u/FreedomAlarmed9881

My experience testing editors before hiring one
A few people have asked me about my experience testing editors before hiring one, so I figured I’d share what happened.
I tested three different editors on a section of my manuscript. Before sending it out, I checked the original section with Originality.ai and it came back around 50%.
After the editors made their changes, some of the same sections were showing around 90%.
That surprised me because the changes themselves weren’t major.
For anyone who hasn’t worked with a line editor before, they’re not supposed to rewrite your book. They usually work directly in Word with Track Changes. You’ll see things crossed out, words added, sentences combined, wording changed, etc., and then you decide whether you want to accept or reject each suggestion.
That’s basically what happened with my samples. Nobody rewrote my scenes or changed my story. Most of the changes were things like combining sentences, removing words, tightening up wording and fixing flow.
So when I saw that difference in the results, I started looking into it because I wanted to understand what was happening.
What I found was that these scoring programs aren’t a definitive way of establishing who actually wrote something. Writing can get different results depending on how it has been edited, and a score by itself doesn’t tell you the history of a manuscript.
That also got me thinking about something else.
I’ve been reading about authors who have had questions come up about their manuscripts, and one thing that really stood out to me was the importance of keeping your writing history.
I don’t want to have one final Word document someday and have to say, “Trust me, I wrote this.”
So I’m keeping everything.
Original drafts. Older versions. Notes. Outlines. Character information. Revision history. The version I send to an editor. The version I get back. Emails. Invoices. Everything that shows how the manuscript developed.
Another thing I’d recommend when looking for an editor is be completely upfront about your manuscript and how you created it.
I told every editor I contacted that I wrote my manuscript myself, but that I had used some computer-assisted tools in a couple of places during the writing/revision process.
A couple of editors told me they don’t work on manuscripts that have had any computer assistance at all.
I thanked them for being honest with me and moved on.
I actually respect that. Editors are allowed to have their own policies about what work they accept, and I’d rather know that before hiring somebody.
For me, the biggest lesson from this whole process is to test an editor before committing to the entire manuscript.
Give them a sample. Look at what they actually change. Make sure they understand your voice. See whether you agree with their suggestions.
And keep your original files.
I’m still testing editors, but at this point I’m much more interested in whether someone actually improves the manuscript while preserving what makes it mine than I am in getting a particular score from a software program.
That’s been my experience so far, anyway. Hopefully it helps somebody else who’s getting ready to hire an editor.

My experience testing editors before hiring one
A few people have asked me about my experience testing editors before hiring one, so I figured I’d share what happened.
I tested three different editors on a section of my manuscript. Before sending it out, I checked the original section with Originality.ai and it came back around 50%.
After the editors made their changes, some of the same sections were showing around 90%.
That surprised me because the changes themselves weren’t major.
For anyone who hasn’t worked with a line editor before, they’re not supposed to rewrite your book. They usually work directly in Word with Track Changes. You’ll see things crossed out, words added, sentences combined, wording changed, etc., and then you decide whether you want to accept or reject each suggestion.
That’s basically what happened with my samples. Nobody rewrote my scenes or changed my story. Most of the changes were things like combining sentences, removing words, tightening up wording and fixing flow.
So when I saw that difference in the results, I started looking into it because I wanted to understand what was happening.
What I found was that these scoring programs aren’t a definitive way of establishing who actually wrote something. Writing can get different results depending on how it has been edited, and a score by itself doesn’t tell you the history of a manuscript.
That also got me thinking about something else.
I’ve been reading about authors who have had questions come up about their manuscripts, and one thing that really stood out to me was the importance of keeping your writing history.
I don’t want to have one final Word document someday and have to say, “Trust me, I wrote this.”
So I’m keeping everything.
Original drafts. Older versions. Notes. Outlines. Character information. Revision history. The version I send to an editor. The version I get back. Emails. Invoices. Everything that shows how the manuscript developed.
Another thing I’d recommend when looking for an editor is be completely upfront about your manuscript and how you created it.
I told every editor I contacted that I wrote my manuscript myself, but that I had used some computer-assisted tools in a couple of places during the writing/revision process.
A couple of editors told me they don’t work on manuscripts that have had any computer assistance at all.
I thanked them for being honest with me and moved on.
I actually respect that. Editors are allowed to have their own policies about what work they accept, and I’d rather know that before hiring somebody.
For me, the biggest lesson from this whole process is to test an editor before committing to the entire manuscript.
Give them a sample. Look at what they actually change. Make sure they understand your voice. See whether you agree with their suggestions.
And keep your original files.
I’m still testing editors, but at this point I’m much more interested in whether someone actually improves the manuscript while preserving what makes it mine than I am in getting a particular score from a software program.
That’s been my experience so far, anyway. Hopefully it helps somebody else who’s getting ready to hire an editor.

