One thing I learned early in my career was to closely observe and analyse trends in publishing – or at least to try. To stay abreast of what is being published (especially at what times of year) and what is being read, because they aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Myths and misconceptions abound online about what to do when you have completed the draft of your manuscript. In this post I unpack a few of those and offer some tips for your next steps.

On Monday this week, Editors Victoria (a branch of the Institute of Professional Editors) hosted a launch online of my book, Editing for Sensitivity, Diversity and Inclusion: A guide for professional editors (2e, published by Cambridge University Press). I was thrilled to be in the company of more than 90 editor colleagues from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and a fruitful, albeit brief, discussion was had in the allotted hour.

Editors lament the difficulty they experience sometimes in convincing independent (indie) authors that their manuscript needs to be professionally edited (and proofread) prior to self-publication.