Hot Take [Editor Edition]

The uncomfortable truth about being self-published: you either do it completely solo, a one-woman or one-man show, or you spend a lot of money on editors, proofreaders, marketing, etc. with no guarantee that you’ll see any of that money back.

It’s fucking terrifying.

But here’s a secret that I wish we talked about more: if you do it alone, readers can tell. We physically ache at every typo and every cutoff line in a poorly formatted e-pub. It hurts us to give a 3 star review to a book with SO MUCH POTENTIAL because it skipped an objective developmental edit that should have shown you that you stuffed four acts into three, or that readers may find your complete disregard for scene setting off-putting.

Here's an example of lackluster line editing from a published book:

Examples such as the above are why I started editorial freelancing in the first place. And because this is a side hustle of mine, I can offer scalable rates and payment plans for authors who want their book to succeed but can’t just throw money around. (Don't worry... I'm certified, and I have a creative writing degree!)

I want your book to get 5 star reviews from your ARC readers and paying customers.

I want the story in your head to live up to its fullest potential on the page.

I want you to email me: tori@tdragon.co if you are trying to do this without professional help.

XOXO,

Tori