I am currently re-editing my first manuscript. This would make it the ten or is it eleventh edit I have done? Can’t remember, done so many now. The thing is, I thought it was okay. I paid someone to do a comprehensive edit, clean it up and give suggestions on improvements. Based on their report I then began to send query letters to agents and submitting samples thinking it’s polished. This was a difficult lesson. Do your research really well before you give up your manuscript and believing the person will do what you have asked.
A ‘comprehensive’ edit, according to the Style Manual for the Australian literary industry, includes structural and copying editing and proofreading. All of which involves assessing the written word, content, structure, language, grammar so that the item is publishable. Thought that’s what I paid for, but alas no. This explains why the agents and publishers haven’t been pounding on my door or rather, rapidly responding to emails.
Nevertheless, this is a temporary set back. As the saying goes, if you don’t succeed at first, keep right on at it.
Luciana Cavallaro 