Congratulations. You’ve finished your manuscript. Time to sit back and bask in your accomplishments.

For most writers, this moment of euphoria lasts about seven seconds before the ice-cold dread seeps in. The moment has come. The moment they’ve been dreading. It’s time to edit.

In most circumstances, correcting someone’s grammar is the height of bad manners. But, as an editor, it’s a large part of my job. I have to comb through manuscripts like an over-zealous teacher with a red pen, weeding out dangling modifiers and incomplete comparisons. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t always make me popular.

Trusting a stranger with your manuscript is a daunting process. It’s quite normal to be apprehensive when you’re searching for your first professional editor. But a little knowledge and preparation can make the process much less intimidating. There are a number of questions you should ask yourself before you start your search. Most importantly, are you ready?