Her is a little gem I had Gemini write to show what ProWriting Aide Chapter Critique look like.

The velvet-lined display case had held standard vampire-slaying gear for centuries: bleached ash stakes, heavy silver crucifixes, and flasks of consecrated water. None of those were currently within reach.

As the mahogany door splintered inward, Penelope lunged for the open door of the en-suite bathroom. Behind her, Count Malakor filled the threshold. His silk cloak billowed despite the lack of wind, and his fangs glinted under the chandelier. He was a creature of ancient dark majesty, incapable of seeing a guest bath as anything more than a minor obstacle.

"You run to a dead end, little mortal," Malakor purred, gliding across the tile with effortless grace.

Penelope’s hands frantically swept the marble countertop. Empty. She dropped low, her fingers wrapping around the first plastic handle she touched in the dark corner behind the porcelain basin. She whipped around, holding her makeshift weapon high in a defensive guard.

It was a toilet brush.

Not just any brush, but a custom, eye-watering creation she’d bought on clearance. The thick resin handle was filled with neon pink fluid and suspended iridescent glitter that swirled in the moonlight. The bristles were a dense, dazzling hot-pink polyester, shimmering with aggressive synthetic cheer.

Malakor paused, his dark eyes blinking in sheer disbelief. "Is this a joke? You confront the Undying with a... a sanitation wand?"

"Stand back!" Penelope yelled, trying to sound menacing while holding six ounces of sparkly acrylic. "I'm not afraid to use it!"

Malakor threw his head back and laughed, a cold, echoing sound that vibrated the glass sconces. "Foolish girl. I have broken broadswords with my bare hands. I have crushed holy icons into dust. What power do you think that ridiculous trinket holds over—"

He lunged, claws extended to snap her neck.

Penelope didn't think; she swung.

She drove the bright pink brush forward with every ounce of force she possessed. By pure, chaotic fortune, the stiff, synthetic bristles caught Malakor straight in his wide-open mouth, wedging firmly against the back of his fangs.

The reaction was instantaneous.

It wasn't magic, nor was it blessed by a bishop. The bristles, engineered for harsh chemical scrubbing, were infused with a commercial bleach solution and embedded with microscopic shards of silver micro-glitter meant to give the plastic its shine. To an ancient vampire, silver dust in the bloodstream was pure, agonizing acid.

Malakor recoiled with a muffled shriek, clawing at his face as brilliant pink sparks seemed to ignite from his lips. The silver glitter reacted with his corrupt blood, sizzling like bacon on a hot skillet. Thick blue smoke poured from his nostrils.

"Scrub-a-dub-dub," Penelope muttered through grit teeth, twisting the pink handle to widen the burn.

The Count staggered backward out of the bathroom, his regal posture collapsing into desperate violently trembling sputters. Pink sparkles danced over his skin as the silver-infused bristles did their brutal, unglamorous work. The light in his eyes flickered, turned to ash, and with a final, choked sigh, Malakor burst into a cloud of gray dust—leaving only his empty silk cloak and a fine dusting of hot-pink glitter floating gently to the floor.

Penelope lowered the brush, panting hard. She blew a speck of glowing glitter off the tip, adjusted her grip on the resin handle, and stepped over the empty cloak. Modern problems required surprisingly tacky solutions.

Overview

Chapter Snapshot

Penelope is cornered by the vampire Count Malakor and lacks traditional weapons. She defends herself with a synthetic, glitter-filled toilet brush. The brush’s chemical composition and silver-infused bristles cause a fatal reaction in Malakor, destroying him and leaving Penelope to adjust to her unconventional victory.

Word Count

570

Chapter Function

Climax.

Resolves the immediate, life-threatening conflict.

Point of View

Third-Person Limited (Penelope)

Filtered through Penelope's immediate actions.

Character List

Protagonist

Penelope

Antagonist

Count Malakor

What's Working Well

The chapter's most prominent element is the juxtaposition of classic gothic horror tropes with mundane, kitsch modern items. The conflict pits an ancient, regal antagonist against a protagonist using a synthetic, neon-pink household object, subverting traditional genre expectations. This establishes a tone of resourceful subversion, providing a foundation for a narrative where modern utility overcomes ancient myth.

Chapter Outline

1. The Cornered Prey POV: Penelope Penelope retreats into a bathroom as Count Malakor breaks through the door, leaving her without traditional vampire-slaying tools.
2. The Unconventional Weapon POV: Penelope Penelope retrieves a glittery, neon pink toilet brush and uses its silver-infused bristles to incinerate Malakor during his attack.

