Editing a novel can be a daunting task, but there are some tips that will help you, as Sofia Ashdown shares with us today.

Other than correcting spelling and grammar mistakes, it can be difficult to decide how to focus your energy in the right places to improve your manuscript.

In this article, there are ten tips to help hone your focus and provide some actionable steps to knock your novel into shape.

1. Identify theme or message

What drove you to commit to writing a book? What is the purpose of your story? What is the truth you are trying to share with the world?

These might seem like big, broad questions, but the answers provide the invisible backdrop to your book. If you aren’t entirely sure what the theme or purpose of your story is, then it’s likely that your reader won’t be either.

Understanding the story’s core will provide a lens in which to view your characters and scenes during the developmental editing stage.

Don’t be frightened by this step; ‘theme’ doesn’t have to mean a ‘moral’ or something uniquely profound. It can be as simple as ‘justice and vengeance are two sides of the same coin’ or ‘the bonds of family and friends are ultimately the only things worth pursuing.’

Maybe you want to explore an emotion such as rage, or the consequences of acting on unconscious beliefs. Whatever the theme, ensure your book as a whole answers the question you implicitly proposed in the beginning. Talking of beginnings…

2. Focus on the beginning

The first line sets the tone for the rest of your book. Rework it. Test out alternatives. Make sure it hooks the reader into your unique world and shows them what to expect.

As an example, compare the draft version of 1984’s opening line:
‘It was a cold day in early April, and a million radios were striking thirteen.’

With the version that went to print:
‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’

Can you see how a small tweak makes such a dramatic impact? Remember what I said about implicitly proposing a question to be answered by the end of the book?

In one short line, Orwell has managed to convey something fundamentally wrong with the world he is about to plunge the reader into, and by the end of 1984, we understand what that is.

One of my favorite sayings is: ‘the end is in the beginning and the beginning is in the end.’ Review your beginnings and ends to see how well they tie together.

3. Identify core conflict and reveal it through action

You had big plans for your book and there’s so much in your head to somehow make real on paper. Trying to cram everything you want to say into the story will slow it down and choke the plot.

Keep in mind your theme or core message as you examine each scene, highlighting the crucial plot elements and gearing your efforts to revealing it through the actions, reactions and thoughts of your characters. Cut away anything that is weighing the plot down or isn’t pushing your protagonist to grow and adapt.

4. Avoid head hopping

Pick a point of view and stick with it. New writers tend to forget who is narrating each scene, chopping and changing between characters. This is known as ‘head hopping’ and can be very distracting, and usually means that the writer hasn’t decided who the reader should care about most.

The key is consistency – if you want to be an ‘omniscient narrator’ abide by your own rules. It’s usually a better idea to stick to either first person or third person limited, which means writing from one character’s viewpoint per scene or chapter.

That’s not to say you can’t have multiple points-of-view throughout the book, however, just be clear and consistent.

Another common mistake is to describe something happening when the character in question couldn’t see it from their point of view. For example, John is gazing out of the window when Jane walks into the office, yet he knows she is blonde before he even looks at her. Glitches like this destroy credibility.

5. Seed the background to your characters’ fatal flaws

No one is perfect, not even fictional characters. Having said that, the flaws they have should make sense and should be seeded throughout the book.

That goes for the antagonists too. There’s nothing more disappointing than when a bad guy fails against the hero because of some sudden, previously unknown flaw. Every thought, action, and reaction must be informed by your characters’ personal history and beliefs.

6. Give your characters quirks

Humans are complicated creatures and although your characters aren’t actually real (well, not in this universe) the reader needs to empathize with them as if they were flesh and blood. To do this, make your characters distinct from each other, with their own quirks and foibles.

Think about:

• Mannerisms
• Style of dress
• Physical imperfections
• Props (e.g., Indiana Jones’s whip)
• Nervous tics
• Unconscious habits such as whistling or pen clicking

7. Vary descriptions using other senses

People tend to favor one sense over the other, and for most of us, that’s the visual processing system. Writers are no different! But neglecting smell, touch, taste, and sound can flatten scenes. [Note from Joanna: for tips on writing using the 5 senses and beyond, check out this recent post.]

Consider how these different types of smell can have such a dramatic impact on your environment, comfort levels, and memories:

• Perfume
• Body odor
• Freshly cut grass
• Decay and death
• Floral smells
• Cleaning fluid
• Animal smells

Think about the emotions these scents and odors would trigger in your characters. Can you see how broadening your range of descriptive devices can increase the reality of your settings?

8. Cut clichés

Clichés are so last y—century. Every word, phrase, and sentence should have an impact, but clichés dull the effect because readers have become numb to these hackneyed expressions.

The only exception to this is within dialogue; clichés can reveal the mindset and cultural background of your characters. Don’t overdo it though.

9. Maddening multiple metaphors

Metaphors are wonderful and add richness to your writing, but it’s easy to mix them together and lose the precise meaning – or use more than one in the same paragraph.

