly, and I always solicit at least 3 beta readers for completed manuscripts. Nobody reviews my submissions but me.

Independent. No one sees my work until it's submitted for publication.

There's a very good reason that publishers have editorial staffs. A lot of self pubbed stuff is completely ruined by poor (or in some cases, non-existent) editing.
Self-editing ,for me anyway, would be like one of those movies that is written, produced, directed, edited, and stars the same person. I'd probably get one of those jobs right, maybe even a couple of them. But all of them? Nah, I'm too close to the work, and too emotionally invested in it, to see any flaws clearly.

R.A. Lundberg said:

There's a very good reason that publishers have editorial staffs. A lot of self pubbed stuff is completely ruined by poor (or in some cases, non-existent) editing.
Self-editing ,for me anyway, would be like one of those movies that is written, produced, directed, edited, and stars the same person. I'd probably get one of those jobs right, maybe even a couple of them. But all of them? Nah, I'm too close to the work, and too emotionally invested in it, to see any flaws clearly.

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I don't know about that. To me, editing is just another aspect of writing. Besides, the publisher, as well as the literary agent, still expect your manuscript to be clean. If they find it full of grammar errors and typos, chances are you won't even get past the slush pile reader.

That's not really what editing is, though, in this context. Basic craft is surely a minimum requirement.

My CPs are invaluable for shaping the narrative with feedback, especially on pacing. But they dont do basic level "hey remember to capitalise" etc.

Harlequin said:

My CPs are invaluable for shaping the narrative with feedback, especially on pacing. But they dont do basic level "hey remember to capitalise" etc.

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My issue with CPs (I'm assuming critique partners?), in most the writing workshops I went to, their ideas are to shape the narrative the way THEY want to see it, which is completely different from where I'm headed.

I probably take 70-80% of all inline editing suggestions. For story openings, I lean towards 80% of suggestions I try just to see how it works out.

Editing from the online community has been enormously helpful to me. It’s unusual that I completely dismiss what someone has suggested, and that’s usually when I question the motive behind the comments.

If you want to write popular fiction, you need to listen to popular opinion while at the same time shaping it all with the vision of where you want to go with each story.