Producing a polished book requires a professional copy edit and meticulous proofreading before the book is printed. Self-published authors often overlook these crucial steps, but as publishing professionals, we know that no matter how good your grammar skills are, you are going to need to have someone else review your work before it is published. Publishing houses employ an army of copy editors and proofreaders because they understand that no writer has enough distance from the text to proof and correct his or her own work objectively. If you are self-publishing, you need to take the same approach. Your book must be free of errors and stylistically in tune with other books on the market in order for it to be competitive. Good to know: Make sure to get editing done BEFORE layout—it will save you time and money. Proofreading is usually done once the final book layout is done. There are different levels of editing available. Consider what you need before talking to an editor.