If this happens often, you’re probably trying to describe too much. Pick the essential point of the scene or paragraph and focus on that and cut the rest.

10. Keep raising the stakes

Conflict is at the heart of storytelling. No one wants to read a story where literally everything is perfect and nothing ever happens. What would be the point?

Make sure you vary the stakes at key plot points to maintain the reader’s interest and keep your characters challenged enough to grow and develop.

However, starting out with extremely high stakes in order to hook a reader in can backfire because everything that happens afterward can feel like an anti-climax. Pace yourself and turn up the dial of conflict as your plot develops to reach a satisfying conclusion.

After implementing the steps outlined above, your book should have an intriguing opening, a fast-moving, compelling plot, believable characterization, and enriching descriptions.

That’s not to say that you will have picked up on every issue within your manuscript. Objectively is very difficult when you are emotionally invested in your own work. Which leads me to your bonus tip:

Stop editing. Let someone else do it!

There’s only so much you can do alone. For those on a tight budget, this might mean handing your book to a trusted beta reader. For others, sending it to a professional editor is their best bet.

[Note from Joanna: for a curated list of book editors, click here.]

At the very least, by taking the time to really analyze your work, you’ll learn more about your unique writing style and develop a greater awareness of your own quirks and foibles. That can only be a good thing.

Will you apply these tips when editing your next novel? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Sofia Ashdown is the author of the Descendants of Thor Trilogy and Urban Fairy Tales, and a freelance editor specialising in fantasy, YA and New Adult fiction. She is currently studying for her MA in Creative Writing and busily plotting her next novel. Learn more about her author journey at www.theinkyfeather.com and her editing services at Editing For Indie Authors.

If you want to learn more about self-editing, sign-up for a free, 3-day course delivered straight to your inbox.

[Rabbit photo courtesy Sandy Millar and Unsplash.]

I love the editing part of the writing process. It's incredibly satisfying to take a somewhat messy manuscript and turn it into something that someone else might want to read – and hopefully, enjoy.

After self-editing, I always use a professional editor, but it's always best to do the most you can yourself before hiring someone else to help you to the next stage.

In today's article, Sarah Kolb-Williams, author of How to Hire an Editor, explains how to take your editing as far as you can by yourself. 

Let’s face it: editing can be expensive.

For many authors, even just one round of professional editing can be hard to justify. And I get that. No one should put themselves at financial risk over editing a book.

But readers still expect books that look and feel professional. What happens if editing just isn’t in the cards for yours?

Whether or not you’re hiring an editor, someone’s got to check all those boxes—and if your main source of editing is self-directed, you’re the one who’ll be rolling up your sleeves and getting it done.

In this article, I’ll go over 10 self-editing steps any author can take to help boost their revisions, many of them straight from a professional editor’s toolkit. While a self-edit is no replacement for a professional copyedit, these tips should help get you some of the way there.

Even if you are hiring an editor, you might be surprised at how far you can take your own manuscript first. Focus your revisions where you’re most comfortable; any editorial heavy lifting you can do on your own will help your editor focus on what you need the most.

And if your budget just doesn’t include room for the professional editing you want, these 10 self-editing steps will help you fake a pro edit.

1. Put the manuscript away

In my experience, the single biggest problem standing in the way of successful self-editing is this:
Authors are simply too close to their own writing to see it objectively.

Even at our most attentive, after working for so long on one thing, repetitions, omissions, and contradictions can be hard to notice. And after reading and revising and copy-and-pasting a million times, even the most glaring of errors can slip right by you like Obi-Wan at a costume party.

So how can you clear up those blind spots that hamper your self-editing? How can you Jedi-mind-trick yourself into seeing your own manuscript as clearly as a new reader would?

It’s simple: give yourself time to clear your mind before jumping back into your book. Your readers will thank you for it.

It’s almost hard to believe something so simple can be so effective, but it can. As authors, giving ourselves this much-needed mental space before returning to our manuscripts with fresh eyes is an effective way to trick ourselves into looking past what we think we wrote and seeing what’s actually there.

Of course, just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. But as tempting as it may be to plow right ahead after finishing the first draft, try to wait at least a week. Without this time to reset, you may have trouble seeing what’s really on the page.

2. Make an outline

Whether you write romance, science fiction, self-help, or how-tos, an outline can and will help you avoid catastrophe.

You don’t have to make one of those Roman numeral things you learned in school. The important thing is writing down the main ideas in each section of the book, then looking carefully at how they relate (or don’t) to those around them.

Why bother? You want readers to reach the end of your book with a feeling of satisfaction, not lingering questions about what happened to the coworker who dropped out of the cast somewhere in chapter 3, or why chapter 6 references sections that don’t exist.

I like to write my main ideas on small pieces of paper and rearrange them on my desk to see how they fit together; adopt whatever method works for you. But without at least going through the motions of making an outline, you run the risk of forgetting where you’re going, having to backtrack, and failing to clean up after yourself.

