Why Native English Speakers Make the Best Editors for Your Manuscript

After putting in hours of effort into writing, rewriting, and looking up at the ceiling, the manuscript that brings all that work together is finally finished. However, the next step in the process, which is often regarded as difficult, is editing. While editing is as critical to your writing as writing itself, it is actually the most critical part of the process because it helps you convey the true meaning of your story.

Therefore, selecting an editor is one of the most vital steps in the writing process. When it comes to finding the best fit for you and your manuscript, the best option is to work with an editor who is a native English speaker. This is because native English speakers have an inherent understanding of how to use the English language naturally. Thus, they will have a better grasp of what needs to be changed in your manuscript to improve it and increase its chances of being selected for publication by a traditional publisher.

Table of Contents

1. Mastery of Language

2. An Enhanced Sense of  Tone & Style

3. Cultural Sensitivity and Context

4. Polished Prose

5. Stronger Reader Connection

6. Key Points

7. Editor’s Insights

8. Case Study

9. FAQs

Mastery of Language

When you know something like the back of your hand, the first thing that comes to mind is likely your native language. The difference between learning a new language, and living with it your entire lifetime, is huge! People who were born and raised using the same language have spent their entire lifetimes learning all the idiosyncratic patterns, grammatical rules and how the language has evolved. For them, it is as natural as breathing and they don't have to think for a second about what is correct.

Because of this native instinct, there is no way for a second language speaker, however fluent, to ever replicate that experience. Natives also take care of those subtle corrections that go beyond the basics of grammar. They want to create that same natural flow of English that allows the reader to fully engage in the entire story's experience.

An Enhanced Sense of Tone & Style

Editing is not just about sounding "right," but also capturing the style and tone that best matches the story being told. What separates natives from others in this area, is that natives possess this innate ability to find the best way to speak in the style of the story that they tell. Take for instance a horror book which employs an ominous, tense tone to create an air of fear; each sentence pulls the reader forward with a sense of dread.

Conversely, a romantic comedy has a more lighthearted, witty, humorous tone. Both books may be grammatically correct, but if the tone is off, the entire essence of the narrative can change drastically — perhaps even permanently! Only by working with native editors can you align your words with the emotional tone your book demands. They do not simply edit; they help create the music of your prose.

Cultural Sensitivity and Context

When has language ever existed in a vacuum? All the languages we use encapsulate the story of a people. One word can mean completely different things depending on the culture from which it originated. An understanding of cultural nuances is what native speakers are able to provide as an added benefit to authors. They instinctively know the cultural underpinnings of what you are saying and how your readers will interpret it.

Take humour, for instance. A joke may resonate well within one culture while being offensive to another. The phrase “break a leg” or “the ball is in your court” are not simply literal phrases; in a cultural context they may have a very different meaning. Manuscript accountability is the editor’s responsibility. As a result, using a native editor to work on your manuscript will help ensure that the theme of your manuscript is communicated correctly and will help you avoid pitfalls of miscommunication due to cultural differences. 

Polished Prose

Containing polished prose is essential to prevent your story from appearing flat. While even the best-written manuscript can have sections of unease when inconsistencies occur in the writing style, the editing/narrative polish process is used to elevate those areas of concern. Native editors will seek to identify any shifts in tonal quality that may distract the reader from experiencing the story in an enjoyable manner, and will ensure that these shifts do not lead the reader to think of the story differently. 

The polishing of a manuscript also prepares the manuscript for publication. Publishers or agents are looking for a manuscript that reads professionally from the time it is opened. 

Stronger Reader Connection

The primary goal of every narrative is to facilitate a strong reader connection. The objective is to not only provide the reader with an understanding of the story, but to also provide them with a feeling of a front-row seat, so to speak, from the beginning to the end of the narrative.

Professionals native to a language can change how an audience responds to writing in that language, because they understand the nuances of phrasing and word choices based on the language they’ve grown up with. Regardless of whether or not readers recognize the skill of the native language editor, they will experience an emotional connection while reading your book; something you would like them to feel when closing your novel or following your series. This feeling—of an emotional connection to your words—is something that can only be attained by hiring a native language editor to take your writing from “ink” to “the page” so that it leaps off the page and connects with your readers.

An editor is not merely someone who edits manuscript grammar or syntax; an editor should be able to create the timelessness of your work using creative ideas to shape the manuscript. While any editor can edit the grammatical structure or polish any draft, a native language editor can create the very special nuances and cultural instincts that will bring your story to life—the manuscript to life — and resonate with your audience. Who wouldn’t want their manuscript to resonate with global audiences no matter how far away they are?

