There are many opportunities for authors to publish their books outside of the “Big 5” publishing houses. These DIY approaches require just as thorough editing as is required at publishing houses.

No indie author wants their reader finding typos and errors in their book, let alone putting the book down because the story is confusing or the phrasing is awkward.

And for those who want to get published by a publishing house, submitting a polished manuscript is impressive and more likely to get your work noticed. In fact, some publishers prefer, if not require, submitted manuscripts to be professionally edited before submission.