 Do you work in a comms team and it’s always frantic? Or are you a copywriter and have more work than you can take on? Last-minute edits and proofreads need doing, but the next project has already arrived on your desk – with a tight deadline. Or you have several big projects on the go and your team just doesn’t have the time to spend on the nitty-gritty details. Or even, your team is great at the writing, but not so good at the details. But, it’s important that the copy is accurate and reflects well on your company. Consider outsourcing to an editor or proofreader to take the pressure off you and your team. Here are 5 reasons why this makes sense in today’s WFH culture.  Communicating your message, your brand and your values accurately and effectively are vital to your business. Whether you write a business blog, a report, marketing material, emails, social media posts or an e-book, you want to communicate clearly and accurately. If you write any content for your business, and want to look professional and engage with your readers, working with an experienced editor can be beneficial to your business. And in a world of outsourcing and working from home, it’s easy to work with a qualified, experienced editor without having to hire someone full-time, whether it’s for a one-off project or as a long-term relationship. So, how can working with an editor help your business?  Photo by Leslie Lopez Holder on Unsplash Writing a non-fiction book for your business, or to share a message or an interest, can be a daunting process. You know that want to share your knowledge, but if you have never written a book before, you might not know how to begin. Where do you start? Read on. It’s not as quick and easy as some would have you think, but you can do it.  Photo by Proxyclick Visitor Management System on Unsplash Social media, networking and email subscription have long been on everyone’s marketing plan. Publishing a book is now the trend. Many successful businesses have launched their business, or grew their business, by publishing a book. How? A book can set a you or your business apart and show your expertise. It can show that you are an authority on a particular subject; that people can turn to you to find the answers they need, either by purchasing your book or by talking to you directly. Most businesses that have published a book use it as a marketing tool, but not a source of income. A book will most likely not generate a huge profit on its own, but it can bring other benefits to your business.  Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash ‘What if I share my writing with someone else? What happens if they steal my idea?’ I get asked this all this time. It's natural for writers to be protective of their work. But are these writers’ concerns warranted? And what if you want to use song lyrics in your writing? Or you want to use a quote from someone long passed away that you found on a quote website? Can you?  “I have written my book and done a spell check. Is my book ready for publishing?”
Well, you can publish it now. In this age of self-publishing, you can publish anything. Nothing is stopping you from uploading it onto Amazon or other e-book sites and putting it out there. But you'll want people to want to read it. And you want your book to sell. Or you might want an agent to offer you a contract. If you do, then the answer is most likely no.  How long is a piece of string?
It is difficult to say exactly how long it would take to edit a book, as it depends on various factors, but suffice to say, it is not as fast as some writers think. Most editors have had a client or two who thought their manuscript would be back within a week, and then balked when they found out how long it would take.  The title of this blog post may sound a bit like an oxymoron – how can fiction be fact?
I recently edited a manuscript where the character was sunbathing on a sunny winter’s day and got sunburnt. I happen to have grown up in the area where the novel was set, so I knew that there is no way I would be outside in my bathing suit in winter – even on a sunny day – and there is also no way I would get sunburnt if I was.  After months (or sometimes years) of putting everything into writing your book, it would be tempting to finish, hit save, and never look it again, hoping it's perfect. But not even the most experienced authors can do that.
There is still a lot of work to do between writing the final word and having the book on the shelf. Recently, there seems to be a rise in the number of people preferring to self-publish their books. But if you've never written, let alone published, a book before through a traditional publisher, you may not be aware of all the steps (or how to do them) that go into publishing a book. So, what do we need to do to make our book the best it can be?  It is tempting to write a book, hit save, and send it off to an editor or publisher without ever looking at it again. It must be perfect, right? You have just put your heart and soul into it.
But not even the most experienced author can do that. There are a few steps to take before you send your novel to an editor or publisher, and one of these steps is to use beta readers. |