Do Self-Published Books Need Professional Editing?

After I sent the manuscript of my first book, Ordinary to Extraordinary, to an editor, and it was returned with red marks all over it, I freaked out. It was a reminder of the teacher’s red ink I encountered with my essays in high school. When I got my manuscript back, it was seriously marked up with the track changes tool in Word. How could this be, I thought? I had gone through my manuscript many times, and I had even taught advanced writing and grammar at UCLA Extension for years…

I immediately called my editor and she said something I’ll never forget. She simply said, “It is impossible to edit yourself.” She then explained how, even with good writers, since our brain knows exactly what we want to say, and we’ve put this down on paper (or a computer screen), while proofreading, our brain will literally insert a comma that isn’t there, or it will make you think that two joining paragraphs make perfect sense, when they might not.

After my immediate defensiveness wore off, I relaxed, went through my editor’s notations, comments, and changes, and I began to see how much better my writing was with her help. I’ll go so far as to say that I wouldn’t be the author I am today without the help of my editors.

Writing is a personal experience, and it is sometimes hard to be edited, but with the right professional editor, your book will be better than you can imagine. This is the same for traditionally-published or self-published books.

Self-publishing gives authors complete control over their creative projects, but with that freedom comes responsibility—especially when it comes to editing. A professionally edited book not only enhances readability but also boosts credibility in a competitive market. A poorly edited book is quickly ignored by serious readers.

For self-publishers, choosing the right editor can mean the difference between a polished product and one that fails to meet industry standards.

If you’re new to self-publishing, navigating the editing landscape can be a challenge. I know that just doing a google search to find an editor for my first book became a rabbit hole with lots of horrible information, no prices to be found, and people who often wouldn’t get back to me. In the end it was a recommendation I got from someone else who had self-published their book that led me to my first editor.

Now, after having produced many books, I use different editors for different purposes and have built up great relationships with them. With a search online or on Fiverr or other gig site, you can probably find exactly what you are looking for, but if you become frustrated, like I did during my first search for an editor, I'd be happy to recommend the content editors and proofreaders I now use.

Regardless of who you use as an editor, please don’t shortchange your book by skimping on this stage of the process. Editing isn’t just an expense; it’s an investment in your success as an author. Hopefully, just like I did, you’ll find an editor who will help your book be something you and everyone you know will be proud of.