Hiring an editor can seem like a pretty frightening prospect for many writers, not least because you’re handing over your precious manuscript to someone who might be about to tear it apart. There’s a lot of scaremongering around editors and the editorial process, and a lot of myths have grown up which simply have no basis in fact.

Writing a book is hard work, which is why completing a manuscript is such a huge achievement. Finishing a first draft, however, is only half the battle. Writing success is all about rewriting, and that can feel like an overwhelming task when you look back on your manuscript and maybe begin to see the flaws and weaknesses. To make things easier, this is the point at which you should consider hiring a developmental editor.