By Jennifer Braddock – Editor

You typed “The End.” You’re euphoric. You’re exhausted. You’re ready to send your masterpiece off to an editor… but slow your roll, Hemingway. Drafting is just half the job.

Now comes editing. This is the tedious part that turns your messy genius into a manuscript readers won’t want to put down.

Before you hire anyone, give your manuscript a round or three or four of self-editing. You’ll save money, make your editor’s job easier, and catch obvious stuff yourself.

Self-Editing Checklist:

  • Take Your Time: Editing is a slow process. When you find that your mind is wandering. It’s time to stop. Take a break and come back later.
  • Structure: Does the story flow logically? Do scenes build tension? Are character arcs satisfying?
  • Style: Are there overused words or cliches? Do you vary sentence structure?
  • Dialogue: Does it sound natural? Does each character have a distinct voice?
  • Pacing: Are there slow spots or info dumps?
  • Continuity: Are your character’s eyes blue on page 10 and brown on page 200?

Use Tools, Not Crutches

Digital tools can be helpful, but don’t let them write your novel for you. There are limited feature free versions, but do a pretty good job. If you’re reading your words and a historical point doesn’t make sense, cross-check your information. It doesn’t matter if you use an online tool or have people give you notes, you still have to decide whether or not you want to accept the proposed changes. Run your work through these, but read every suggestion critically. Don’t let algorithms rewrite your voice.

Popular Tools:

  • Grammarly: Good for catching spelling and grammar issues, but it can kill your style if you accept every suggestion.
  • ProWritingAid: Offers style suggestions and checks for repetition and readability.
  • AutoCorrect: Great for typos, dangerous if you rely on it blindly. It only catches misspellings, not homonyms.
  • Natural Reader: Text-to-speech is a good way to hear how your words sound. You can edit while you’re listening, then copy your work back into the manuscript.

Know Your Editor Types

Different editors do different things. Hiring the wrong kind is like bringing a plumber to fix your roof.

Types of Editors:

  • Developmental Editor: Big picture stuff, like plot, structure, character arcs.
  • Line Editor: Sentence-level style, flow, and clarity.
  • Copy Editor: Grammar, punctuation, consistency, factual accuracy.
  • Proofreader: The final polish. Typos and formatting only.

When to Hire an Editor

Once you’ve self-edited and maybe gotten beta reader feedback, then it’s time to hire.

Timing Tips:

  • Hire a developmental editor early if you’re unsure about your story structure.
  • Bring in a line editor once the plot is solid and your draft is clean.
  • Use a copy editor before you submit to agents or self-publish.
  • Get a proofreader after layout or formatting is done.

Your Call to Action!
Finishing your first draft feels like crossing the finish line, until you realize you’ve just qualified for the marathon. Treat editing like a vital part of your writing process. It is not a punishment. Then, you’ll come out with a manuscript that actually earns those five-star reviews.

Ready to level up your manuscript? Start with self-edits, test-drive some tools, then find the right editor for your stage. Share this post with your writing group, and let’s raise the editing bar together.

Do you have questions or comments? Ask Besty Bot about the writing craft and how to publish your book with Best Chance Media!

Copy and Share this post to your social media:

📚 You finished your draft—congrats! But don’t hire an editor just yet.
First, self-edit like a boss. Then choose the right editor for the job. Not sure where to start? This post breaks it all down—tools, timing, and types of editors you actually need.✍️
https://bestchancemedia.org/2025/11/20/so-you-think-youre-done-a-writers-guide-to-editing-before-you-hire-an-editor/

#AmEditing #WritingTips #IndieAuthorLife #SelfEditing #EditingTips #Grammarly #ProWritingAid #WritersOfInstagram #WritersCommunity #FinishTheDraft #WritingJourney #HireAnEditor

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Published by Alan O’Hashi, Whole Brain Thinker

I’ve been involved with community journalism since 1968 when I wrote for my junior school paper, the "Tumbleweed," through high school and college and then wrote for the "Wyoming State Journal." I put aside my newspaper pen and began Boulder Community Media in 2005. There wasn’t much community journalism opportunity, so I resurrected my writing career as a screenwriter. My first short screenplay, “Stardust”, won an award in the 2005 Denver Screenwriting Center contest. I've made a number of movies over the years. Filmmaking is time-consuming, labor and equipment intensive. I recently changed my workflow to first write a book and make a movie based on that content. - Electric Vehicle Anxiety and Advice - This is a memoir travelogue of three trips covering 2,600 EV miles around Wyoming (2022) - Beyond Heart Mountain - Winter Goose Publishers released my memoir in February (2022) - The Zen of Writing with Confidence and Imperfection - This is a book recounting how luck planed into my signing a book deal after a 15-minute pitch meeting. (2020) - True Stories of an Aging Baby Boomer - War stories about living in a cohousing and lessons others can learn when starting their communities (2021) - Beyond Sand Creek - About Arapaho tribal efforts to repatriate land in Colorado (PBS - TBA) - Beyond Heart Mountain - Based on my memoir about my childhood in Cheyenne facing overt and subtle racism toward the Japanese following World War II (PBS - 2021) - New Deal Artist Public Art Legacy - About artists who created work in Wyoming during the Great Depression (PBS - 2018) - Mahjong and the West - SAG indie feature which premiered at the semi-important Woodstock Film Festival (2014) Over the years, I’ve produced directed, filmed and/or edited several short movies, “Running Horses” (Runner Up – Wyoming Short Film Contest), “On the Trail: Jack Kerouac in Cheyenne” (Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, Top 10 Wyoming Short Film Contest), “Gold Digger” (Boulder Asian Film Festival), “Adobo” (Boulder International Film Festival), “A Little Bit of Discipline” (Rosebud Film Series), and two feature length documentaries “Your Neighbor’s Child” (Wyoming PBS and Rocky Mountain PBS), and “Serotonin Rising” (American Film Market, Vail Film Festival). He also directed and produced the award winning stage play “Webster Street Blues” by my childhood friend Warren Kubota. Boulder Community Media is a non-profit production company dedicated to democratzing media in all their forms - large and small screens, printed page and stage by providing sustainable and community-based content. I mostly work with community-based media producers, organizations, and socially-responsible businesses to develop their content via – the written word, electronic and new media, the visual and performing arts in a culturally competent manner – I’m what’s commonly called a niche TV and movie producer. Along with all this is plying my forte’ – fund development through grant writing, sponsorship nurturing and event planning.

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