Should I Edit My Own Book? - podcast

Paying someone to edit a book can be expensive, and it's hard to hear criticism of your work. But the price you pay for not having your book professionally edited can be much greater. Editorial director Sheryl Stebbins shares her recommendation about whether an author should self-edit. The big question is: Should I edit my own book? Stebbins says that you absolutely should not. The primary reason not to edit your own work is that by the time you’ve written it, you’ve spent so much time with the material that you can’t be objective anymore. Although it is hard to hear criticism, it’s the only thing that is really going to make your work better. You need to have someone who is not emotionally involved in the work read it so that you can receive objective advice and be sure your work is the very best possible book you can produce.