I Don’t Need No Editor!

How many times have I heard that? I’ve even said it myself. But oh my, how quickly I learned better. Like surgeons, editors don’t operate on their own work.

Need some convincing?

When you “edit” your own work:

Do you look for missing punctuation? Periods at the end of sentences? Question marks at the end of questions? 

Do you look for missing commas? Do you know where to insert commas?

Do you understand “smart apostrophes”? And how to fix backward apostrophes?

Are you sure you don’t spell “envelope” the same way you spell “develop”? Is “backyard” one word… or two? And how do you spell that red sauce you put on hamburgers? ketchup, catsup, cetchup, katsup?

Are you spelling a character’s name the same way in Chapter 14 as you did in Chapter 3?

Which numbers do you spell out and which do you use as numerals?

 Do you recognize how many times you’ve used your favorite word (really, so, only, but…)?

Do you know if you’ve been consistent with verb tenses?

Just some things to think about when you want your manuscript to be as error-free as possible. Professional editors consider these and many other grammar/punctuation concerns when they edit. Oh yes, they also keep track of the time element in your story, the action locations, costuming, even the music of your words and the rhythm of your writing. 

How do I know these things? I am a professional editor.