3. Make a style sheet

If keeping a running list of words and terms in your book sounds like your worst nightmare, that’s fine; many authors don’t, and they get along just fine without it. But a style sheet plays a crucial role in copyediting, and if you’re into that kind of thing, it can play an important role in your revisions as well.

Editing isn’t just about correctness; it’s also about consistency, and a good style sheet helps keep documents internally consistent. Just like your outline, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy.

Divide a sheet of paper into a grid and alphabetize the cells, or simply open a new Word document, and bam—you have yourself a style sheet!

(You may have built a “Story Bible,” a guide to all the twists and turns and characters and relationships in your WIP. Think of your style guide as the copyeditor’s version of that document: it keeps important information available for future reference, by you or anyone else involved in your book.)

Write down everything you think might be worth keeping track of, and you’ll have a nice little resource to help you keep your spelling consistent.

4. Read your manuscript aloud

This is another simple trick where the difference is hard to imagine if you haven’t tried it yourself. But oh, what a difference it makes.

Reading your writing aloud can have a crucial effect on the flow of your writing. (I may not be able to tell when an author has read their manuscript aloud—but I can absolutely tell when they have not.)

This isn’t about the audience, and it isn’t about the feedback. Even if you’re performing for an empty house, reading aloud forces you to slow down so your mouth can’t gloss over anything your eyes might miss.

And wait—there’s more. Reading aloud lets you listen to the cadence of your words, which is its own valuable form of feedback. If you find yourself stumbling over sentences or stopping to breathe in awkward places, you can address the problem now by breaking long sentences into smaller, more manageable pieces.

5. Note the notable words

This is a serious copyeditor’s secret: train yourself to be hyperaware of each individual word and how it works in the sentence, without focusing on story-level concerns. (It’s hard at first, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually!)

With your style sheet and dictionary at the ready, carefully go through the whole manuscript, word by word. As you go, write down anything you come across that might come up again, looking up anything you didn’t invent yourself.

Your style sheet might include the following:

• People, cities, and other proper nouns
• Anything you made up or altered the spelling of
• Words that can be spelled in different ways
• Compound words (open, closed, or hyphenated?)
• Anything else you want to keep track of

And just because spell-checker doesn’t flag something doesn’t mean you’re automatically in the clear. Pay extra attention to homophones—words that sound the same but are spelled differently—and make sure you’re using the right one in each case.

What about words with more than one accepted spelling? Which is “correct”? Check your dictionary! (For me, in the US, that’s Merriam-Webster; a quick internet search should help you find yours.)

If all else fails, here’s the simple, editor-approved option: pick the version you like best, put it in your style sheet, and use it every time.

6. Colons and semicolons

Colons and semicolons have a reputation for being showy or flowery, but I think they’re powerful pieces of punctuation when used sparingly (and correctly).

There are lots of nuances here, but here’s a quick guide to each mark.

A colon is used after a complete thought to introduce new information: a list, a thought, a question, or another complete thought (known as an “independent clause”—one that can stand alone as its own complete sentence).

Note that whatever happens after the colon, the clause before the colon should be a complete (or independent) thought, as in the bolded portion above. That’s why something like “The cupboard is filled with: crackers, peanut butter, and flour” wouldn’t work.

A semicolon is used to join two complete thoughts together; they imply a stronger relationship between independent clauses than a simple period would.

To test whether a semicolon is the right choice, try changing it to a period. If two complete sentences would work, but you want to show how the second part explains or relates directly to the first, a semicolon is what you’re looking for.

Now you know! Go forth and punctuate. May the syntax be with you.

7. Keep your dashes straight

There are three kinds of dashes: hyphen ( – ), en dash ( – ), and em dash ( — ). They may be confusing at first, but once you know what you’re doing, you can leverage all the nuance and meaning these tiny marks can pack.

(Not seeing a difference? Try changing fonts. Times New Roman is a good option.)

While the Chicago Manual of Style—the editorial resource for US copyeditors—devotes many worthy pages to the subject, here’s a quick crash course on dashes and how to use them.

(Of course, while this guide will get you some of the way there, there are special uses, exceptions, and contingencies that are way outside the scope of this blog post. If you’re interested in digging deeper, the “Hyphens and Dashes” section of CMOS chapter 6 or the comparable section of your own style guide is the rabbit hole you’re looking for.)

Hyphens connect words.

Hyphens are the dashes used in most compound adjectives that come before the noun they modify (“brand-new car,” “eagle-eyed observer”) and many compound nouns (“light-year”). When in doubt, check your dictionary; you’ll find many compound word listed, along with spaces and hyphens.

Hyphens are also used in double names. The name “Jean-Luc” gets a hyphen. My surname, “Kolb-Williams,” gets one as well.

Em dashes connect clauses.

Hyphens are to words what em dashes are to clauses. Em dashes can be used like semicolons, colons, commas, or even parentheses, making them some of the most versatile pieces of punctuation in non-formal writing.

