What does it mean to be 'Good Enough' when it comes to self-publishing?

I see so many posts about editing and hiring professional editors and it feels like a lot of people are frustrated with the process of hiring and using a professional editor.

It also feels like people think that they can't (or shouldn't) publish WITHOUT a professional editor.

Well, in the days before social media and self-publishing, this made sense.

But I disagree with this today.

I would say that a self-edited self-published book is BETTER than a non-published book.

It also feels like lots of people get confused and overwhelmed about where to find an editor and how much they should cost.

And for many people, a proper, professional editor is a major expense that they may never be able to afford.

Then, they worry that even if they can afford an editor, that they might get ripped off.

And they ultimately end up finding typos and errors that their editors missed and they feel frustrated at the entire process.

Well, if you are finding more typos and errors that your editor, it's either:

You got ripped off.

Or your editor is really bad.

But there is a THIRD OPTION:

You might be a better editor than you're giving yourself credit for.

I think that for many people, the case can be made that they are a "good enough" editor for themselves.

And that their books are "good enough" to self-publish and get out there.

Especially when you use all of the auto-correction and error-detection features of Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Grammarly, and ChatGPT (just to name a few).

I have nothing against editors. Yes, being able to afford a professional editor will always be "better", but when is a book considered "good enough"? And what should someone do if they simply can't afford an editor?

Well, what is considered "good enough" will be a different answer for everybody, but I would make the case that there are A LOT of writers who are plenty "good enough" and just have to realize this and get a little nudge.

Maybe this can be your nudge.

So, how many self-published books are "good enough" but aren't getting uploaded because people are worried about a few typos?

Or may never get published simply because people just can't afford a professional editor?

In my opinion, it's TOO MANY.

I'll say it again: A self-edited self-published book is BETTER than a non-published book.

And yes, before anyone jumps all over me, a professional editor will ALWAYS be better than not.

But if you can't afford an editor, just remember that you might not need one, especially with all of the free writing aids and writing communities available online.

Remember, you can always take your book down or fix/update your manuscript and re-upload it to correct future copies.

So for any frustrated authors out there, I just want you to know that there is a good chance that you and your book are already "good enough'. So keep pushing forward so that we can welcome you into the published-author club!

This is just an observation and I hope that it helps more people achieve published-author status through self-publishing.

I say all of this as someone who published their first book in 2011 and I've published dozens of books since then. I've sold thousands of books, received thousands of reviews, and I've personally helped hundreds of people become self-published authors. Many of them were PLENTY "good enough" to self-publish on their own and they just needed me to give them a little confidence boost.

I wouldn't even consider myself a "good writer", but I would call myself a "good-enough writer". I definitely rely on spellcheck and the built-in tools in Microsoft Word (and I still miss things).

And yes, my books still end up with typos. But my readers don't fuss over typos. Some actually enjoy trying to find typos and letting me know (free editing) and I've never received a bad review over them.

If you've read this far and want to join my new Self-Publishing Community, here is the link: https://www.skool.com/selfpublishing