There is a stigma associated with writers turning to editors for assistance with their work. Some people see outside editing as an unfair advantage, a form of literary cheating. Writers are expected to be able to evaluate their work objectively. Interestingly, this is exactly the opposite of what one finds in other professions.
I just finished a set of conferences with my students which inspired me to write about the most important rule of writing — writing is a process.
As an author, it’s never fun to get your manuscript back with red through all of your precious words. In fact, it’s probably one of the worst moments you can have as a writer. Self-doubt can fill you and make you wonder why you ever bothered to write such poor quality stuff. But don’t fret. Just because there is a mass of red markings doesn’t mean that your work is poor quality. Other author’s are not only your best resource; they are also your best source of support.