(And, like colons and semicolons, they can be easy to overdo. If you know you’re an—ahem—enthusiastic em dasher, keep an eye out for excessive dashes and revise accordingly.)

Em dashes are also used, especially in fiction, to indicate interruptions:

“Look, just let me—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. Nothing he could say would change her mind.

Note that in some parts of the world, including the UK, spaced en dashes are used in place of the em dashes described here. Check the publishing style guide for your industry for updated guidelines.
En dashes are the wild cards.

In the US, en dashes are a little more specialized than hyphens and em dashes. These are their major uses:

En dashes can stand for “to” in ranges: “the Seattle–Vancouver line,” “8:00–12:30.” (Note that the sense of “from” is wrapped up in the en dash as well, so no need to type it out.)

And, in the case of compound words, they can act like slightly stronger hyphens, pulling more than just the two adjoining words into the relationship: “progressive rock–inspired jazz,” “post–World War II economy.”

8. Keep the abbreviations tucked away

I’m not saying abbreviations don’t have their uses. But these awkward-looking words can feel a little jarring when we come across them, especially in fiction, and Chicago agrees they should generally be kept out of regular text.

And it’s not just because they don’t look as nice. Instead of easily converting words into meaning, now readers have to take the extra step of replacing abbreviations with words. This is easy enough for abbreviations like “etc.” but takes slightly more work for those that bear no resemblance to their English counterparts (like “e.g.” and “i.e.”).

Instead, for a smoother read, try keeping those abbreviations set off in parenthesis and footnotes (places that function as asides from the main text) and rephrase the rest: “and so on,” “for example,” or “in other words.”

Abbreviations serve a purpose, and they’re nothing readers can’t handle. But if the goal is to eliminate unnecessary speed bumps, look at abbreviations as opportunities to rephrase in a more interesting way.

9. Write out your numbers

Digits, too, have their uses. But when they’re sprinkled into a sea of words—most of which consist of groups of characters—they can stand out.

Need proof? Scan the following sentences with your eyes:

• She collected 4 carrots, 5 apples, and 11 monkeys.
• He produced twelve pens, one paperclip, and three notebooks.

If one of these sentences doesn’t stick out over the other to you, it’s only because you’re determined to prove me wrong. (Probably because of a deep-seated attachment to a different style guide. It’s okay. We can still be friends.)

In fact, many style guides recommend spelling out more numbers than you might expect. Chicago, for example, recommends spelling whole numbers from 1 to 100 in pretty much any nontechnical context you can think of: “three in the morning,” “fifteen students,” “thirty-seven motorcycles.”

Not all numbers work well as words. Spelling out a number like “1,298,525” would be patently ridiculous, and decimals and fractions are a different story entirely. But for your nice, plain numbers, your twos and fifties and eleven hundreds, use words.

10. Collect feedback from beta readers

This final point may not strictly qualify as a self-editing step—but it can help you gain tons of new perspective, which will help you focus your own revisions even further.

When you think there’s nothing else you can possibly squeeze out of your revisions, send it to your beta readers and give them a chance to weigh in. You may be surprised how much they come up with that you’ve never even considered.

Of course, your beta readers might not care about dashes, semicolons, compound words, or any of the other self-editing steps I’ve outlined here. That’s a good thing: depending on their background and experience, your beta readers will have their own diverse set of observations to bring to the table.

You don’t have to listen to every suggestion you receive; this is informal feedback from your friends and family. It’s not a professional editorial assessment, and it’s still your book. That said, if two or three of your readers suggest the same fix or are stuck on the same issue, seriously consider how you might prevent future readers from getting hung up in the same places.

The best thing beta readers can offer is a new perspective—a real one, no Jedi-mind-tricking required. And their feedback could be just what you need to step back and see your manuscript’s potential in exciting new ways.

Have you applied some of these editing hacks to your manuscripts? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Sarah Kolb-Williams is an editor, author, and serial comma enthusiast from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her book, How to Hire an Editor, helps independent authors find the right editing and make informed decisions about their manuscripts.

In 2019, Sarah will be launching an e-learning center for authors, editors, and freelancers. Sign up now for early access and other exclusive opportunities at kolbwilliams.com/writers-gone-rogue.

[Hammock image courtesy Arshad Pooloo and Unsplash. Neon numbers image courtesy Karolina Szczur and Unsplash.]

Editing can take your manuscript from being a pile of words into a story that can move people or a non-fiction book that can change lives. 

It really is the secret weapon to making your book the best it can be.

I've been working with professional editors since my first book, and I continue to invest in editing to ensure my finished product is a high standard, and to keep improving my craft. 

In today's article, Zara Altair outlines the three stages of manuscript editing.

Editing your book manuscript can intimidate authors. As a creative, the idea of checking for tiny errors seems tedious and alarming.

Approach editing with a perspective that aims to make your story the best it can be and arrange the editing process into manageable chunks. You’ll discover editing is a skill you can learn to make your story ready to go out into the world.

The three stages of manuscript editing lead you through a progressive journey to creating the best book to offer your readers.

