Although this author does have a writer friend to bounce ideas off of (which we all need), she said that a book is one writer's vision, and should not be written by a committee. I completely agree with this!
However, if you're an Indie or self published author, you don't have the benefit of a publishing house, which provides content editing, copy editing, proof reading, etc.
I'm not sure how many different editors there are, but a work published by a publishing house is read by several sets of eyes before it hits the market!
Most Indies are on a budget, so until you can afford to hire professional editors and proofreaders, here are a few things to keep in mind to improve your Indie books:
Your writing group or critique partners can help you better develop your story. Don't allow them to change your vision, but do be open to advice in what will improve your story, or what doesn't make it work. They may not be content editors, but your finished product will be vastly improved if other writers read it.
After incorporating changes, enlist the aid of beta readers. Friends and family are great for this. Not only can they find typos and grammatical errors, they can point out what's lacking, what's boring, and what's not moving your story along.
Can't afford copy editing? Barter services with a writer friend who's a capable editor. (When bartering, it doesn't have to be for the same service. If you don't feel you're the best at copy editing, and you lack the critical eye of a proofreader, volunteer to be a beta reader). A copy editor will do more than just proofread. In addition to spotting typos and grammatical errors, she'll finesse the writer's prose into a highly polished product.
Can't afford a proofreader? Again, barter with a writer friend. A person with a sharp and critical eye is needed to find the teeniest of errors in a finished (proof) work.
So, as an Indie/self published author, you do end up using a committee of sorts. Don't ever let them alter your vision, but do consider them your publishing house!
Do you belong to a writers group or have critique partners? Thanks for visiting!
