Do you really need an editor for your self-published book?

In this video I talk about whether or not you need an editor and how to self edit your book. You'll learn about the common writing mistakes most amateur writers make and why you should focus on story and content before you worry about editing your book.
I've put up a free video series about self-editing here:
courses.creativindie.com/p/ho...
25 self-editing tips for indie authors and 8 crucial mistakes to avoid:
www.bookbutchers.com/free-book/
⚡☕⚡✍☕✍⚡☕⚡
Hey there - I'm Derek Murphy. I'm a fine artist who became a book cover designer, then started writing young adult scifi and fantasy. I've spent almost 20 years living abroad, have a PhD in comparative literature (revolutionary politics in Paradise Lost), and have been featured in CNN for renting castles to use as writing retreats. Although I'm not working with clients anymore, I've built a ton of resources to help indie authors write, design and publish bestselling books.
On this channel, I talk about writing, publishing and creating personal freedom with unconventional business strategies and providing value. My videos are unpolished and a little raw, because we travel full-time and I focus on content, not production quality.
If you're a writer, artist, or entrepreneur, make sure you SUBSCRIBE - then let me know what you need help with, and I'll make a video just for you! Here are some resources to get you started:
DIY book cover and formatting templates (FREE)
★www.diybookcovers.com
★www.diybookformats.com
BESTSELLER STATUS, GUARANTEED...
If you need help with book marketing, you can join my Guerrilla Publishing group and download my FREE book and workbook, on going from zero to #1 in 90 days or less.
★ / learning_content
Let's be friends! (Social):
★ / creativindie
★ / creativindie

[@loyalsausages]

Thank you for the vindication Derek, I've Amazon'ed a couple of your books and I'm glad to catch your videos. Very honest of you and a refreshing change from the cries of 'you need to hire me or you will fail miserably' pitched from almost every online article about editors (written by editors understandably scared of the shifting writing market and job insecurity). It sounds like... if you are struggling in getting the STORY out, then you should invest in a writing coach /structural editor... once you have that down, and just need to polish the odd word choice, just invest in a light fast proofread or beta readers!

[@thriftymiser6834]

Enjoy your videos. Your videos on book layouts are indispensable. Appreciate it.

[@SuddenlyMadeSage]

I've really been enjoying your content lately, great work.

[@daveb3809]

No, is the simple answer. If you're really committed in self-sufficiency, you can do it yourself. However, perfectionism requires hard work. That's why editors are horrendously expensive, because of the work involved.

[@healingintoauthentic]

Excellent Video! YES we need editors!!! Thank you!

[@RNontherun]

Excellent

[@mariodatguy4988]

What do you think about Grammarly plus which will also show you comma splices and run ons? Could using something like that eliminate the need for a professional editor, especially if the book was looked at by many beta readers?

[@Joharkre]

I completely agree that the story is #1, however I think editing spelling and grammar is very important. Personally, I'm not a book snob, but if something is terribly written, it's hard to take it seriously, and most people wont finish the book. Granted, most books are never 100% perfect. Human error often plays a factor, even when professional are involved. I'm currently going through the editing process of my print layout, and I learned this the hard way as I read through the manuscript. I actually found new mistakes, created by the editor.... The book isn't out yet, but I have the copyright, so I have put small previews of my book on a couple of social media sites for authors. So far the feedback is good.

[@Joharkre]

I recently talked to a friend, who had purchased a novel by Cassandra Clare, and said the file via kindle had updates.. I wonder if it was a case of errors, spelling or grammatical in the book.. So yes, even #1 best selling authors will have mistakes. It's just nice now days with ebooks, because they are easily fixed, even after purchase.

[@ibstayfly]

Do ebooks have to be edited before publishing? I obviously don't wanna pay anybody to edit so they have apps etc where they can automatically edit your ebook for you. I honestly wouldn't know how to do it myself

[@DerekMurphycreativindie]

They should definitely be edited, I think with the free version of grammarly you can just scroll through and fix most of the mistakes and typos. The bigger issue is, does all the content make sense and engage readers, does the book have a purpose and point, will readers be satisfied? That stuff is harder and not really about editing.

[@Joharkre]

I recently wrote a blog on the importance and critique as an author, and even though I can't personally coach someone, I did try my best to supply some free resources and ideas. One thing I actually did awhile ago, was submit some of my work to various companies that offer editing services .. Luckily though, most of them give free samples.. Depending on the company, they may ask for a single chapter or more. One of the companies I went through, bookgrazing.com gave me INCREDIBLE advice in their sample edit. I was given two files... The first had everything that needed to be fixed with grammar and spelling, and then the second file was all advice. The guy told me some of my bad habits, and then pointed out what didn't work, why it didn't work, and gave suggestions on how I could improve. Granted a lot of these companies want a lot of money.. And even though a free sample wont fix your whole book, it's still constructive feedback and insight, which is priceless.

[@free2mention]

Most editor arent capable of wrighting a Book themselves .but they want money from your Idea.. How does that work?

[@DerekMurphycreativindie]

they don't want money for your idea; they want money for their time and expertise, to help you tell your idea in an engaging way (so readers actually read it without quitting early). But yes; you've got to find editors that are better at craft and writing than you are, even if they don't have the skill/creativity to write their own successful books.