Bobbie Christmas, editor and owner of Zebra Communications, explains why publishers want professionally edited manuscripts. In the past, publishing houses would keep full-time manuscript editors on staff. That’s grown less and less common. Most traditional publishers now would like books edited before they’re submitted. Christmas says that if an author is self-published, it’s vital that he or she hire a professional editor. The editing services and skills of a professional editor are different than the editing services of friends and family. Simple objectivity will change the way that an editor approaches a manuscript. In addition, there are major differences between editing a book and editing papers or articles. Finally, there are industry trends that a professional editor is aware of that family and friends are not. Listen to the clip below to learn industry trends around book editing and the role a professional editor plays.
Hi Bobbie. I need an editor. I just finished my 4th book, "An Unlikely CEO: The Jolyn Robichaux Story." It is a novel about the first African American CEO in the Dairy Industry. It's a book that encompasses a rich African history ranging from the 1920s to 1990s. Will you mind be my editor? The next phase of the book will be to develop a script. Thank you.