There are lots of reasons why a book can fail to find readers, some of which are out of anyone’s control. However, two of the principal reasons why a book doesn’t succeed are these:

• It has not been copyedited.

• It has been badly copyedited.

From the title on the cover of your book to the last sentence on the final page, good copyediting establishes:

• Authority

• Credibility

• Professionalism

• Trust

These are things you need to provide readers right from the start, otherwise they will give up on your book. Look at it from their perspective: at the very least, they need to invest their time and probably their money to find what they’re looking for. If they don’t find it in your book, they’ll look elsewhere.

Remember, if your book is sold on sites like Amazon, you’ll want to make available 10–15 per cent of the text as a sneak preview. That’s when most readers will be making up their minds about your book. If they see errors and inconsistencies – ‘stupid mistakes’ – or lots of ugly typography that’s hard to read, you’ll lose them right there and they won’t come back or recommend you to others. Even if they do buy your book, they may be so disappointed with it that they decide to leave a bad review. That’s even worse than not being read at all! So remember: it is a false economy to skip copyediting. If you want your book to be read – who doesn’t? – and if you want readers to recommend your book to others, you can’t afford to leave anything to chance.  

You now have a choice: should you try to find a professional copyeditor who knows what they’re doing, or should you try to do the job yourself? I have worked in publishing throughout my career. I know from experience that a good copyeditor is worth their weight in gold. The sad fact, however, is that good copyeditors are hard to find. With all my extensive experience working with hundreds of copyeditors, I can only think of a handful I would really trust to do a good job – and one of them is me! A decent copyeditor can be hard to track down and will naturally charge a fee to match. If you are prepared to put in the work and have the cash, you can rely on your copyeditor. But what if you don’t have the time or the money, or can’t find someone suitable?

Here’s where the DIY option comes in. The copyediting tips to follow will save you time and money and stress. They will improve your writing and copyediting skills. They will help you copyedit as you write. They will solve problems and correct errors after you have written.  

Remember the Three C’s:

• Care

• Clarity

• Consistency

If you follow the ten tips to come, your writing will impress your potential readers with its care, clarity and consistency. It will help provide you with authority, credibility and professionalism. And your readers will give your their trust and their business.