Why edit?

With all the heart and soul and long hours you’ve put into your manuscript, it’s not perfect. No manuscript is perfect. Accept that and know editing will make your book better.

The storyline will work with no gaps or confusing scenes. The prose will be fluid and readable. And, grammar nazis won’t toss your book aside because there’s a misplaced comma on page 197 and a misspelt character name on page 251.

Each editorial process addresses separate issues of the story.

1. Content edit. The big story picture.
2. Line edit. The language you use.
3. Copy edit. Grammar, spelling, and syntax.

Each phase of editing addresses different aspects of your manuscript and they work in sequence. There’s no point editing for commas and typos if your story needs rewriting and additional plot points.

Editing makes reading your book a joy for readers because they aren’t tripped up by story gaps, clunky writing, or grammar mistakes. Editing won’t make your book perfect, but it will make it the best it can be to create an enthusiastic reader.

Authors who take the time to go through the three phases end up with a polished manuscript.

Another set of eyes

A professional editor will read your manuscript with an objective eye. The editor’s job is to make your book the best it can be. To benefit from the objective overview put artistic feelings aside and focus on the recommendations.

Hiring an editor is an investment that costs money. You can reduce those costs by first working through the three editing steps yourself. Every change you make saves the editor time and saves you money. But, the biggest benefit is learning how to think critically about your story and the manuscript.

As you work through the three phases, you’ll have a better understanding of how each process works and why editorial input will enrich your manuscript.

How to start editing your manuscript

Creating a critical mindset is the first step in the editing process. As an editor, you will examine every part of your story to make it seamless and engaging from the first sentence to the last.

You need to establish a distance to apply your critical eye to your novel. You can build your critical distance with a few steps.

• Put your manuscript away for at least a week. Several weeks are even better. You’ll want to apply fresh eyes to your story.

• In the meantime, read for excellence in your genre. Pick three writers you consider masters of your genre and then choose what you consider each writer’s best work. While your novel is set away, read each of these three books while practicing your critical approach. You already know these stories, so practice being an editor for your favorite professional author. Make notes. What improvements would you make? What are the writer’s strengths?

• After rereading these works, without looking at your manuscript, make a list of the ways you would like to improve your story and your writing based on the positive discoveries you’ve made in your reading.

When you take off time from your own story and practice critically examining other stories in your genre, you get your mind in gear to examine your own story with the same critical distance.

Gather your notes, take a deep breath, and pull out your novel manuscript. You’ll work through the editing process from the big picture down to the tiniest details.

1. Content editing

As you prepare to reread your story after your break and critical exercises, plan on making changes. As wonderful as your story is, you can make it better. Your aim is to make your novel as professional as possible.

You’ll be going through your story at least three times. The first pass at editing focuses on the story elements. There’ll be time enough for details like punctuation, spelling, and grammar after you make your changes.

The story editing, often called the content or development edit, looks at your story structure, character arcs, dialogue, and scene sequence. Keep asking yourself, does this work in the story?

You’ve just read three great novels in your genre, compare your story to these examples. Know those professional authors, went through this same process before they sent their manuscript off to their professional editor.

Print out your manuscript formatted for lots of white space — wide margins, double-spaced. You will hold it in your hands, make marks, and read it as a book. You’ll be entering “track changes” in your word processing software later.

Now you will use your personal editor’s blue pencil. Yours may be red or purple or green or any color that shows up against the black print.

Some authors use different colors for different editorial changes — grammar and spelling, character arc, plot, scene changes. If this is your first time editing, pick a contrast color like red and start reading your story. You can refine your system later as you become familiar with the editing process.

Structure questions:

In this first editorial read, you’ll be scrutinizing your story. If you find smaller issues like grammar or spelling mark them knowing they may disappear as you rewrite. Be looking for ways to make your story sharp and crisp.

Does the first page hook you? Does it plunge you into the story? Does it clearly reflect the genre? Do your protagonist’s words and actions introduce his or her character?

Notice pacing like chapters or scenes that rush the story or get bogged down with detail or long descriptions.

Does each scene move the story forward? If not, mark it for improvement.

Does the story have a clear three-act structure? (or another form of structure that leads the reader through a book to a satisfactory conclusion).

Is your protagonist confused and thwarted in the first part of Act 2? Does she take the reins after the midpoint? Once the story reaches the climax, does it take too long to wind down?

Is the story predictable? How could you improve the twists, turns, and reversals to challenge your protagonist?

Do two characters have names that start with the same letter? If so, find a new name for one character.

[Note from Joanna: I have made this mistake! Another tip is to make sure the character names sound different when spoken aloud as your book may turn into an audiobook. ]

If your story feels overpopulated, combine two characters with similar motivations to keep your reader from being confused.

Do your subplots integrate with the overall story? Are they spaced throughout the storyline?

Is the voice consistent throughout the story? Is one passage in a different tone?

Do you need to research a location or an object to give it more punch?

