Posted: March 19, 2024
The journey between a first draft and the final published work is a long one. Your poem, novel, essay, short story, or otherwise may go through dozens of drafts before it’s done, but what distinguishes one draft from another? Editing. Editing by peers, editing by professionals, editing by yourself.
A lot of people may tell you never to edit your own work. People on the opposite side of the spectrum carry the opinion that you are all you need; they don’t bother with professionals. Both of these opinions are valid, but neither are wholly correct. The making of a book is a shared experience. A book made by a sole individual is never at its best. I suppose you could say “It takes a village.”
So, you know you should find a professional to edit your work—someone trained in the proper procedures and practices to ensure maximum correctness. But what about editing yourself? Should you do it? And if so, how?
The short answer is: yes, you should. But to do so most effectively, you need to switch hats.
As a writer, you should think Writer. Write what comes to you, the ideas you want to convey, the fun you want to have with the story, poem, etc.
When editing, though, you need to switch. You need to read through it as a Reader. If you were reading the work from an outside perspective, what would you like to see? Do the scenes make sense to you? It may be difficult to judge at times, since, as the writer, you know how to fill in the gaps—which is why beta readers are essential—but try your best. Make notes, either in the document itself or in a notebook or on a printed copy of your draft. Whatever works for you.
[Related Article: What is Beta Reading?]
Then, step into the role of Editor. Much like being a Reader, you must judge the writing like it isn’t your own, see what works and what doesn’t. However, this time, you’re not just observing. You’re making changes. Changes to the story’s content, to the grammar, to the punctuation and spelling (whichever stage you’re in).
While editing, you shouldn’t worry about the technical aspects too much at first. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation can be fixed later, so first you should worry about the story itself. Are all the characters doing what they should? Are they consistent? Do they evolve as the story goes on, or do they remain stagnant? Are there mysteries about them that are slowly revealed? Do you drop hints along the way to reveal the story’s plot without giving it away too soon?
Check out this Developmental Editing checklist for more information.
This process may take a few drafts, or a lot. It all depends on you and your beta readers. At this stage, you can go through the first draft yourself, but before moving on to editing the second or third draft, you should look for outside help. Find some beta readers. Some will come to you directly—people who respond to a post on social media who are interested in your genre or the plot of your work. Go with free betas at first if you’re unfamiliar with the process—that way, you can narrow down what combination of traits/categories will be your most useful betas (age, gender, interests, etc.). It can also help you narrow down possible sensitivity readers.
After a few drafts, you should have the story nailed down the way you like it. From there, you can do some technical editing. This is typically harder, since you need to be well versed in the grammar, spelling, and punctuation rules not only in general but also of your specific region. American spelling or British spelling? How are you using dashes? Do you use a lot of commas in your work? These are all things to consider.
The checklist below will help you with some basic rules to keep in mind, but this is tedious work, so it may take a few passes, which means you’ll probably be tired of the manuscript by the time you’re done.
It is a writer must to hire a professional editor to look over your work before publication. You may think that you can do it yourself or get enough free beta readers or friends or colleagues to catch errors for you, but this is untrue. They are not professionally trained in book editing (even English teachers) and will miss things. While it is true that indie authors have less money to throw around, you must not skimp on your book. If you’re cautious about hiring an editor, choose more carefully so you get your money’s worth.
That said, the better shape the manuscript is in before editing, the better shape it will be in afterwards!
Some authors are naturally good with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. These authors are charged less for editing. This is because editing is either charged at an hourly rate or by wordcount (in levels of light, medium, or heavy) based on how much work the book needs. The less editing that the editor has to do, the less their services will cost.
This is not to say that if you just keep at it, you won’t need them at all. It merely allows them to focus on everything that is above the level of the average author. If they don’t need to worry about silly typos or missing punctuation, they can work diligently at enhancing your writing, rather than just patching up the biggest cracks.
The best way to find a good editor is to ask other authors. If you simply post online that you’re looking for an editor, you’ll probably get dozens of replies from people trying to sell their services to you, but how can you choose between them if you know nothing about them? So, ask author friends and colleagues. Who did they work with? What was it like working with them? What seemed to be that editor’s particular strengths?
Typically, a good freelance editor will have an official website or something to list their credentials and prior work. They should also offer a sample edit (typically free) to assess you and your book. A sample edit is also for you to see if their service will be of great value to you. Once you find someone you seem to click with, have at it and all the best to you!
Alpha, Beta, Editing, ARC—The Difference
The Best Order to Edit Your Book
How to Get the Most Out of Self Editing
Working with an Editor Part 1: Content
Working with an Editor Part 2: Technical
Tigerpetal Press is a small book press dedicated to publishing local authors and poets.