Tension & Pacing

The pacing transitions from rapid, high-stakes flight to a tense, mocking confrontation, culminating in a brief, violent burst of action. The momentum accelerates as Penelope finds a weapon, shifting the narrative from a defensive retreat to a decisive offensive strike.

Protagonist's Arc

Motivation

The protagonist's motivation is immediate survival; her goal is to find a weapon and defend herself against a lethal supernatural threat within a confined space.

1. Initial State Penelope is trapped and unarmed, facing an ancient vampire with no accessible means of defense.
2. Catalyst Malakor’s lethal lunge forces Penelope to strike him with the silver-infused toilet brush, triggering his physical destruction.
3. Final State Penelope is safe and victorious, having discovered that modern, synthetic items can effectively neutralize ancient threats.

Structure

Punchy Narrative Resolution

Working well

New

The final line—"Modern problems required surprisingly tacky solutions"—is a perfect thematic "button" for the scene. It resolves the tension with a wry observation that reinforces Penelope’s resourcefulness and the story's central irony, leaving the reader with a clear sense of the chapter's identity.

Where in your text?

This is the concluding sentence of the chapter, following Penelope’s victory and her adjustment of the brush handle.

Pacing and Flow

Technical Info-dump During the Climax

Major concern

New

The momentum of the life-or-death struggle is halted by a multi-sentence explanation of the toilet brush’s chemical composition. Detailing the silver micro-glitter and bleach infusion in a detached, technical tone shifts the reader’s focus from the visceral action to manufacturing facts.

Where in your text?

This occurs in the middle of the chapter, immediately after Penelope jams the brush into Malakor’s mouth and before he reacts to the pain.

Explanation of the brush

Suggested improvements

What if the "why" of the weapon’s effectiveness was revealed through Penelope’s earlier observations or through the physical symptoms Malakor experiences? Consider how you might weave the technical details into the action—perhaps Penelope remembers the "contains real silver!" label as she sees the sparks—rather than pausing the scene for an encyclopedic explanation.

Language and Style

Neon-Pink Sensory Immersion

Working well

New

The description of the toilet brush is exceptionally vivid, using specific colors (neon pink, hot-pink), textures (thick resin, stiff synthetic bristles), and lighting (shimmering, iridescent) to create a clear, tactile image of the "weapon." This detail makes the kitschy object feel like a real, physical presence.

Where in your text?

This strength is most prominent in the middle of the chapter when Penelope first retrieves the brush and holds it up in the moonlight.

Subversive Gothic Atmosphere

Working well

New

You maintain a clever balance between traditional gothic horror (splintering mahogany, silk cloaks, ancient majesty) and the jarringly modern. This consistency in tone ensures that the "eye-watering" toilet brush feels like a deliberate, humorous subversion rather than a random or accidental inclusion.

Where in your text?

This is evident from the start, where traditional slaying gear (ash stakes, silver crucifixes) is contrasted with the "custom" clearance-aisle brush Penelope eventually finds.

Summary of Malakor's Majesty

Concern

New

The description of Count Malakor relies on abstract labels like "ancient dark majesty" rather than specific actions or visual details that evoke fear or awe. Stating he views the bathroom as a "minor obstacle" summarizes his mindset instead of demonstrating it through his dismissive behavior.

Where in your text?

This issue occurs in the second paragraph, immediately after Malakor enters the room and Penelope retreats toward the bathroom.

Description of Malakor

Suggested improvements

How might you demonstrate Malakor’s "majesty" or his disdain for the mundane setting through his physical movements or interaction with the environment? Consider showing his reaction to the "guest bath" through a specific gesture—perhaps he brushes aside a silk shower curtain as if it were a cobweb—rather than explaining his internal perspective.

Clichéd Simile for Vampire Combustion

Minor concern

New

The comparison of Malakor’s blood sizzling like "bacon on a hot skillet" is a very common simile that undercuts the unique, neon-pink visual style of the scene. It leans on a familiar domestic image that feels too mundane compared to the "aggressive synthetic cheer" of the weapon.

Where in your text?

This simile is used in the latter half of the chapter to describe the chemical reaction between the silver glitter and the vampire's blood.

Sizzling blood description

Suggested improvements

Since the weapon is a "custom, eye-watering creation," how might the sound or smell of the reaction reflect its synthetic, kitschy nature? Consider a comparison that leans into the "hot-pink" and "neon" aesthetic—perhaps something involving burning plastic, chemical fizzes, or a more modern, abrasive sound.

