That answer’s always going to be yes of you ask me, of course. 🙂 But publishing expert Jane Friedman has a more measured response in this article. 🙂

“There are three primary reasons to hire a professional,” Friedman says:

1 The learning experience.
2 The industry advantage.
3 Submission preparation.

All excellent reasons. But before you can benefit from them, you have to fully embrace the editing process. (Or, as one of my authors said to me this morning: I’ve realized you and I speak the same language.) I’ve seen this in my own practice, and Friedman has too:

Writers don’t always understand what type of editor to use, or how an editor is supposed to improve their work. This results in surface-level changes that don’t meaningfully affect the chances at publication. Less experienced writers also tend to be more protective of their work and less likely to revise. … If you’re hoping an editor will wave a magic wand and transform your work into a publishable manuscript over night, you’ll be disappointed by the results. But if you feel you’ve come to the end of your own ability to improve the work, you’re more likely to benefit.

That bit about the magic wand is an important point. Editing is a give and take arrangement.

Read the rest—it’s very informative.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”