Reading an unedited book is like listening to a piece of music played by one or more off-key instruments. We expect a seamless performance—especially one we pay to see.

How Important is Book Editing?

Published books should be professionally edited whether the author is self-published or published through a traditional publishing house. Typographical errors, wordy text, and vocabulary misfires are difficult for the audience to process. Traditionally-published books go through rigorous editing prior to moving to book design. Publishers invest a lot of money in their titles because they understand the better the book product, the greater the opportunity to gain professional reviews and reader recommendations. Books are successful based on the recommendations from readers. 

Finding a Book Editor

Choosing an editor can be challenging. Editing is time- and labor-intensive, so choosing the right editor or editing service is important. Expect to invest time and money in the editing of the book. It can be challenging to choose the best option without knowing exactly what kind of editing or how much is necessary to publish the best book. There are several freelance editing services through the Internet. Pricing, quality, and time frames vary widely. Busy schedules may or may not reflect upon the demand and quality of the services provided. Without knowing what kind of editing a manuscript needs, it’s difficult to compare editing options.

What Kind of Editing?

Does the manuscript need light editing or more in-depth editing? How do you know what you need? Authors operate on creativity, but authors rarely possess enough objectivity to do their own editorial work. Objectivity is necessary to determine what level of editing is appropriate for a book.

Edit My Book – Where to Start?

Redbrush offers a Standard Editorial Appraisal to provide authors with exactly the objective eye needed to identify a manuscript’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. The standard editorial appraisal allows an editor to read through portions of the manuscript to determine what level of editing is appropriate for the book. The appraiser assigned to the book is selected based on the book’s genre, subject matter, and related themes. Fiction books may require additional reading so the editor can provide adequate feedback about story and character development, continuity of story elements, pacing, and tone.

Once a standard editorial appraisal is completed, authors will receive a comprehensive report, editorial recommendation, and sample edit to demonstrate what level of editing is recommended for the book. Authors are able to utilize Redbrush to provide that level of editing or consider other services without obligation.