Your Next Draft When Should You Work With an Editor? (It's Earlier Than You Think)
What if you've already done enough to work with an editor—right now?
You’ve been working on your novel for so long. Not just months—years, maybe even decades.
And yet you have a long way still to go. The day when you have a polished manuscript you’re proud to pitch or publish feels so far away, and you're starting to wonder if you're missing something crucial.
And in the back of your mind, you might be wondering:
When should you work with an editor?
How much more should you do before you start looking? How many drafts should you finish before you reach out? When is your story finally ready for an editor’s feedback?
That’s the question I’m answering in this episode—and the answer might surprise you.
You’ll learn:
- The one simple question that tells you it’s time for editorial help
- Why "finished" isn't a prerequisite for working with an editor
- The landscape of editorial support available at every stage (from idea to publication)
- How to find the right type of editor for where you are in your process
- The difference between "editor" and "book coach" and what each term suggests
Here's what I've discovered: most writers desperately want editorial support—they just don't know it exists at their stage of the process.
So in this episode, I’ll give you a simple metric to evaluate when you are ready for an editor, and show you what to look for when you are.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Work with me in Next Right Step: alicesudlow.com/nrs
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