I discovered at work (in those days) the importance of editing. So many emails flew through the work threads with terrible grammar, spelling or punctuation. I would think a little less of those people for them; then I would see one such error in my email, and think a little less of myself….
It’s worse with books. When I’m reading something, encountering spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors, or awkward sentence structures propels me right out of the book.
You’ve had a request for your complete manuscript from an agent or editor. Suddenly your mouth goes dry. Your knees are shaky. Is your manuscript REALLY ready for prime time?
OR
Let’s say you’re a DIY person, and you publish yourself through Amazon or Smashwords, or some other self publishing organ. Will your readers toss your book in disgust because it’s so amateurishly edited?
OR
Maybe you’re hyper-anal or compulsive, and you don’t know when to stop the editing process. When, exactly, is enough enough?
To my mind there’s no “exactly” possible; it’s my contention that there’s never been a perfect novel or non-fiction book written. Still, don’t use that as an excuse to take a lazy approach to editing.
Some newbie writers don’t much care for the editing process; it’s not where the creative process is, they will tell you. And some high-dollar writers feel this way, too. But editing can…
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Michael Seidel, writer 
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors do more than propel me out of the book; they make me want to throw the book across the room. That’s bad, because I’m not normally inclined to throw things when annoyed.
Tastes differ when it comes to plot, character, description, etc., and it’s harder to get that part “just right” because there is no “right” way to do it, only ways that may be more or less effective, depending on what the author is trying to achieve.
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I can say be edited my current WIP twice already. Planning a third revision to start in a month or so. Need enough time between revisions to make the next one meaningful.
I’ve considered hiring an editor, but finding one I trust, in my genre, that I can afford hasn’t proven easy.
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Yes, finding someone on my wavelength is also the challenge in hiring a copy editor. GL. Cheers
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