The purpose of Rolling Authors is to connect authors with editors who are fluent in English, so authors can have their voices heard while maintaining individuality.

Rolling Authors wants authors’ messages to shine through, and will address subtleties in tone, cultural nuance and polishing so that the author’s intent is clear.

Key Points

- Editors who speak English as a native language have a natural grasp of the language that goes beyond grammatical rules.

- Editors will ensure the tone, voice, and emotion of your manuscript are consistent with the genre of your manuscript.

- Cultural understanding will result in native English editors reducing or eliminating the likelihood of misinterpretation and misunderstanding due to cultural differences.

- Editing manuscripts from a cultural perspective will make them easier to read and comprehend.

- Native English-speaking editors will provide a better chance of the manuscript being marketable and accepted by agents and publishers.

Editors’ Insights

1. The Importance of Tone and Genre: All editors will say that good editing is invisible.

Native English-speaking editors uniquely possess a talent for aligning the tone inherent to a specific literary genre (i.e., suspenseful tones found within thrillers, romantic softness found within romances, and humorous tones found within memoirs) through their unconscious familiarity with the patterns used in their native tongue.

2. Cultural meaning also influences how a reader experiences a book.

Most publishing consultants will advise authors submitting a manuscript internationally that the main reason most international submissions are rejected is cultural differences. For example, what an author may intend as a humorous phrase may seem offensive to a reader from a different culture; conversely, a metaphor authored with inspirational intent could very well be construed as being whacky or out of place by a foreign reader. Because native editors are privy to cultural meanings, they can quickly identify the above problematic phrases and make the necessary changes.

3. According to both HarperCollins and Penguin editors, grammar mistakes should not be the reason for any manuscript's failure, but rather the result of manuscript "flow." Flow issues may result from the following: unnatural rhythms in a manuscript's writing style, abrupt transitions between manuscript parts, and dialogue that does not sound like human speech (stiff, awkward, etc.).

Case Study

The author, an Indian national, submitted a 92,000-word fantasy manuscript that contained incredible world building but had serious issues with the use and quality of dialogue. The dialogue was overly formal, incorporating various phrases/expressions that were not found in most English-speaking cultures. When the author submitted the manuscript to a native English-speaking editor to help them make corrections to the author's manuscript, the editor worked with the author to restructure the dialogue so that it sounded more natural and better suited to the genre. Additionally, the editor made adjustments to the cultural references and metaphors used throughout the manuscript so that they could be easily understood by any reader regardless of where in the world they reside. Further, the editor improved the rhythm of the sentences to help improve the pacing of the story.

Approximately six weeks after submitting the revised manuscript to the publisher, the author received an offer of a publication contract from a mid-sized publisher located in the UK.

FAQs

1. Should every author work with a native English editor?

Not necessarily; however, if your intended market is the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia, working with a native editor will likely increase the world of your manuscript, enhance the tone and authenticity of the work, and improve the overall readability of your manuscript.

2. Are all Native Editors able to edit your writing? 

Many native English-language editors can edit your writing for grammatical errors and incorrect sentence structures but do not have the knowledge to use language correctly to express themselves (or at least the same way) based on the cultural differences between speakers, idioms, and feelings about how a speaker might say something.

3. Will my Native Editor change my voice? 

No, good native editors will improve your writing but preserve your original voice and strengthen the clarity, tone, and effectiveness of your writing. They do not take away from your unique voice; they simply help to improve it. 

4. What types of books will see the most improvement from a native-language editor? 

Fiction, memoirs, children's books, poetry and narrative non-fiction books will see the most improvement due to the fact that these genres tend to be emotionally charged and very heavily dependent on tone, cultural differences, feeling/interpretation, etc. 

5. Are Native Editors going to be more expensive than other editors? 

Native-language editors may not necessarily be more expensive than editors in your country. You can find many native-language editors charging competitive rates and, for most writers/authors, the added clarity, logical flow, and professional, market-ready presentation offered by native-language editors will actually save you more money in the long run.

6. Am I Surrendering Control of My Manuscript? 

You will have all the transparency possible. You will clearly see every suggestion made by your editor, and you will be able to see these suggestions tracked in Microsoft Word, and you will work with your editor to decide what stays and what goes.

At Rolling Authors, we treat every manuscript like it's our own. That is why we only work with native editors who have the experience and skill to fine-tune your writing to the highest standard. No matter whether you need a major rewrite or line-level editing, Rolling Authors will be there for you every step of the way on your publishing experience.