Which should come first: Beta reader or an editor?

[Guest]

Main points in my mind..

[Ronan]

Edit it yourself. When it's as good as you can possibly make it (for me that's usually around my fifth draft) give it to a few betas. Based on their feedback, edit, then beta it again. Then edit. THEN youre ready to send it in to publishers or agents, who will provide you an editor that matches their specific standards.

[Samantha]

I’m doing beta readers first. Then will probably hire an editor for proofreading. I have another aspiring author friend who I went through my plot and then the beta readers.

[Sima]

I think you should edit yourself, send to betas, collect feedback, edit again yourself (maybe get another round of betas) and then hire an editor.

Otherwise imagine paying editor a bunch of money and then your betas all point at a plot hole and now you have to redo it and hire editor again.

[Abantika]

Traditionally, an editor comes before a beta reader, but you can hire beta readers first of you're tight on budget. (Editor here)

[Burkley]

Self edit the crap out of it and then beta read and then editor. (there are other steps in their also, like arc teams and blurb and news letter release etc).

[Jeanni]

As a beta reader, I’ll immediately go the author if there are mistakes in the first few pages. I won’t keep reading. But if you are sure you’ll need an editor, maybe do that first. If you think an editor will just clean up a spot or two, use a beta reader first. That didn’t really give you an answer now. That’s my Miss America or politician answer.

[Heather]

It depends on how you define a beta reader. For me, they're the last read before the proofread. I have been a professional writer and editor for more than 15 years. My work spans everything from business, technical, and proposals to poetry, fiction and CNF. For me, the process steps to completing any work begins with the first draft, self edit and revision, critique from writers, revision, professional development, line and copy editing, and then beta readers in your genre and finally a proofread. I could have written that out better but texting a comment is hard.

[Jill]

Self edit like crazy, use an editing software to help you. Take a month or two off and come back to it with fresh eyes. Then get beta readers and make changes before paying for an editor if you’re going the self publishing route.

[Debbie]

Beta. Because most likely you will make changes based on their comments and suggestions. Betas are free. Don't pay for an editor and then get betas - you'll make changes that then need to be edited again!