Why do professional writers need editors for their books if they are much better at writing than the editors?

Anonymous

Few people can critically read their own work.

MsBittner

Professional edits from a legitimate publisher come in three rounds. 1. Content, tone, story, character. This is something the writer can rarely do on their own. The author doesn't see that chapter 23 moves slowly, or that Jimmy's behavior toward Ruth isn't consistent, or that not enough is at stake near the end. The writer often need to do major revision or rewriting to address these issues. Many authors consider this the most valuable edit. 2. Writing mechanics, including grammar, punctuation, sentence construction, word choice, clarity, ambiguity, etc.. Some writers turn in copy that's very clean and needs little correction. Others are a freakin' mess. The corrections are usually quick, but there can be hundreds or thousands, depending on the writer's skill and attention to detail. If the writer is a great storyteller but weak on mechanics, this is the most valuable edit, since it keeps them from looking like an illiterate idiot. 3 Proofreading. The writer's eye sees what ought to be there, not what is. There are various tricks to sidestep this, but they don't work for everyone. The proofreader will see you typed "not" when you meant "now" or "is" for "in." They'll catch extra blank spaces, variations in spelling when two are acceptable, ensure every quote that opens also closes, make sure every set of ellipses is spaced the same, etc. While this is necessary for a professional polished product, it's rarely the most valuable.

Squidmaster

1. The writer is not necessairly better than the editor. 2. Being a good writer doesn;t make you perfect. Mistakes can still slip in. 3. A writer may know a story, but an editor knows what sells. 4. There is a difference between whether a person who writes something likes it, and whether someone who READS it likes it.

Andrew

Why do filmmakers have people edit their footage? Because they know that as the creators, they cannot be objective about their own work, while editors can. Editing isn't only about fixing grammatical errors - that's what the proofreading stage is about. Editing involves revising and refining a piece to make it more concise, to improve the overall flow, to make changes to the narrative so that it's as clear and as smooth and as well put together as possible. Composition and editing are two very different skills. Most authors will do their own proofreading, preliminary and basic editing, make their own revisions and refinements, and produce one or more rewrites BEFORE handing their work over to an editor. My editor is a close mate who I've known for many years and he's familiar with my style. Working with an editor who's unfamiliar with your style can lead to problems. Many amateur authors are under the mistaken impression that they can just churn out some slapdash, haphazard dreck and simply have an editor turn a rubbish piece into something readable and appealing. It doesn't work that way. If you drive recklessly and damage your car to the point where it would make more sense to replace it than to repair it, the mechanic will tell you so and likely be reluctant to fix it no matter how much you offer to fork over. It's the same with a quality editor. If you hand in irredeemable bunk that it would be maddeningly difficult to salvage, he or she will tell you to go back to the old drawing board and refuse to expend the time and effort required to bring the piece to an acceptable level.

Sir Studley Smugley

Most editors are professional writers themselves. That's why they're employed by publishers. Writers are furiously tapping away at their keyboards, making all kinds of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and factual bugger-ups. Editors make sure that the story is understandable, coherent, and factually-correct.

They Pelted Us With Rocks And Garbage

Because editors are usually much better at grammar and spelling. That isn't the same as writing.

Jake No Chat

A second review/opinion is typically a very good thing to have.

Barry

To correct mistakes. Spelling, grammar, repetition, libel, copyright, etc etc.

Terrel

because, its better for them to have someone to go over there writing

Stacy

to make sure that everything is grammatically correct