Writer's Fallout Shelter

I would say most published authors did not hire professional editors before they submitted their work. As you indicated, they are expensive.

Instead, the authors polished their craft by writing and rewriting. They also read other published works, not as a reader, but as a writer looking to improve their own craft. They looked at how those writers handled different situations and revealed character through dialogue and action, what words and methods they chose to use and which ones they didn't.

They may have also had trusted writing partners or betas, who they traded manuscripts and offered feedback until they learned to trust themselves and know what worked and what didn't.