Your Book is Perfect Just the Way it Is

I've been having the same conversation with different authors for the past couple of years, and it's breaking my heart.

These are writers who landed their dream deal—six-figure advances from Simon & Schuster, Random House, Penguin Random House, or one of the other “Big 5” New York publishing houses. The kind of deals that make other writers turn green with envy.

But here's what they're telling me: "MeiMei, they didn’t edit my book."

They got line edits—someone fixed their commas and caught typos—but that was it. No developmental feedback. No "this chapter drags" or "I need more emotion here" or "can you reorganize this section?"

So, were their books perfect? Obviously not. No one’s book is. Everyone needs a trained, professional eye on their manuscript. All writing, like your grandmother’s fine silver, deserves a polish.

And although deep, thoughtful editing used to be the holy grail of traditional publishing, now it’s gone.

It’s understandable. Editors at publishing houses are stretched impossibly thin. The luxury of sitting with your book for days, really thinking about it, asking the hard questions? They simply don't have time.

Which means that one of the biggest advantages of landing a Big 5 deal has quietly disappeared.

Here's what this means for you: Whether you go traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing, you're going to need to hire a developmental editor. A real human being who will read your manuscript and ask the questions that matter:

Where does the reader lose interest? Where does this feel repetitive? Where does the story demand more detail, more inner monologue? What's missing?

AI can't do this work. ChatGPT won't tell you that chapter three feels like you're trying too hard, or that your protagonist needs more vulnerability in chapter seven. Only a skilled human editor who understands story structure and reader psychology can give you that kind of feedback.

The good news? This levels the playing field completely. You can create a book just as polished and powerful through self-publishing or hybrid publishing as you can through traditional publishing.

You just have to be willing to invest in making it happen.

Aloha,

MeiMei

Tip of the Week: Hire a Pro

1. Go to Reedsy. This platform vets their professionals, so you can be sure you’re getting someone experienced. 
2. Look on Upwork or Fiverr. But beware! Ensure the freelancer you hire has prior experience, and check their references first.
3. Work with us! We have several pro editors on the Your Bestselling Book team.

Quote of the Week

When I’m writing the first draft, I’m constantly reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that I can later build castles.

⁃ Jordan Peele, Screenwriter