Overloaded Modifiers in Malakor's Demise

Minor concern

New

The description of Malakor’s collapse uses a string of three consecutive adverbs and adjectives ("desperate violently trembling") to describe his "sputters." This stacking of modifiers clutters the sentence and dilutes the impact of his physical disintegration.

Where in your text?

This issue is located in the penultimate paragraph, as Malakor staggers backward out of the bathroom and begins to turn to ash.

Malakor's collapse

Suggested improvements

Which of these descriptors—desperate, violent, or trembling—most accurately captures the essence of a dying ancient? Consider choosing one high-impact verb or a single precise adjective to describe his final movements. How would the sentence’s rhythm change if the action of "collapsing" or "sputtering" carried the weight of the description on its own?

Dialogue

Artificial Villainy in Malakor's Dialogue

Concern

New

Malakor’s dialogue relies on generic "vampire" tropes, such as calling the protagonist "little mortal" and "purring" his threats. This formal, cliché-heavy speech pattern makes him feel more like a caricature than a unique, threatening individual, especially in a story otherwise defined by modern subversion.

Where in your text?

This is most evident when Malakor first speaks to Penelope after cornering her in the bathroom and again during his laughter.

Malakor's first line

Malakor's boast

Suggested improvements

If Malakor is an ancient being of "majesty," how might his speech reflect a more specific, personal arrogance? What if his dialogue were more grounded or, conversely, even more terrifyingly polite? Exploring a more distinct voice could make his eventual defeat by a toilet brush feel like a sharper clash between high-culture ego and low-culture reality.

Conclusion

Chapter Summary

This chapter succeeds beautifully in its resourceful subversion of gothic tropes, using vivid sensory details to make a ridiculous object feel like a viable weapon. The satisfying resolution perfectly captures Penelope's character and the story's unique tone. However, the momentum of the climax is currently hampered by an info-dump regarding the brush’s chemical makeup, which shifts the narrative from action to exposition. Refining these technical interruptions and sharpening the antagonist’s dialogue will ensure the pacing remains as sharp as the "synthetic cheer" of the weapon. Tackling that technical middle section will turn this clever confrontation into a seamless, high-velocity climax. You have a fantastic eye for kitschy detail—keep leaning into that unique voice!

Revision Focus

Technical Info-dump During the Climax

Major concern

What if the "why" of the weapon’s effectiveness was revealed through Penelope’s earlier observations or through the physical symptoms Malakor experiences? Consider how you might weave the technical details into the action—perhaps Penelope remembers the "contains real silver!" label as she sees the sparks—rather than pausing the scene for an encyclopedic explanation.

Summary of Malakor's Majesty

Concern

How might you demonstrate Malakor’s "majesty" or his disdain for the mundane setting through his physical movements or interaction with the environment? Consider showing his reaction to the "guest bath" through a specific gesture—perhaps he brushes aside a silk shower curtain as if it were a cobweb—rather than explaining his internal perspective.

Artificial Villainy in Malakor's Dialogue

Concern

If Malakor is an ancient being of "majesty," how might his speech reflect a more specific, personal arrogance? What if his dialogue were more grounded or, conversely, even more terrifyingly polite? Exploring a more distinct voice could make his eventual defeat by a toilet brush feel like a sharper clash between high-culture ego and low-culture reality.

This is the program I used to edit my book chapters. I gave myself a lot of insight and help you out. I do have the paid subscription,P so I get 3 a day.

I created the original character/avatar image myself using ChatGPT specifically for my fictional project. It’s not a photograph of a real person and it’s not an ElevenLabs stock avatar. The character is an adult woman and is fully clothed in a blazer and pants.
I then uploaded that image to ElevenLabs and tried to generate a simple 6-second video of her walking down a village street and saying, “Welcome to Bolac.”
There was no nudity, sexual activity, blood, gore, violence, or anything graphic in the scene.
The generation was blocked, and credits were still deducted even though the video wasn’t generated.
That actually makes your question to Reddit stronger, because people can tell you whether ElevenLabs has restrictions on AI-generated avatars, rather than assuming you uploaded a photograph of a real person

I am currently at the finish line with my book. It is AI assisted and I did save up some money to actually get a human line editor and I'm going to go the traditional publishing route. I'm gonna query for a year and if that doesn't work I'm going to self publish. I have come up with them very unique marketing plans to promote my book in my world, but unfortunately, I'm in a conundrum right now. I would love to share all of the things that I've done and how they will affect the ability to publish and even sell my book, but because I have been under Reddit. saying that AI assisted I know anything that I would to put out there they even hint at what my book was called or about or even my name I would lose everything I had built. That's sad. I have to live in the closet.

