How to Know When Your Book Is Ready for Editing
If there’s one question I get more than any other from aspiring authors, it’s this: “How do I know when my book is ready for editing?”
It’s a fair question. You don’t want to waste money sending half-baked drafts to an editor.
At the same time, you don’t want to get trapped in the perfectionism loop of endless self-revisions that never bring you any closer to publication.
The answer lies in understanding what an editor actually does and doesn’t do.
The Writer’s Job vs. the Editor’s Job
An editor is not there to write your book for you. My job is to refine, polish, and bring clarity to the story you’ve already written.
If you’re expecting your editor to raise the walls of your novel while you watch from the sidewalk, you’re not ready.
Related: Beating Revision Paralysis: How to Stop Editing and Start Publishing
Your manuscript is ready for editing when:
The draft is complete, with a definite beginning, middle, and end
Every scene contributes to the whole. If a chapter doesn’t push the plot forward or deepen character, cut it before you pay someone who will tell you to cut it
You’ve already revised it yourself. No first draft should ever go straight to an editor. You need to make at least one full pass cleaning up the obvious problems.
Think of prepping a book for editing like building a house. You wouldn’t call in a painter while the walls are still going up. You wait until the structure is sound, then you bring in the pros to make the place presentable.
Here’s a Rule of Thumb
If you’ve only written the first draft, you’re not ready.
At minimum, you should do a complete self-edit before handing the manuscript over.
That doesn’t mean nitpicking every comma. It means:
Checking for major plot holes
Making sure your characters have consistent motivations
Ensuring each scene serves a purpose.
If you’ve followed these steps and feel you’ve taken the manuscript as far as you can on your own, you’re ready.
Related: Why Every Newpub Author Needs an Editor Now More Than Ever
Handing your editor a polished draft doesn’t just save you money, it raises the ceiling on the heights your book can reach.
Editors work with the clay you give them. If you hand us wet sand, the best we can do is stack it into a lopsided mound.
But if you’ve already formed your story into a solid block, we can help you carve it into art worth sharing with the world.
Here’s the dividing line: If your draft tells a full story, you’ve self-edited at least once, and you’ve reached the point where you can’t see how to improve it further, then congratulations. Your book is ready for your editor.
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Brian Niemeier is a best-selling novelist, editor, and Dragon Award winner with over a decade in newpub. For direct, in-person writing and editing insights, join his Patreon.