Why I Hired a Book Editor -- Even After a Lifetime of Writing

Over lunch, my mom recently asked me why I hired a book editor when I’ve been writing all my life.

Her question caught me off guard, because I never thought of it that way.  

Yes, I’m experienced. But I’ve never published or distributed a press release, social post or corporate response without getting another set of eyes on what I’d written. And that’s after several rounds of self-editing to make sure what I submitted was as polished as possible.

After years of writing and rewriting my manuscript, I knew I owed it to myself – and to the story – to bring in an experienced editor.

Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t spent the past decade editing my work entirely on my own. I’ve hired various people of the years.

I believe it's always important to get another set of eyes of your work, especially when you're so close to it. A fresh perspective is an absolute must!

But this time, I went outside my usual network to gain a completely fresh perspective.

I stumbled upon a platform called Reedsy, home to more than 3,700 freelancers worldwide who specialize in editing, translation, book design and even marketing. I did my homework, researched the platform, and checked in with a few trusted writer friends to confirm its credibility.

Once on Reedsy, which doesn’t charge a membership fee, I searched for editors who specialized in the type of editing I required: copy editing and proofreading. I filtered by genre and language to narrow the field.

My search returned 75 professionals, each with a profile detailing their experience, awards, certifications, books they’ve worked on, and where they’re based.

I reviewed all 75. I wanted to find the best editor for me.

From there, I submitted quote requests – up to five at a time – along with a basic overview of my manuscript, including word count, and specific areas I wanted them to focus on. We also discussed timeline.

Then came the quotes. Some were surprisingly so low, which made me question what I’d actually be getting. Others were higher, but still within the range I was willing to spend.

I narrowed my list further because I wanted to work with a US-based editor to avoid any cultural disconnects with language. I also preferred to work with a woman – creating a fully female team from start to finish.

I chose Jennifer, an editor from Pennsylvania, who has more than 25 years of editing experience in the NYC publishing industry. She specialized in picture books but has also worked on award-winning titles like THE HUNGER GAMES series. She seemed like a dream match!

During our first email exchange, she shared a lot of resources with me – several of which I was already familiar with, which boosted her credibility in my eyes – and outlined what to expect during our project.

We set clear expectations for the first round of edits, including a timeline, and we were off!

Going back to my mom’s original question (and yes, I know how blessed I am to talk to her daily): hiring an editor was an absolute must.

I’d held this manuscript so close to my heart for so long. I was confident in the work I’d put into it over the past decade, but I was nervous about inviting a seasoned professional to poke holes at it.

What if she hated it? What if she suggested a mountain of rewrites – or worse, a complete rewrite?

I had to trust the process.

And I’m grateful I did.

Along with my manuscript – complete with her suggested edits – Jennifer sent me a five-page editorial letter. It’s not something she typically offers, but she thought it would be helpful for me as a new author.

The letter contained an assessment of my story based on what makes a picture book successful in today’s market: pacing, title, universal appeal, read-aloud quality, and story arc to name a few.

Here’s an edited excerpt from Jennifer’s letter (don’t mind the X’s – I’m keeping a few surprises under wraps still!):

"What a terrific and engaging story – it's super fun and full of charm and heart, and readers will certainly enjoy how you make XXX really come alive! I deeply love and admire what I'm seeing here!

"It's not easy to write for a young audience, but you do a wonderful job. Your writing is so wonderfully crafted for this picture book age set and enjoyable to read -- that's not an easy task as anyone who's ever tried to write a picture book knows!"

We worked back and forth – it was a true dialogue – and I’m pleased, and more than a

little relieved, to say this partnership made my book stronger.