My Editing Process
My editing process varies with each book, but I usually try to keep the structure the same since I found one that works.
Before Finishing The First Draft
Before I even finish the first draft, I begin to edit. A lot of people have told me that this can cause people to get stuck or lose momentum to finish the manuscript. In my experience, I have gotten stuck right before the end. I feel like there has been so much time between start and finish that I forgot about all the things that I need to wrap up in the ending of the book.
Therefore, I go back to the beginning. At this point, I don’t make large edits (or at least try not to). I will make minor edits, and if something would require anything more than a paragraph or pulling out a thesaurus, then I make a note for myself for later. I use Google docs so it makes this really easy to come back to when I am finished.
I try not to let this step take too long. This is meant to be a quick read through so that I can finish writing.
After First Draft is Done
Once I completely finish the first draft of the manuscript, I put it away and don’t touch it for at least a week. I have found that this is a very important step in my editing process. This break from working allows my brain to reset, and I can take a breather before I go from writing to editing.
During this time, I usually try to read a book (or two depending on the length). The only work I do from my books is that I let myself look over the notes I wrote while writing the manuscript. This helps me identify what I may have missed while writing and think about where I can add it.
First Round - Self Edits
My first full round of edits consists of me going through the manuscript myself. I add the scenes that I may have missed previously and make sure there aren’t any plot holes and the storyline makes sense. I resolve all of the comments that I had left during my quick edit and make sure that it’s the best I can make it without help.
Second Round - Beta Reader
Beta readers are a HUGE part of the early stages of editing. I used to just have my friends or family members reading through my story. I found this to be helpful, but ineffective since they weren’t knowledgeable about the specifics of writing or editing. It is important to find people that understand the craft and won’t just tell you that it looks good, leaving a few notes here and there. You want a beta reader that will leave lots of comments, both positive and constructive. Having both of these not only helps your manuscript get better, but also lets you know which sections, lines, or passages they really enjoyed.
I currently have two beta readers. One beta reader focuses more on the little things like grammar and where it felt like something was missing, while the other one looks at developmental issues and questions. Both of these are very helpful with my writing style. I am a writer that always needs to add during the editing stages and these beta readers identify where things need to be added.
Third and Fourth Round - Professional Editor
My next few edits are from a professional editor. For the Perfidious trilogy, I used Horror Smith Editing and Lyndsey is amazing!
There is a lot of debate over whether or not it is important or necessary to hire a professional editor. Personally, I think this step is a must. My editor catches a lot of mistakes and areas that need fixing that neither myself or my beta readers were able to find. She is never pushy about her suggestions because they are suggestions and no editor should make you feel like it’s their way or the highway. However, I do consider every change and maybe I don’t do it exactly as she suggests, but in my view, if she is questioning something my readers might as well so I usually edit it in some way. I had a different editor in the very beginning before I knew what I was really doing. He told me I had to include the names of all the specific fighting styles in Perfidious and when I didn’t do that, he said I would never be published and wouldn’t continue to work with me. Obviously, he was wrong, but that is why it is important to make sure that you and your editor work well together. Another important thing to make sure you have is a contract that lays out deadlines and payment. That way it is clear and they are held accountable if they don’t deliver.
Anyway, I do rounds three and four with Lyndsey. She does a developmental edit and a combined copy and line edit. For some editors, this might be three rounds, but this editor combines two of them to save herself and her clients time.
Fifth Round - Print Out
This was a step people had told me is beneficial and worth it. I never believed them so I didn’t ever do this until my last book. I was going to be traveling and wanted to do my own read through of my manuscript before continuing to the next stage with my editor. I read through a copy of Perfidious that I had with me, marking up things that needed to be reflected in Deceptions. Then I read through the printed manuscript of Deceptions. I had different colored pens and highlighters with me.
Turns out that it really did help. I was able to see the book with a different point of view and found some errors that were missed through the last four rounds of edits. I was also able to make sure that everything remained consistent between the two books. For Relinquish, I plan to read through Perfidious, Deceptions, and a printed copy of the Relinquish manuscript to do the same thing.
Sixth Round - Proofreading and Formatting
Different editors do this in different ways. Some do proofreading first, some do formatting first, and not all editors offer formatting. Thankfully my editor, Lyndsey, does offer that service. She will format first and then proofread so that way any errors in the formatting are caught before it gets printed.
Even if your editor doesn’t offer formatting, I would self proofread your manuscript after it is formatted. This would allow you to catch any formatting errors or remaining text errors before publication.
Final Round - Proof Copy
I would say that the final round in my editing process consists of two half edits.
First Half - When I upload my manuscript into Amazon KDP, the ebook will usually do a scan of the book to identify any misspellings. I haven’t had more than one or two in the full manuscript, which is pretty good.
Second Half - Once the manuscript is added to Amazon KDP, I order a proof copy. This is very important and you may have to order more than one. I had to order a couple for Deceptions because one thing wasn’t printing right, but showed up fine in every other digital file. After everything looks good, the manuscript is ready for publication.
Not Everyone is Perfect
It is important to remember that not everyone is perfect. Even traditionally published books can still have errors. I have some people send me messages about errors in my book. Now, it is hard to not get defensive because my books are my babies and it’s hard to believe that there were errors after seven rounds of edits. However, the people that have messaged me are friends and family that are just trying to let me know to help me. They aren’t messaging me to tell me that it’s bad because the word “image” was supposed to be “imagined.”
I have to remind myself that not everyone is perfect and not get down on myself for one mistake out of 80,000 - 90,000 words, which is never easy to do.
