A digital painting of an independent author working late at a desk, surrounded by marked-up manuscript pages and subtle holographic editing symbols, representing self-editing, creative autonomy, and human craft augmented by AI.

7 reasons I broke the rules and became a self-editor

ByTC Marti

I’m a self-editor, and have been one since I wrote my first books. Some authors self-edit because it saves them money, but I had ulterior motives.

Normies are trained to see self-sufficient libertarians as villains. Good. Let them call me a villain. I’ve long embraced the role anyway. Just ask hockey fans and they’ll tell you about old TC.

Too many authors follow the “you need a professional editor” status quo. But that quip should be on life support when self-sufficiency and AI go to bat. It’s why a lot of people hate them. Not because they’re godsends when used in the private sector; they threaten people in that same private sector.

Not in a bad way. But when new ideas and inventions could take away one’s normalcy, they feel threatened. For those of us who see self-sufficiency and AI as better ways to advance our business ventures, we’re gonna lead the pack.

It’s why I became a ferocious self-editor years ago and have recently taken things up a notch. Here are seven reasons behind the madness.

1 – I wanted to learn how to be a self-editor

Hiring a developmental and copyeditor could cost upwards of $3,000, or at least take up a significant chunk of an author budget. So I told myself early that I was going to buck that trend and learn developmental and copyediting. Given my loose cannon preference, I scoffed at the idea of sensitivity editing.

2 – I enjoy editing as much as I do writing

I love editing. A lot of authors don’t, and that’s fine. But if you enjoy editing, either developmental, copyediting, or both, then why not take it up as a craft? You’ll save money, but you’ll also learn a new skill.

3 – I’m a rebel by design

I can’t stand author marketing gurus, and I don’t pretend to be one. I’m just someone who offers simple alternatives. Just about every guru out there claims you need copyediting for reasons X, Y, and Z. Yeah, maybe if your idea of editing means proofreading your work. But these days, you can share your work with AI models and bam, you have your own copyeditor. Just make sure you know how to prompt it.

4 – Self-editing makes my work more human

I won’t lie: Self-editing probably won’t let you churn out a work as sharp as one a professional editor or two looked at. But these days, it’s all about being human in an AI world, or even a sanitized world. AI is great for copyediting, but you can also make it to where it gives you edit suggestions so your work still sounds like a human, and not a computer, wrote it.

5 – I always dreamed of AI cutting into traditional editing

In the 2010s, I always thought, “Man, I wish I could just push a button and get automated suggestions for editing, writing, character image creation, outlines, etc.” Fast forward to the 2020s, and not only do we have this; it’s the thing for creatives. Now, people like me who started off on a budget have a fighting chance. Who wouldn’t be for that?

6 – I wanted to show other authors it was okay to be a self-editor

It’s fine to be a self-editor. Hell, some readers, especially in the 2020s, prefer it. Self-editing shows that you and only you touched your work. That means a lot to readers who crave authenticity. And the more we see people break away from traditional avenues and forge their own routes, the more readers, listeners, and viewers will crave authenticity.

7 – I wanted to dismantle the gatekeepers

Beyond the Lost Horizon by TC MartiA lot of gurus giving you “author advice” are in bed with gatekeepers; it’s something none of them want you to realize or acknowledge. That said, gatekeepers in many industries, including the publishing industry, will try to hang onto the status quo.

They’ll gaslight, talk about why authors can never do X, Y, and Z under the guise of “helping” and “looking out for them,” and keep resisting a losing battle.

If you’re a self-editor like me, don’t listen to these people. They want to keep the status quo locked so they don’t need to adopt a new skill set mid-career. But the beauty of capitalism is creative destruction, and it can’t happen fast enough.

As for me, I’ll be working on and self-editing my next book with tools I have at my disposal. If you want to see the results of those tools, check out my work at my personal store, The Rebel Lore Vault. That means I’m also not dependent on the status quo known as Amazon.

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