With highly discriminating (not to mention time- and attention-span-challenged) literary agents and acquisitions editors standing between your novel and its eventual publication, you should consider hiring a private editor. Private editors, also known as a "freelance editors" or "book doctors," can help you improve your manuscript before submitting it, thus increasing its chances of selling. But their editing may improve you as well. Here is how:

Do it for you: You have done the almost unthinkable: You have completed a full-length novel. That shows a high degree of commitment, and it merits further development of your abilities. Whether you've been self-taught or learned from how-to books, you can be sure there's more to learn and ways to sharpen both your line-to-line writing style and your character- and plot-building skills. You can attend any number of writers' conferences and book critique groups, but there's no substitute for having an experienced book editor give your novel a detailed reading and critique and tell you what you need to hear -- identifying both your strengths and areas for improvement - in order to hone your craft. As you probably already know, revising a ms. isn't easy, especially in isolation. A private editor does more than simply edit. At one time or another, a private editor may function as cheerleader, advocate, personal trainer (or even drill sergeant!), consigliere, and psychologist for his or her fiction-writing clients. For this reason, you should consider a private editor not only an investment in your just-completed ms., but also an investment in your future novels - and in you.

Do it for your novel: The truth about selling a novel is this: You get only one opportunity at any given literary agency or publishing-company imprint, which makes the old cliché as true as ever: Put your best foot forward. For the sake of your novel, use a private editor's critique to guide another round of revision, and after revising consider a "line-edit" (pencil-on-paper, line-by-line editing) if your editor recommends it. Seek and listen to any advice your editor may have about making the book as commercially viable as possible. After all, your editor should be well-read in your book's genre and have a finger on the pulse of the publishing industry. When the work is done, if you don't already have an agent, the editor may advise you on finding the right literary representative, including crafting an effective query, plotting your approach, and sometimes even naming names and/or letting you use his/her name as a reference.

How to find an editor: Look in The Literary Market Place; search the internet; and ask literary agents and editors at writer's conferences or when they reject your ms. How to choose an editor: Ask for credentials and references. You should only work with an editor who has worked for a major publishing company and who has worked with published authors (proven by references and/or by appearance of editor's name in the Acknowledgments page of one or more of each of their published clients' novels). Ask for a written cost estimate and letter of agreement. Payment by the hour, for a flat fee, or by the page are common ways of billing. If possible, seek estimates from multiple private editors, even from those who seem less ideal a match for your book and whom you won't likely hire, if necessary. If you can't afford the work, ask for a price break or for a cheaper (meaning more cursory) but still-helpful form of critique -- perhaps the review of a manuscript portion. Along with cost and credentials, consider how the editor interacts with you during your initial contact. "Chemistry" - that proverbial intangible - will prove critically important.