I’m about to anger a lot of writers and editors, so strap in and enjoy the rage tornado. Are you ready for a horrifying admission? Here goes … I publish novels without using content editors or critique groups (dun dun duuuuun). And, my books are better without them (gasps, scoffs, and finger pointing).

Yes, yes, I know. Put down the pitchforks and hear me out. I’m not a precious snowflake and I’m not adverse to criticism. I actually have reasons.

In the writing world, this is the equivalent of an auto mechanic saying that they refuse to use wrenches. It’s a jarring declaration, and before anyone gets their undies in a bunch, I have used content editors and critique groups in the past. I’m not new to them, nor am I afraid of them. I actively seek honest feedback. The problem was, I never got any. All I got were tone-destroying edits and ego-stroking critiques. I went to meeting after meeting, hired editor after editor, and ended up with a pile of butchered reworks, none of which improved the manuscript.

I was forced to ask myself a thorny question. Why am I doing this? The answer was, of course, because I thought I had to. Talk to any author or read any article about the publishing process and they will regurgitate the same unquestionable wisdom.

Critique groups are invaluable. You MUST join one to improve your writing.

Content editors are worth their weight in gold. You MUST hire one before publishing.

To which I say … bullshit.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are countless editors and groups out there who truly help writers better their craft. I’m not hating on them, just questioning the conventional wisdom. And, full disclosure, I am unrepresented. I do not have access to the sweet pub-house editors, those angelic wordsmiths who can turn clunky manuscripts into polished gems. I’m an indie author, which means that I shell out my own hard-earned money for editing services. I am also aware that you get what you pay for, so I decided to pay a lot because I wanted it done right.

I should also differentiate between content editors and copy editors. The first edits for style, which can be painfully hit or miss. The second edits for structure and grammar, which is worth every cent. So when I question their value, I am referring to the former.

I went through four professional content editors before I threw in the towel. The root of the problem boiled down to simple bias. They all edited the same content and their preferences were apparent to a fault. The manuscript in question was a final draft of Transient, a sci-fi noir tale. What I got back was anything but. I could see, very plainly, that one editor liked fluffy YA, another liked hard sci-fi, and the other two liked cozy mysteries, none of which applied to my story. All four editors mangled the tone with their inherent biases.

I readily admit that I could simply be the victim of bad editors. But, all four were establish pros with good reviews and solid reputations. Four strikes on a hefty investment is enough to sour anyone’s opinion. Thus, I decided to accept grammatical quirks as a small price for retaining tone. I would get the manuscript in the best possible shape I could, then hold my breath and click the “Publish” button.

Hiring professional editors was a direct result of abiding worthless critique groups. I kept hearing that they were magical wonderlands of writing improvement, but I never saw any of that. The ones I attended were circle jerks of egoism. I always came in as the humble newbie, and always left shaking my head in bemusement. Nobody seemed interested in helping their fellow wordsmiths. All they wanted to do was showcase their own accolades. I’m all for some serious red inking, but not when arguments have absolutely no bearing on the story. No joke, I actually had someone critique my sci-fi noir novel by citing Shakespeare (facepalm). I was shocked by how useless the experiences turned out to be.

Suffice to say, I no longer use content editors or critique groups. On the flip side, I am fortunate to have a small group of bookworm pals who heed my desire for harsh feedback. They find the vast majority of typos and plot holes (and take hedonistic pleasure in pointing them out). That works for me and my readers seem to appreciate it.

Maybe one day I will find a content editor that I click with, which may necessitate a trad-pub deal, but I’m not actively looking. I did find a fantastic copy editor that I employ as my last line of typo defense. This is why you see “Edited by Jennifer Amon” on every copyright page.

In closing, I will offer an olive branch. If you are reading this as a new author or someone who receives harsh but honest feedback, then I encourage you to stick with your editors or critique groups. Do not use this post as an excuse to jump ship. You’ll do yourself a grave disservice. I only speak from my own experience, which unveiled a simple truth: the conventional wisdom is not infallible. Use it, learn from it, just don’t let it paralyze you.

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