One of the most important things that every author should do is have their
work looked over by a professional editor and proof reader. This is not
something you want to skip as you have invested so much time and money into
your work. It would be heart breaking to get your books back from the printer
and then spot a mistake.
Before sending my final files off to the printer I sent a .pdf file of the
book laid out and a word document of the story to an editor for one last check
over. I didn’t know any editors myself so I just googled it. I ended up going
with a service provided by a company in Canada. The pricing was generated on a
per word basis so it ended up only costing me $11 which seems crazily cheap. They
offered a speedy service for a few extra dollars which meant I got in back
within 24 hours. The feedback the editor provided was to a very high standard
and she solved problems in my rhymes that I had been struggling with for weeks.
This service was not only worthwhile for the actual feedback but also having
a complete outsider look over my work was great. It gave me a little more peace
of mind to have a professional from the other side of the world compliment and
support my work. There is quite a big difference paying a professional for this
service than relying on your relatives and friends who did well in English at
school. Professional editors have an eye for spotting inconsistencies and
problems within your book as a whole. The editor I used even pointed out a few
small things in my illustrations that could improve the story.
So to sum this post up I am very happy with my first experience of using a
professional editor and I strongly recommend it.
P.S. You might notice a few changes to my blog! It's had a well overdue
makeover. This is all part of the preparation for the arrival of my books which
are currently at the printers in China. They are set to arrive on the 20th
June. I have a lot of work to do before this so there will be lots of blog
updates coming your way.
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