Here's some unsolicited advice from an editor to writers (and I’m a writer too, so I’ve been on both sides of this horse). Here’s a message I receive way too frequently: "Dear Robb, I found your website (or were referred to you). I have spent the past 6 months (or year, or five years) writing my first novel. It is a 150,000-word epic saga, the first of a planned trilogy. I have decided to self-publish, and have set a launch date, have a book-signing event set up, ads on Facebook promoting the upcoming debut, and the cover art designed. The launch date is set for the first of next month. Would you be able to edit my manuscript next week?"
Um. No. Cart? Horse?
If you spend six months or six years writing a novel, plan for the editing and revision process too. Make sure you have completed the editing and revisions, and that you've had a thorough final proofread done and complete before you announce a launch date or start submitting to agents and publishers. If you're self-publishing, you'r…
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