The story may have only taken less than two weeks to write, but tearing it apart and building it back up takes a bit longer. Who would have thought there would be so much editing and review on a 750-word story. At first I though, well if Word isn't underlining everything in red to grab my attention, I'm good right? Not quite...
I spent a lot of time reading through publishing blogs, facebook groups and other online resources, and if there's one thing they agree on, it's get an editor. And they're right. I read it a million times and there are still grammar mistakes, mixed tenses and missed commas. More importantly, and especially with rhyme, I found when I read it myself, it was always with the same pronunciation and cadence. I found that other people may read it differently than I did, which changed the whole sound of a line or flow of a stanza.
So I found two editors, one through an online FB group (and if you're interested in writing children's book, check them out as they are an amazing resource, I will add a link below), and another through the online site Book Editing Associates. I think having 2 editors has been invaluable - the have both helped identify all of my grammatical mistakes and tense mix-ups and been helpful making suggestions for flow.
So, the moral is, don't be cheap, don't be your own editor. These people are worth what they ask!
Resources:
FB: Children's Book Authors and Illustrators: Publishing, Marketing and Selling
https://www.facebook.com/groups/187350425346975/
Book Editing Associates:
https://www.book-editing.com/