Do You Really Need an Editor Yet? Knowing When to Hold Off

Writers often assume that as soon as a draft exists, it’s time to call in an editor. After all, if the point is to improve the manuscript, why not hand it over right away? The temptation is real: you’ve finally strung together thousands of words, the shape of a book is there on the page, and you’re eager for validation. An editor will fix it, you think. They’ll tell me what works. They’ll save me from wasting time.

The trouble is that sending a manuscript too early can backfire. Editing is not a magic shortcut that bypasses revision. It’s a collaboration that builds on the work you’ve already done. If the draft is still raw—if it’s really just notes strung together, or an unedited spill of ideas—you won’t get the best from an editor. You’ll waste money having someone point out issues you could have spotted yourself. Worse, you may feel discouraged when the feedback confirms what you already suspected: the draft isn’t ready.

So how do you know when to hold off? The answer lies in understanding what editing can and cannot do, and in being honest with yourself about what stage your writing is really at.

A first draft is rarely ready for professional eyes. First drafts are about discovery. They’re messy, repetitive, inconsistent. They contain characters who vanish, arguments that trail off, scenes that don’t belong. That’s not failure—it’s the nature of writing. Drafting is how you figure out what the book wants to be. Revision is how you shape it. If you hand a first draft to an editor, most of the feedback you’ll get will be things you already know: cut the fluff, fix the pacing, make the characters consistent. Those are problems you can and should address yourself before paying someone else to point them out.

Think of it like hiring a personal trainer before you’ve tried walking around the block. The trainer may tell you to start with basics you could have done on your own. Save their expertise for when you’ve already built some stamina. An editor is most useful once you’ve taken the manuscript as far as you can without them.

Another sign you’re not ready: you haven’t revised at all. Some writers type “The End” and immediately want to ship the file off. But writing is rewriting. Self-revision is the training ground that teaches you how to spot problems, how to tighten prose, how to deepen character motivation or refine an argument. If you haven’t gone through at least one self-revision, the manuscript probably still contains issues you could solve without outside help. Editors don’t expect perfection, but they do expect effort. They want to work with a manuscript that shows you’ve invested thought and energy, not one that’s barely past the finish line of a first draft.

So when is the right time? After you’ve revised until you can’t see what else to do. After you’ve shared it with a beta reader or critique partner and made changes based on their reactions. After you’ve cut the sections you knew were weak but kept anyway. In other words: when you’ve done everything you can on your own, but you still feel the manuscript is falling short. That’s when an editor can step in to provide fresh perspective.

This doesn’t mean you should polish endlessly before hiring help. At some point you’ll revise in circles, moving commas back and forth without making real progress. The sweet spot is when you’ve taken the manuscript as far as your own skills and objectivity allow, but you know it needs more.

Remember too that there are different kinds of editing. You don’t need a copy editor to check grammar in a draft that still has plot holes. You don’t need a proofreader to fix typos in a book that hasn’t been revised. Each stage of editing serves a purpose, but those purposes depend on timing. Rushing into the wrong stage too early wastes effort.

If you’re not ready for an editor, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. There are practical steps you can take to strengthen the manuscript on your own. Read it out loud. You’ll catch clunky sentences, repeated words, awkward rhythms. Print it and read it on paper; seeing the text in a different format makes problems stand out. Make a reverse outline: list each chapter or scene and summarize its purpose. You’ll quickly see where pacing drags or where sections repeat. These are the tools of self-revision—and they cost nothing but time.

The truth is that knowing when not to hire an editor is just as important as knowing when you should. Holding off doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re respecting the process. Editing is expensive. You’ll get far more value if you arrive with a manuscript that’s been through several passes of your own. The editor can then focus on deeper, subtler issues rather than pointing out the obvious.

So before you hit send, ask yourself: have I revised? Have I cut what I knew wasn’t working? Have I pushed the manuscript as far as I can alone? If the answer is no, hold off. If the answer is yes, then you’re ready to make the investment.