Editing: Where the magic happens
This post is a part a multi-post series on Self-publishing a book, sponsored by Highbrow
In today’s post, I’m taking a cue from Ernest Hemingway.
Before you freak out, remember that a first draft is not even worth showing to friends and family. As Ernest Hemingway famously said, “the only kind of writing is rewriting.” Few writers will produce a first draft that they’re happy with. Through the process of creating a second and third draft, you will hone the language, cut out superfluous material and refine your manuscript.
Once you’ve rewritten that manuscript to your heart’s content, might it be time to share your book… with a professional editor.
Not too sure what an editor does (or doesn’t do)? Don’t worry. Let’s slow things down and look at the different jobs an “editor” might do:
Developmental Editors: They will identify all the plot holes you didn’t catch in your first three drafts. They will examine all the elements of your writing, from single words and the phrasing of individual sentences, to overall structure and style. Think of it as addressing “big picture” issues like confused structure, problematic characterization, patchy pacing, head-hopping, etc.
Copy Editors: They will turn your manuscript into its most readable version. Weeding out all the bad grammar and spelling mistakes, they will point out things like poorly constructed sentences and noticeable shifts in your tone.
Proofreaders: They will come in at the last stage of the editing process to check for tiny errors in spelling and punctuation. It’s their job to make sure that mistakes don’t slip through the net before your book is distributed.
That’s a lot of information to pore over! At this point you probably have a lot of questions swimming around your head. Take a moment and find out a bit more about both the process of editing and the different kinds of services offered by freelance professionals.
That’s all for today! I promise it gets even better, because I’ll be back with some amazing tips on how to make your book more visually appealing than the competition.
Thank you for this great review on how to self publish a book. I didn’t realise that there were so many different aspects to it.
I also did not know that there were so many specific types of Editors out there in “book world”. I can appreciate how a Developmental Editor would be worth their weight in gold. I know of HEAPS of Star Wars fans who pride themselves on being able to link how one character can links to XYZ other parts. They also really love highlights how it’s impossible for that character to be on that planet at that time because according to movie #2 they are meant to be somewhere else. I know you understand what I am trying to say here. I was just wondering which part of the editing process do you enjoy the most?
Hi Glenys,
Yes, editing is one of the most important parts of writing and publishing.
I myself prefer the proofreading process. I love correcting other people’s content, and have other people proofread mine 🙂
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Marios