Should you hire an editor before sending your book to an agent or a publisher?

When it comes to self-publishing, editing is a no-brainer. You need to get your book in the best shape possible before publication, and that means getting developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading.

But how important is it if you’re submitting to a literary agent or publisher? Are you blowing money on a service that isn’t necessary, or could it help you stand out? Well, like most things in publishing, it depends. To help you decide if you should hire an editor before sending your book to an agent or publisher, let’s look at how the publishing model works.

Traditional book publishing

If you’re not familiar with the traditional book publishing model, it goes something like this: you get an agent, your agent pitches your book to publishers, a publisher offers you a contract and the book gets published.

As you can see, the publisher does all the work – including editing and design – so hiring an editor is unnecessary. Plus, a standard copyedit could cost you $2,000 or more, which is a significant outlay for most authors. (For more on this topic, see Why are book editors so expensive?) What’s more, a publisher may recommend changes that alter the shape and tone of the book, so passages you slaved over with your editor may disappear – or change beyond recognition.

Is using an editor before submission ever a good idea?

A lot of agents or publishers prefer a raw manuscript so they can assess a writer’s talent and capabilities – and I largely agree. However, there are a few instances when getting your manuscript edited could be helpful:

• If you’re a first-time author. As a novice, you might not have a strong grasp of plot, structure or voice, in which case an editor can flag these issues and help you address them. Plus, an editor can offer strategies to help you improve your writing and build your confidence as a storyteller.

  
  

• If your grammar and spelling are poor. You may have a great story to tell, but if your grammar and spelling are a disaster, agents or editors may think your book requires too much work to make it saleable. An editor, however, can help you weed out these distractions and allow your story to shine.

  
  

• If you received a rejection from an agent or publisher. Not everyone gets an agent or publishing contract on the first try (well, it can happen, but it’s rare). The rejection letter sometimes explains why. Perhaps the story was too similar to another book, or the tone was inconsistent, or the characters weren’t fully drawn. In that case, an editor can help you address these issues so you can improve your chances next time.  

What kind of editing should you get?

If you received a rejection, I often recommend a manuscript assessment or developmental edit, depending on your budget. Both will tell you what’s working, what isn’t and how to make improvements.

If you're an inexperienced writer and your grammar needs work, copyediting can address spelling, grammar and consistency issues. You can even brief the copyeditor to focus on readability (and ignore fact-checking, heading styles, formatting, etc.), which can lower the fee.

Novelist Katerina Cosgrove believes editing support is especially important for first-time authors:

Finding a professional editor before submitting to an agent can improve your chances of being represented — and you only get one chance with each agent you approach, who generally receives many submissions in a given year … You’ll feel more confident if you’ve made the manuscript the best it can possibly be.

In general, she recommends both developmental editing and copyediting before submission, but if you can’t afford both, choose the former.

Note: Many authors confuse copyediting with proofreading, but they aren't the same thing (even though the terms are often used interchangeably). Proofreading focuses on catching outstanding or introduced errors, and it’s the final step in the editorial process. To find out more, see  Copyediting vs. proofreading: What’s the difference?

Will an agent edit your manuscript?

When you sign with a literary agent, they may request changes to make your book more marketable, but it depends on your experience, the state of the manuscript and the agency. Katerina’s first agent was hands-on, much like a professional editor:

We went through multiple drafts together before submitting to publishers, refining the work over many months, and he line-edited as well as discussing structural issues and character development. These days, I find that agents are busier, more overworked and have fewer resources at their disposal. They don’t have the time to substantially engage with a manuscript.

In the end, an agent’s role is to match you with the right publisher, negotiate contracts, manage royalties and scope opportunities. While agents with an editorial bent may offer feedback or make recommendations, others leave this job to publishers.

Can editing guarantee representation or publication?

Even if you hire a slew of editors to polish your manuscript, it doesn’t guarantee representation or publication. There could be a few reasons for this: the agent/publisher recently published a similar book, they don’t represent your genre, the market is too narrow or the book doesn’t float their boat (remember, writing is highly subjective).

Some agents may also reject submissions that don’t have a compelling cover letter or don’t follow their guidelines, so whatever you do, write an irresistible pitch and follow their instructions to a tee.

Top tip: If submission letters aren’t your strong suit, hire an editor who specialises in submission packages. They can help you refine your query letter and synopsis and help your submission get noticed by agents and publishers. I don’t offer this service, but many editors on the IPEd directory do.

Final thoughts: Should you hire an editor before sending your book to an agent or publisher?

In general, you don’t need to hire an editor if you’re book is in good shape. In other words, if you’ve got a writing background or the book has been rigorously self-edited. The agent will see the book’s potential and pitch it accordingly. What’s more, if it’s sold, the publisher covers the costs of editing, making a preliminary edit unnecessary.

However, if you’re inexperienced or you’ve already received a rejection letter (outlining the problems in your manuscript), a manuscript assessment, developmental edit or copyedit can help you address those issues and give your book the best chance of getting noticed next time.

If you need a copyeditor to tidy up your manuscript before submission, get in touch via my contact page or request a sample edit.