Hello my lovely readers!
As many of you know, I have been busy editing Rose’s Wrath and trying to get it ready for publication! Now, I’ll be honest here: I absolutely HATE editing. It’s the bane of my writing existence. Even the thought of it makes me annoyed.
And I’ve been editing Rose’s Wrath for nearly a year and a half now. That might not seem super long to some of you, but to me, that’s absolutely crazy. I am not a patient person, so doing something that is tedious and time-consuming AND doesn’t have fast results… I’m out.
You’re probably saying “Oceane, just get to the point! The title says editing is important!”
Yes. Yes, it is. It is crucial, actually.
When I first considered publishing Rose’s Wrath independently, I thought I could get away with errors. NEWS FLASH: you can’t. The simple thing is, no matter what you end up doing with your novel, you need to edit it. Unless you wrote it simply for yourself and could care less what people think. Then it’s not a big deal.
But if you’re planning on showing it even to just your friends, then I recommend editing it. Even if it’s simply you running through it a few times looking for errors and inconsistencies.
If you’re planning on publishing it (especially independently) then you really need an editor. Desperately. Don’t assume you can get away with skimping on your editing. That’s what’s going to make or break your novel.
But isn’t it expensive? Yes, oftentimes it is. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of good editors and proofreaders that will work for under $500, and yes, that’s cheap. Editing can often cost up to $1,000 and unless you’re rather well-off, that’s not affordable.
The thing is, quality isn’t cheap. You can’t have something be quality and put no effort in it. Whether it’s time, money, or resources, you have to sacrifice something in order for your novel to be up to the standard. People are especially tough on indie novels, so it’s even more important to have a good editor if you’re publishing independently.
Trust me, I’ve tried to cut corners and hurry things up, but it only makes it harder in the long run. If you’re looking for an editor for your own novel, I can help! I know a few editors (some I’ve even worked with) that are affordable and recommended.
Abigayle Claire (I have worked with her before and definitely recommend! Affordable and prompt)
Jane Maree (Haven’t worked with her personally, but I’ve heard many great things!)
Avadel Ink Proofreading (I have worked with them personally and HIGHLY recommend. They do a truly magnificent job)
Reveries Co. (Again, never worked with them personally, but I’ve heard good things)
oceanemcallister.com 
Editing is honestly the bane of my existence but it is crucial, as you were saying! There are so many things that play into a book that you can’t get without editing. I know for myself I have things like telling without showing, really cheesy/unrealistic scenes, a lot of grammar errors, lack of description, character development and so much more!
It’s a long, tiring, and expensive journey, but in the end every author is glad that they edited their book. So thank you for this reminder as I am currently editing my own novel! I wish you the best of like with Rose’s Wrath! ❤
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I totally get that! It was always discouraging to realize that my first draft was not as neat as I thought it was (and I don’t know how I thought it was neat 😂) Good luck editing! I’ll be cheering you on! And thanks!
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Lol, I’m right there with you! I thought it was awesome until I re-read it, lol. Aw, thank you!!
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No problem!
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