In an earlier blog post, "Why I'm scared of self-publishing," I talk about the fact that one of the worries I have about publishing my author is that it will somehow be less than traditionally published books. Less well-written. Less fluid. Less polished.
Less.
And that is one of the major reasons I am going to invest in an editor. I don't want my book to be less than just because there isn't a publishing company backing this endeavor. There are tremendously talented traditionally published authors out there. The kind of authors whom are adored by fans and emulated by other writers. The Tolkiens and Kings and Robertses of the world. The people that we want to be when we grow up.
I'm not ready to rank myself with them (even privately), but I do think that I have the chops to stand with some of the mid-level traditionally published authors. And I know that I will get better with experience (like fine cheese). So if I really, truly am the equal to some of mid-level authors, there is no reason that my final product should not be just as good as theirs.
As long as I have an editor (and a cover artist).
My hope is that, with the help of my editors, my book could be placed alongside of some traditionally published author's with the reader completely unable to tell which of us had a publishing house backing it (aside from the places on the trad. pubbed book that say which house it came from...).
P.s. I have been comparing myself to mid-level authors out of a sense of decency and modesty. Maybe next year I'll compare myself to the A-list authors.