Does each character speak in a recognizable voice? Would your reader know who is speaking by the way the character speaks? Does the dialogue reflect subtext rather than always being on point?

Is the point of view consistent throughout? Is each scene told from only one point of view? If your story is told from multiple points of view, is it clear who is “speaking” in each scene?

Content editing can be a long process.

But it's well worth going through your story looking for every way you can tighten your manuscript to give your reader the best experience in your genre.

If you have concerns about elements of your story, this is a good time to find a content/developmental editor. Many writers hire a developmental editor at the story outline stage before they have a completed manuscript. Starting with a sound story structure speeds up writing time.

[Note from Joanna: Check out my tutorial on how to find and work with a professional editor. ]

Before you go to the next stage of editing, rewrite your story making the changes you noted during your critical editorial reading. Take as long as necessary to make your changes. Remember you are doing the hard work of becoming a professional writer.

2. Line Editing (Language)

Once you’ve made your story changes, it’s time to look at the language you use to convey your story. Now you are looking to refine the language in the text.

You are not looking so much for mistakes as the best way to structure your sentences and paragraphs to improve the readability.

You want the language to be fluid, clear, and pleasurable for your reader.

Language questions:

• Are your words precise rather than general? Have you avoided clichés?
• Do you repeatedly use the same words or sentences?
• Are there run-on sentences? Sentence fragments?
• Is the same information repeated more than once?
• Does the tone shift?
• Is the phrasing natural?
• Is the language bland causing readers to skip a passage?
• Do you use strong verbs rather than describing an action with adverbs?

After you read through to line edit your manuscript, you can use software tools to help you with your language editing. Hemingway app helps you with sentence structure to make your writing bold and clear to improve your story’s readability.

Grammarly examines text for several writing style elements including readability, grammar, clichés, diction, and dialogue.

[Note from Joanna: I have a tutorial on how to use Grammarly here. ]

The Line Edit phase is challenging for authors because it’s easy to miss how your phrases sound. A good line editor has no emotional attachment to your manuscript and sees your writing style from an objective standpoint.

Getting a line editor will improve the overall tone and readability of your story.

Other people/ beta readers

Once you have performed your content and line editing, is a good time to get feedback from other people. This is an extra step in the editorial journey but worth the time.

It is easy to get lost in your own story. Feedback from other people who read in your genre can help you spot content and language gaps you may miss.

If you are a member of a writing group, you can present your new passages for feedback and comments from members of the group.

This is a good time to get beta readers involved in your story. These are non-professionals who read in your genre and will give you honest feedback about your story.

You want these readers to share anything that gives them pause while reading your story from a passage that isn’t clear to a typo.

[Note from Joanna: Be careful about involving too many other voices. YOUR voice is the most important in your project, so beware of ‘writing by committee' which might just drown your voice out. ]

3. Proofreading

This final editing process takes a fine eye for detail. You’ll want to do this in small batches because it is easy to overlook details if you spend hours working through the manuscript. You’ll be looking for consistency as well as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax.

The Chicago Manual of Style is one option for guidelines around proofreading and editing your manuscript.

What to look out for:

Double check spelling, grammar, and sentence construction (syntax).

Make sure your usage is consistent. Throughout your book hyphenation, numbers, capitalization, and fonts appear in the same manner.

Check for ambiguous statements or incorrect facts. Remember how you checked your research during the line edit?

Internal consistency. Is your blonde always blonde? Does your stutterer lose his stutter? Is your setting consistent when it shows up in various places in the story?

Mark your printed copy and then go to your writing software to make changes. The search and replace function will help you spot every use of a word to make it consistent throughout your manuscript.

It’s next to impossible to find every error. This is especially true because your mind plays tricks and you see what you think is right.

A copy editor has never seen your work before. Every sentence, comma, and character name is new. They bring an objective, professional view of text that is new to them.

One last check. Read your book aloud.

However diligent you are throughout your editing process, hearing your story read aloud can help you find awkward sentences, repeated words, and typographical errors.

You have several options to help you listen to your story. Text to Speech Reader has a Chrome extension that will read your text. Natural Reader provides several voices so you can hear your text read by male and female voices with different tones and inflections.

Open your manuscript so you can make edits as you listen.

From writer to professional author

Taking the time to edit your novel before you send it out sets you apart as a writer who approaches the publishing process as a professional. Every step in the editing process refines your story to appeal to your target readers. They are the readers who love your story and become your fans.

As excited as you are to get your story out there, taking the time to go through the editing process not only improves your story, it gives you a better understanding of what it takes to make yourself a professional.

Keep in mind that best-selling authors take these self-editing steps and then work with a professional editor to find the spots they missed. Publishing houses will always assign a professional editor to your book.

Using professional book editing services works in the same way as beta readers but with a trained professional focus to give your book the best readability and flow.

If you are serious about your writing career, hiring an editor for each of the three stages of the editing process is a satisfying investment in your author career.