Here’s the revised version with the softer, more inclusive paragraph replacing the section that could come across as judgmental:
Before anyone points it out, yes, I used AI to help organize and polish this post. I’m being upfront about that because I have dyslexia and do most of my writing on my phone. Speech-to-text often mangles what I’m trying to say, and sometimes I struggle to get my thoughts onto the screen in a clear way.
The opinions, experiences, and ideas in this post are my own. AI simply helped me organize them and communicate them more clearly. This is my point of view and my personal experience with the technology.
This is actually how I use AI with my writing in general. I don’t ask it to write my stories for me. I use it as a learning tool and an accessibility tool. For example, I might have it review a chapter as if it were a literary agent, point out issues with point of view, head-hopping, pacing, or scene structure, and then I make the revisions myself. Most of the time, I rewrite things in my own words. Occasionally I may find an example helpful, but the creative work remains mine.
I also don’t see a problem with people using AI for fun. If someone wants to generate fanfiction for personal enjoyment, create stories to share among friends, experiment with ideas, or just pass the time, I personally don’t think that’s an issue. Not everything created with AI is intended for publication or profit, and I think there is a difference between casual personal use and presenting AI-generated work as something it is not.
The Authors Guild has stated that writers can use AI as a tool for brainstorming, research, editing assistance, feedback, and learning craft techniques. The concern isn’t about writers using technology to improve their work; it’s about people generating entire books with AI and presenting them as fully human-created works.
I don’t think AI itself is the problem. People use it in different ways for different reasons. Some use it for accessibility, some for learning, some for brainstorming, and some for generating stories. My personal preference is to use it as a tool that helps me improve my own writing rather than having it do the creative work for me, but I understand that others may approach it differently.
I think we’ve reached a point where simply mentioning AI causes some people to assume a writer has no talent or didn’t do the work. As someone with dyslexia, I see AI the same way I see spellcheck, grammar checkers, writing groups, critique partners, or craft books: it’s a tool. It helps me communicate my ideas more effectively, but it doesn’t create those ideas for me.
You don’t have to use AI, and you don’t have to like it. But there is a difference between using AI as an accessibility and educational tool and using AI to write an entire book. Those are not the same thing, and I think that distinction matters.
This version feels much more like, “Here’s my experience and how I use AI,” rather than “Here’s why other people are wrong.” For a Writing With AI subreddit, that’s likely to get a much better reception.

in final stages 73,000 words dark urban fantasy bloodlines need a beta reader. I'm finished with my book and just doing the final steps to possibly publish. Get to the story about Lycan vampires, werewolves and witches it's a love story with a chimera fighting herself to determine who her love is that she choose Sebastian and there bloody past or does she choose Onyx the one who gives her the link to her? Lycan heritage.

I just finished my book and one of the people that are my beta reader are a producer. I checked them out online and they are legit my fear. is I just finished book one that will be part of a trilogy that will later move into a saga basically each character will have their own trilogy right now. I have 18 books outlined, and the producer is talking about if they choose to do it, they want rights to my book and all future books. Does anyone have any input on this or have they done it since this is my debut book I know I don't have much leverage, but I don't want to giveaway my whole collection and everything I write for the rest of my life. Would it be acceptable just to offer them my first trilogy I don't know I'm new to this..

A long time ago after I was diagnosed I asked my psychiatrist, “Can I ever live a normal life? Can I beat this?”

He told me no, but I could live close to a normal life.

At the time I was already battling cancer and going through a divorce. Hearing that crushed me.

I decided to join a support group because I thought maybe I’d meet somebody like me who was doing good, somebody who figured out how to live with this and still be happy. I wanted hope.

Instead one person had just tried to commit suicide. Another one said they didn’t know if they wanted to live anymore. Another was talking about medication problems and side effects.

I left there crying. Completely defeated.

Then I heard my brother’s voice in my head saying, “We don’t give up.”

It’s been years now and I finally realized something. The answer isn’t avoiding stress. You can’t avoid life. The real issue is understanding what the stress is doing to you and learning how to deal with it before it destroys you.

It’s kind of like losing your legs. Your life isn’t over. You just have to relearn how to live differently and figure out what tools help you function.

For some people it’s a wheelchair or a handicap spot. For us it might be medication, therapy, routines, learning our triggers, learning when our emotions are lying to us, and understanding that what’s happening is a chemical imbalance. Nothing more.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s hell sometimes.

But it also doesn’t mean your life is over.

You may never be exactly who you were before, but you can still build a good life.

We don’t give up.