Professional editing is a crucial step in creating a bestseller. Let's look at the importance of professional editing for your book.

Importance of Editing

Editing is an important step in the creative process for any kind of medium. If you are producing work for professional reasons, it needs professional editing. Every box office hit that arrives in cinemas has been meticulously worked on; pieces of music and podcasts require a sound engineer to go through them and scripts for theater performances are constantly revised.

There is much to be said about the importance of editing a final product. As creatives, we often work in a flurry of inspiration. We'll also suffer lulls in both that very inspiration and productivity. And there will, of course, be times when life gets in the way of our attempts at creating a masterpiece. The creative process is a whirlwind, which eventually allows us to produce a finished product we can be proud of.

But you may ask, why would we want our work edited? Wouldn't that be changing our voice? Wouldn't that be removing a part of what makes it ours? It may feel as though getting a second opinion can devalue your work, but the truth is quite the contrary. Really, editing excellence ensures your finished piece of work is the best it can be as a product.

And that is something we don't always consider when working in creative fields. At the end of the day, while your work is art, if you are trying to do it for a living, then you are also making a product. And that's especially true of books.

When we look at the impact of editing on books, we can see it's a vital part of turning your work into a best seller. An editor will ensure there are no mistakes and that the overall book is comprehensible. Those are two crucial components of having a book that sells. When people buy your book, you won't be sitting with them while they read it; you won't be able to clarify any confusion they might have or answer any of their questions. So, the finished product has to be of a high standard that other people can relate to.

Types of Editing

When it comes to books, we can break down editing into three different categories:

• Copy editing
• Line editing
• Developmental editing

Copy editing is all about fixing grammar and spelling. This is fairly routine but a vital part of the job. If there are spelling and grammar mistakes in the book, then your work will appear rushed, and your effort won't be appreciated. In fact, spelling mistakes can be very distracting, and grammatical errors lead to confusion.

Line editing takes a broader look at the words. Sometimes, in our own writing, we overexplain or make something too complicated, and other times, we leave out important information. In a line edit, the editor will look at how the language flows together. They will make adjustments to clunky, unnatural-sounding sentences and repeated words.

Developmental editing revolves around the actual story itself. This type of editing is focused on whether the story makes sense, and the characters are clear. This is where an editor will tell a writer if something is coming across clearly or not.

While these are three different types of editing, usually, one editor will do them all. An editor may also proofread the text and provide feedback to the writer.

Why You Need Professional Editing

So why can't you just edit the book yourself? One reason to get a new pair of eyes on your work is that we can never really be impartial about our own writing. We will always have parts of our books that we are far too emotionally attached to to really be impartial about. That's why we need somebody new to take a look at the work.

Getting a professional editor is best because editing is their job, and they are experts. They have the knowledge and skill set to make your book better. When it comes to the editing impact on books, an editor will:

• Improve the use of language by ensuring the right words are chosen in the right places.
• Help you develop the project as a whole.
• Help you improve your work as a writer for future projects.

Getting professional editing for your book saves you time and makes you money in the long run. While your book is being edited, you will be able to work on different aspects of the project, like marketing or your author bio. Additionally, hiring a professional editor will ultimately make your book more successful.

In addition to this, by getting your book edited by a professional, you are building a connection with someone you can work with again. Editors can help with a number of things revolving around your book, like press releases and the book description. Once you've got the right editor on your team, you'll have someone to work with on future projects, too.

Achieving Editing Excellence

The importance of editing can't be understated. Traditionally, your professional editor would always be a human, but now there is another option. In the digital age we live in, artificial intelligence is on the rise, especially in the literary scene. AI is having a huge editing impact on books because of how software can be used to make recommendations.

AI is a helpful tool for an editor to use, as it is quick. An editor can use AI to read a manuscript in under a minute and point out any obvious errors. Some people are skeptical about artificial intelligence, but it's not something to be afraid of. It is a useful tool.

But it's important to note that AI editing software does not replace a human editor. There are some pitfalls to using just AI:

• AI can't understand context.
• AI doesn't know your style & tone.
• AI struggles with dialogue.

So, using AI is a good move for an initial pass at your manuscript, but you should always have a human editor go through the text afterwards and look at the suggestions it has made. Think of how many times the autocorrect function on your phone has made a mistake. At the end of the day, AI is a great tool for editors, but it can't replace human editing excellence.

A Positive Editing Impact on Books

It's worth hiring a professional editor to get the job done right. Here are four things an editor will do to ensure they have a positive editing impact on your book.

1. A good editor will always take their time. If an editor was just flying along and scanning your manuscript, then they would definitely miss something and make some mistakes. Editors should work with the mindset of doing a good job and not doing the job fast. That's not to say the editor should procrastinate or be sluggish; it just means that the editor will go through things carefully and in the right frame of mind.
2. An editor should always take multiple passes over work. For one thing, it's easy to miss something the first time around. In addition to this, the editor should reread passages in the context of the changes they have made. Often, it can be better to do copy editing, line editing, and developmental editing in separate turns.
3. A good editor will also give you genuine feedback. Their feedback will be constructive and help you improve your writing. An editor shouldn't give mean or harsh feedback, but he shouldn't steer away from things to work on either. The feedback should be centered around improving your writing.
4. The best editors have your vision in mind. They are not going through your book thinking about what they would like to read themselves; they are making recommendations based on improving your work as you've imagined it. The editor isn't reinventing what you've written they are supposed to help improve it.

When choosing an editor, it's best to go with one who has a strong level of expertise in the genre of book that you are writing.

Professional Editing With The Urban Writers

So, we know the importance of editing, but where do you turn to find the right editor for you? At Dibbly | The Urban Writers, not only do we offer ghostwriting and illustration services, but we also have a team of freelancers who specialize in professional editing.

All of our freelancers are vetted for quality, which is something many freelance agencies can't honestly claim. We work hard to match you with the right editor who will help you perfect your masterpiece.

In addition to this, when you use our service, you get access to Dibbly Create and KIP. Dibbly Create combines human creativity with AI for the next step in the literary revolution. Dibbly | The Urban Writers offers affordable editing packages,which you can sign up for today.

Final Thoughts

There's no way around it; books need professional editing. The right person can help you achieve editing excellence and make your work a masterpiece.