Just as you create story, characters, and worlds the professional editor has an eye for your story, your language, and the tiny details. Think of it as merged energy between you and your editor to create a professional manuscript.

All editors are not created equal.

Every genre has tropes that meet reader expectations. Find an editor who is familiar with your genre. A Regency romance will have different story and language parameters than a techno-thriller. You can start your search for the right editor at The Creative Penn editor resource page.

What's your book editing process like? Please leave your thoughts below and join the conversation.

Zara Altair writes traditional mysteries set in Ostrogoth, Italy when murder was not a crime. A mystery lover since childhood, she has written about writing for a number of publications, including ProWritingAid and International Thriller Writer, and is a member of Sisters in Crime. She writes about mystery writing at Write Time.

Follow her mystery writing tips on YouTube. Zara lives in Beaverton, OR, where she reads, walks among trees, and practices Italian cooking. Find her on Twitter @ZaraAltair

[Laptop photo courtesy rawpixel and Unsplash.]

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:15:52 — 61.6MB)

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When you're writing a book, you will reach a point where you can't stand the manuscript anymore. You need expert help to turn it into a quality book, especially when you're starting out.

Professional editors can help transform your book, and I continue to use them with my books as I think personal feedback is the best way to learn. In today's interview, I talk to Natasa Lekic from New York Book Editors about her tips for editing and how you can find the right editor for your book.

In the intro, I mention Amazon launching support for Arabic books on the Kindle, The Guardian reports on the ALCS findings that author earning have dropped to under £10,500 per year, and Jane Friedman's (excellent) response to the survey.

I talk about my personal story of synchronicity in Mallorca (pics on Instagram.com/jfpennauthor), ConvertKit changes its name to Seva [for more, check out this Smart Passive Income podcast interview about it] and my thoughts on how we all rebrand and change over time. Click here for my tutorials on building your website and email list. Plus, the truth about traffic and feeding the beast – my thoughts on Yaro Starak's podcast on the truth about traffic and why it's also true for authors. 

Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, where you can get free ebook formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Get your free Author Marketing Guide at www.draft2digital.com/penn

Natasa Lekic is the Founder of New York Book Editors, which matches writers with experienced, vetted, professional editors. She previously worked in publishing and also co-founded an animated story platform for kids.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or watch the video here, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

Show Notes

• What editors do

• How the changes in the traditional publishing industry have changed the landscape for editors as well

• Matching authors with editors

• The issue of vulnerability for authors who receive feedback from an editor

• Why working with a good editor is the fastest way to progress as a writer

• How to know when your manuscript is ready to send to an editor

• Thinking about our readership while we’re writing

• Painting your vision of your future as an author-entrepreneur

• Balancing creativity and ambition

You can find Natasa Lekic at NewYorkBookEditors.com [my affiliate link if you want to use it is www.TheCreativePenn.com/nybe ] and on Twitter @NYBookEditors. You can also click here for a list of other book editors I recommend.

Continue Reading

I love editors and proofreaders. They make our books better!

In this article and video I go through why you should work with an editor, the different types of editor, how to find an editor and how the process works, as well as the (inevitable) mindset issues around criticism. Watch the video below or here on YouTube, or read the article below.

Why work with a professional editor?

If you are self-publishing, you need to edit your book pre-publication. If you are aiming for a traditional publishing deal, you want to submit the best book you can, so using an editor to improve your craft can be well worth it.

An editor's job is to take the raw manuscript and improve it – whether that be through structural changes, line edits, suggestions of new material, or sentence refinement.

A professional editor has training and experience in shaping manuscripts and they will see your mistakes clearly, as well as know how to fix them. While you are mired in the weeds, they have a bird's eye view of your work and can pinpoint what will improve it.

If you want your book to be the best it can be, then working with an editor is the best way to do that.

You will learn from a professional editor and improve your craft based on their feedback, then you can carry those lessons into your next book, so it is an investment in your writing future.

Importantly, the editor should not fundamentally change your book. They should shape it into a better version of itself, retaining your voice and ideas while at the same time, improving it for the reader. This is a careful balancing act, which is why experienced editors are so highly prized!

What if they steal my ideas/manuscript?

This is a common concern of new authors who think that editors will run away with their book and make millions with their idea. But don't worry! Editors are professionals and they work within a contractual framework that protects both parties.

You can also register your copyright first if you are concerned about this – just google ‘register copyright in <your country.> This is certainly not necessary since copyright is yours as soon as you create the work, but it can ease an author's mind.

For more on copyright and contracts, check out The Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick.

Different types of editor

There are several broad categories of editor.

A structural or developmental editor will work with you at a high level to shape the book into a coherent flow. They will read your manuscript and then provide a report that encompasses the entire book and will go through content organization, missing sections, tone and voice, as well as suggestions for improvement.

I used a structural editor for my first novel, Stone of Fire, and it helped me learn how to put the story together. Incredibly useful for that first book!

A technical editor is a specialist in a particular field and they will focus only on checking their area of expertise.

