---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every writer needs an editor. I don't…"
description: "\"Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you are or think you are.\" — Nora Roberts"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg"
---

#  Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you…

![“Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you are or think you are.” quote by Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg)

> “Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you are or think you are.”

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

An editor refines a writer's work, regardless of the writer's confidence or skill level.

**In simple terms:** Editors improve writing.

Key Takeaway

Seek feedback.

Themes

writing editing collaboration

Mood

reflective constructive

Type

advice guidance

When to use this quote

- publishing
- academic papers
- blog posts
- novel drafts

Key Concepts

critical review quality control

Questions to Reflect On

- How does criticism shape your voice?
- Do you trust your own instincts?

A Different Perspective

Even great writers benefit from external perspective.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Everyone needs an editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-foote/everyone-needs-an-editor/)

Timothy Foote

> [“They say the Bible is perfect, but it appears that God needs an editor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wenke/they-say-the-bible-is-perfect-but-it-appears-that-god-needs-an-editor/)

[Joe Wenke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wenke/)

> [A good novel editor is invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-windling/a-good-novel-editor-is-invisible/)

[Terri Windling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-windling/)

> [I have been blessed to have the same editor and work for a great publishing house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-flynn/i-have-been-blessed-to-have-the-same-editor-and-work-for-a-great/)

[Vince Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-flynn/)

> [An editor has to be selfless, and yet has also to be strong-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/an-editor-has-to-be-selfless-and-yet-has-also-to-be-strong-minded/)

[Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/)

> [An editor should tell the author his writing is better than it is. Not a lot better, a little better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-editor-should-tell-the-author-his-writing-is-better-than-it-is-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The successful editor is one who is constantly finding newwriters, nurturing their talents, and publishing them with critical and financial success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-scott-berg/the-successful-editor-is-one-who-is-constantly-finding-newwriters/)

[A. Scott Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-scott-berg/)

> [I think part of my success as an editor came from never worrying about a fact, a cause, an atmosphere. It was me—projecting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/i-think-part-of-my-success-as-an-editor-came-from-never-worrying/)

[Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/)

> [I've been a teacher at the college level, in composition mostly, and I've been an editor on magazines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-haddam/i-ve-been-a-teacher-at-the-college-level-in-composition-mostly-and-i/)

[Jane Haddam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-haddam/)

> [The relationship with the words someone uses is more intimate and integrated than just a quick read and a blurb can ever be. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-relationship-with-the-words-someone-uses-is-more-intimate-and/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [The main thing is that you have a good editor - one that believes in you and who will give you the feedback that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-darden/the-main-thing-is-that-you-have-a-good-editor-one-that-believes-in/)

[Christopher Darden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-darden/)

> [An editor is like a professional reader, and as I became a better reader, I also became a better writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/an-editor-is-like-a-professional-reader-and-as-i-became-a-better/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [I never wanted to be an editor. I never wanted to be a boss. I just wanted to write, and it didn't make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/i-never-wanted-to-be-an-editor-i-never-wanted-to-be-a-boss-i-just/)

[Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/)

> [Having been an editor for more than a decade, I thought I had a good idea of how much work was involved in writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klassen/having-been-an-editor-for-more-than-a-decade-i-thought-i-had-a-good/)

[Julie Klassen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klassen/)

> [Every newspaper editor says the heart of the paper is the reporter - which is true - except for the pay!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-germond/every-newspaper-editor-says-the-heart-of-the-paper-is-the-reporter/)

[Jack Germond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-germond/)

## More by Nora Roberts

> [“Why stop now? Seduce me, Brian.I dare you." "I've always found it hard to turn aside a dare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/why-stop-now-seduce-me-brian-i-dare-you-i-ve-always-found-it-hard-to/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Flowers that had bloomed brilliant from spring through autumn blackened under the killing frost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/flowers-that-had-bloomed-brilliant-from-spring-through-autumn/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“He's back in Maine now.She did say he badgered her with questions. Of course, she didn't have the answer until she spoke to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/he-s-back-in-maine-now-she-did-say-he-badgered-her-with-questions-of/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Every professor worth his PhD should have a fireplace in his study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-professor-worth-his-phd-should-have-a-fireplace-in-his-study/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Sorry, bad wing." When Theo kissed him, surprise and pleasure flustered him. He couldn't remember the last time this boy, this young man, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/sorry-bad-wing-when-theo-kissed-him-surprise-and-pleasure-flustered/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Because it's hard not to matter, even to someone you dislike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/because-it-s-hard-not-to-matter-even-to-someone-you-dislike/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“No point in wishing for what you can't have. - Blair What's the point in wishing for what you can and do? - Larken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/no-point-in-wishing-for-what-you-can-t-have-blair-what-s-the-point-in/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [I've wanted to be with you when I didn't have the right to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-ve-wanted-to-be-with-you-when-i-didn-t-have-the-right-to/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [You can't write well what you don't read for pleasure. If it doesn't entertain you, it's not going to entertain anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-write-well-what-you-don-t-read-for-pleasure-if-it-doesn-t/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [You can't edit a blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-edit-a-blank-page/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“There was a boy down at the stables." She laughed suddenly with her back comfortably nestled against Grant's chest. "Oh,Lord,he was a bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-was-a-boy-down-at-the-stables-she-laughed-suddenly-with-her/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Some people refuse to take the next step. You could refuse to take what you wanted most, because you're afraid someday you might lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/some-people-refuse-to-take-the-next-step-you-could-refuse-to-take/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“Oh, i'm going to kick his ass, and when i'm done, i'm going to squeeze his balls blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/oh-i-m-going-to-kick-his-ass-and-when-i-m-done-i-m-going-to-squeeze/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

[Explore all 1,138 Nora Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

## More Care quotes

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/)

[James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you are or think you are.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nora Roberts"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-care-how-good-you-are-or-think/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Care"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-care-how-good-you-are-or-think/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/nora-roberts-128_care_every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-car_2703193.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Every writer needs an editor. I don't care how good you are or think you are.” — Nora Roberts",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nora Roberts",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Every writer needs an editor. I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-care-how-good-you-are-or-think/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-writer-needs-an-editor-i-don-t-care-how-good-you-are-or-think/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
