> Someone like Brandon Sanderson has not only an editor but continuity staff to make sure his plot lines aren’t full of holes and timelines make sense. But he s

> Someone like Brandon Sanderson has not only an editor but continuity staff to make sure his plot lines aren’t full of holes and timelines make sense. But he sells millions. I always thought that’s an important part of what an editor does. I've edited, typeset and generally helped develop a couple of books for a friend who self-publishes fiction. I look out for stuff like continuity errors right down to seemingly petty ones, such as a TV being turned off twice. Maybe some readers wouldn’t notice, but I do. I first read over to get a feel for the book, then I discuss any high-level improvements — little things like suggesting re-ordering chapters to maintain suspense. Sometimes it means breaking bad news gently, such as song lyrics in a work of fiction not falling under the doctrine of fair dealing[0] and licensing fees that make an editor look cheap. In the self-published space, achieving 9th decile in terms of cover art, editing or typesetting doesn’t seem like much of a challenge. It’s really nice to see a draft become a finished product and be a part of that. [0] Fair dealing is like fair use but in the UK.