A copy editor or line editor focuses on improving sentences and grammar, as well as suggesting other ways of rephrasing ideas, and providing comment on anything else they pick up. Non-fiction books often use multiple styles, for example, chapter headings, sub-headings, action points, bullet points, call-outs and examples, so these will be examined at this phase.

The copy editor will usually use Track Changes on a MS Word document and this is the classic ‘red pen' edit where you can expect a lot of changes.

A proofreader is the final stage before publication. You will have made any changes based on the previous edits and then the proofreader will do a final check. They should not find much at this stage, but will likely point out typos or incorrect use of words, inconsistencies in formatting and other specific details.

You don't need all these editors for every book you write. But if you're struggling with the structure of your book, consider working with a structural editor. If you've never written a book before, then employing a copy editor is a good idea as you will have a lot to learn. And personally, I never publish a book without using a proofreader!

Beta readers

These are readers in your target market who read the book and offer comments on the content. They are not professional editors, so you can't expect them to pick up structural or grammatical issues, but they can be useful for feedback.

For my book, Career Change, I gave an early copy to people working in my department in the day job who I knew were dissatisfied with what they were doing. They came back with questions and suggestions for what to include as additional material. For The Healthy Writer, we asked medical doctors to read it as a sense check (even though my co-writer, Euan Lawson, is a doctor!)

I also use beta readers for specific cultural checks as I write about international settings and people. For Risen Gods, my beta readers included a Maori and a vulcanologist; for Destroyer of Worlds, I had a reader in Mumbai check it for specific details.

How to find a professional editor

Most authors will credit their editors in the Acknowledgments section of their books, so if there is a particular book you have enjoyed, then check out whether you can hire that editor. Many editors will have websites and write articles or go on podcasts, so you can usually easily find editors once you start looking.

Check whether the editor has experience in and enjoys your genre. This is critical because expectations will be different across the board. You don't want a literary editor working with you on a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, or a non-fiction business book editor working on your romance!

Make sure the editor has testimonials from other happy authors, and check directly with the named client if you want to take it further. Some editors will do a test edit on one chapter, which helps both parties decide whether working together is appropriate.

Remember that most editors are booked up months in advance, so find one in advance of when you expect the book to be ready.

You can find my list of recommended editors here: www.TheCreativePenn.com/editors

How much does an editor cost?

This will depend on what type of edit you require, as well as how long your book is, and how experienced you are as a writer, so there is no set figure. Each editor will quote their rates on their website, so compare when you do your research.

Every dollar I have spent on editing has been worth it and I continue to use editors for every one of my books. The more eyes on your book before publication, the better it will be on launch.

What if you have a tight budget?

Working with a professional is always the best choice, so if possible, then save up to work with an editor. But of course, some writers can't afford this, in which case there are some other options. You can barter with other writers in the same genre, editing each other's work, or providing other services you might be more skilled at e.g. Marketing tasks.

You can workshop your writing in a writer's group, but I'm personally wary of ‘writing by committee,' and this may impact your personal writing voice, the thing that makes you special. You can also work with beta readers, some of whom may have deep knowledge as readers and may be able to offer great feedback.

How to work with an editor

When you engage an editor of any kind, you should receive a contract with a timeline as well as a price for the work. You will agree to deliver the manuscript on a particular date and usually pay a deposit, especially if this is the first time you are working together. The editor will agree to deliver the edits back on a certain date.

There may be provision to have a call to discuss the work, or it may purely be the delivery of a structural report or a line edit or proofread manuscript. I've worked with professional editors for the last ten years and have never had a call to discuss, but if you're the type of person who wants that, then make sure you put that into the contract upfront along with anything else you are concerned about.

If you have questions about the process, now is the time to ask them. This is a two-way relationship and you need to behave as professionally as the editor should. I've heard nightmare stories from both sides over the years, and these can usually be avoided by communicating expectations upfront and getting the contract sorted out early.

Once the preliminaries are agreed, submit the manuscript to the editor – usually by email in MS Word format. They will return it to you on the agreed timeline with Track Changes and any other documents e.g. structural report, style sheet, other notes.

When you get that email, particularly if it's your first book, make sure you are well rested and in a positive frame of mind before you open it. If it’s your first book, the editing process will be hard on your ego, but remember, the editor’s job is to make your book better and help you learn the craft. You are paying for them to give you critical feedback, not to pat you on the back and say ‘good job.'

If you have an emotional reaction to the comments, don't email back immediately. Let the comments rest with you for at least a few days and you will find it easier to accept them.

[If you're struggling, check out The Successful Author Mindset, available in ebook, print and audiobook]

Once you are ready, go through the manuscript and update your Master file, which for me, is always my Scrivener project.

I'd suggest working through each change so you can learn for next time, rather than just clicking Accept All on the Track Changes version. This will take time, but it's well worth it. I usually accept 80-90% of my editor's changes and the manuscript is improved considerably by the experience. After the line edits are updated, I send the manuscript to a proofreader for the final check before publication.

Happy editing!