To Edit, or Not to Edit, That is NOT the Question

Great writing deserves great editing, but not everyone can drop $6,000 on a pro. Robert A. Walker gets real about why sloppy self-publishing sinks books, then lays out how cash-strapped indie authors can polish their work without breaking the bank, from budget-friendly editors to one deceptively simple trick his editor father swore by.

The ease with which one can now self-publish has given voice to countless talented authors who might otherwise never be heard. That’s fantastic. But it has also opened the floodgates to literary waste. The prevalence of crude, rudimentary writing in the marketplace today is not only astounding, but it’s horrifying.

Yes, there are readers who will look past obvious typos, grammatical errors, and poor sentence structures to try to glean an author’s intended message, but the vast majority will not tolerate poor writing.

Skeptical? Don’t take my word for it. Listen to the opinions of actual readers. Log onto any Facebook book club or discussion group in your chosen genre, type “poor editing” into the search bar, and see what bubbles up.

Here are a few sample excerpts from fantasy reader posts:

“My pet peeve: poor use of language and shoddy editing in general.”

“I’ve seen very good stuff, well-edited, looks like it came from a traditional publisher … and then I’ve seen stuff that’s grammatical garbage.”

“I’m quite frankly so over the nonsense being written nowadays (poor plot, spelling mistakes, and let’s be honest, just unimaginative writing).”

“The writing is so obviously in need of every type of editor, I’m cringing on every second page.”

The truth is, books are no different than any other creative medium. First impressions matter. Reviews can make or break you. Word of mouth spreads disenchantment as easily as it does infatuation. So you had better put your best foot forward. And that means editing your work before it sees the light of day.

How to go about it—THAT is the question!

It may be tempting to tackle the job yourself, but there are inherent dangers lurking there. Even if the writing’s good, you’re too close to give it a fine polish. As you read, your mind imagines things that aren’t really on the page, from missing words to scenic backgrounds and details; it fills in gaps; it overlooks redundancies and typos. Your brain knows what you are trying to describe or say and will convince you that’s exactly what you’re seeing. And if the writing’s not good? My first attempt at a novel was a hot mess, which I was enamored with until a developmental editor helped me to see the truth.

Professional editors see past our personal blinders, and the best know how to criticize with tact and guidance. Unfortunately, they can also be expensive. Bowker, the official ISBN agency for the United States, charges $0.02 per word for copy editing and double that for developmental editing. That’s a grand total of $6,000 if both services are pursued for a 100,000 word novel. And that’s before your work has earned a penny!

So what’s a struggling indie author to do?

• If you have a budget for editing, but need to make those dollars go as far as possible, you might consider shopping outside the major markets. Bowker is all about supporting writers, and it has a great reputation, but you pay for that. The same is true for Reedsy, another well-respected agency designed specifically with authors in mind. Their editors are talented, vetted, and yes—relatively pricey. But you can also find editors at Fiverr. They aren’t vetted as carefully by the agency, but you still have access to their customers’ reviews, so if you’re willing to put in the homework, you can likely find an editor who works in your genre, has great reviews from satisfied customers, and charges significantly less than his or her Reedsy counterparts.
• Join a writers’ club. Lean on fellow wordsmiths for support, encouragement, and editing! What you fail to see in your own writing may be easily discerned by others. In the group that I belong to, a few members have formalized this process by meeting weekly to review each other’s work. Each participant brings half a dozen pages of their latest writing and shares it with the group. It’s also not uncommon to find editors among the members of such clubs, and you might be surprised by how willing they are to dispense some free advice to fellow members.
• Assemble a loyal group of Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) readers. That’s easiest if you have an established email distribution list you can query, but I’ve also seen authors post related opportunities on the Facebook groups I belong to. A writer will indicate they are working on a novel and solicit readers willing to offer their opinions and advice in exchange for a free, early look at the material. And people do respond. You might also find ARC readers at your local library or bookstore.
• No clubs? No money? No fans willing to serve as advanced readers? All hope is not lost. Take advantage of those tools you are already paying for. Most writing applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Pages, Google Docs) have free editing and spelling tools embedded in them. If you’re not subscribed to these types of applications, Grammarly offers a free online tool that will catch typos and help refine your writing. So far as syntax goes, the best piece of advice ever given me came from my father—a professional editor and wordsmith extraordinaire. Subsequent to obliterating one of my short stories with red ink, he said: “Read your work aloud—to yourself, a friend, or loved one—slowly, intentionally, and with feeling. Give each word sufficient time to be recognized and appreciated. Listen carefully to yourself, and you will be surprised at how many opportunities for improvement are revealed!” And he was right. I’ve been doing it ever since. Give it a try, whether or not you plan to engage a professional editor. Either way, you’ll be putting your best foot forward.

The bottom line: There’s really no excuse these days for self-publishing anything with misspellings. And while it’s easier to edit someone else’s work than it is your own, you can still do a fair amount of polishing yourself–enough, at the very least, to avoid being tossed into that “grammatical garbage” bin!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west, where he began a decades-long career in local government. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs, where he writes fantasy novels with a mix of drama, heart and humor.

His debut novel, Six Moons, Seven Gods, (the first in a fantasy trilogy titled The Legends of Baelon) received several honors, including The Chrysalis BREW Project’s Readers’ Choice Award for June, 2024; Chick Lit Cafe’s Book Excellence Award for Best Medieval Fantasy, November, 2023; a Literary Titan Gold Book Award in December, 2023, and a Readers’ Favorite Bronze Award in 2024.

More recently, Book Two in The Legends of Baelon series–Two Crowns, Three Blades–received Reader Views’ 2025 Gold Book Award; Word Media’s Page Turner Award; Literary Titan’s Silver Book Award in February, 2025; and a Reader’s Favorite Bronze Book Award. Book Three in The Legends of Baelon series–One Taste of Euphoria–is due to be released September 1, 2026!

When not fabricating stories, Robert can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects.

CONNECT WITH ROBERT A. WALKER!

Website: https://rawalkerwriting.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551750255281
OR: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551821801705

ONE TASTE OF EUPHORIA

A true bond is forged by the heart, not by any calculations of the mind. There is no fire that can burn it, no steel that can cut through it. A true bond lasts forever.

With the Takers Guild largely destroyed, the realm of Aranox seeks to recover from a turbulent and painful period. But the guild’s remaining member, Ruler Three, proves to be more than just elusive. The League of Assassins chooses sides, and the kingdom faces its toughest challenge yet.

Marshal Carson meets his match. Trouble courts Rolft once again. The past returns to haunt both Sibil and King Axil.

The flames of true love flicker in a dying light, and the fate of all Baelon rests on the shoulders of a weary few.

The Legends of Baelon series is best enjoyed in order:
Book 1: Six Moons, Seven Gods
Book 2: Two Crowns, Three Blades
Book 3: One Taste of Euphoria