*rubs temples* An editor is a contractor for words. It's an editor's job to come in, suck air through their teeth, and go, "Well, here's your problem..." before giving you a list of load-bearing errors and what it'll take to fix them. If you don't want this, please seek out a writer's group.

I went to a writer's group once (just once). They were kind about every piece of crap submitted to them. Someone from that groups came to my then usual group. Every piece was the best he'd every read, literally. I was of course last and therefore the true greatest. Shows don't it?

The Zeal Corporation gets around the need for word contractors by simply never using words with apostrophes.

The analogy would work better for me if you said EOR or engineer for words.

I feel like this is like when I had a business idea, and I brought it to my buddy to look at. When he returned it, it looked like it was written in red pen. He’s like I have an MBA. What do you think I was gonna do?

Have you ever been asked to edit the literary equivalent of The Disaster House?

I've never gotten a manuscript to the state of wanting an editor but I've always wondered how I'd take the criticism. One hopes I'd take it in stride but I know I'd still probably pout a little. To myself at any rate. Not because I think I'm amazing, I'm just always tired lol.

Indeed. It’s important to calibrate expectations about feedback to the source. Don’t expect an editor to know the differences between a 2005 Smart Car and a 2011 Smart Car. That’s what one specific member of the public is for.

I’m an editor and have sent this to every other editor I know. 100% agreement.

I don't understand people who think their first drafts are perfect.

Reading these comments it's truly terrifying the kinds of writer groups many people end up in. My current group are artists too, so I think we're more open to crit and willing to give it. That being said who tf delivers a first draft to an editor?? Is that a thing?