You’ve poured your heart into your manuscript, but now what? The editing process can feel like a labyrinth, leaving many authors wondering if their book is truly ready for prime time.
Fellow editor Allyson Wilkins and I sat down together to demystify the journey from rough draft to polished gem. Together, we break down the stages of editing, debunk common myths, and share actionable tips for both self-editing and collaborating with professionals.
Prefer to listen? Catch the full conversation, including more in-depth examples and candid advice, by visiting episode 76!
The Editor's True Intension
Many authors approach editing with apprehension, fearing harsh criticism or a complete rewrite of their vision. However, a great editor's true mission is far more collaborative. As Wilkins beautifully puts it, "We want to enhance the author’s vision and make it better, bring out their voice ... and find those improvements.”
Editors are partners dedicated to helping your story reach its full potential, not to dominate your voice. Our approach often involves asking "questions trying to get the author to think and to kind of develop some of their own ideas," fostering your creative solutions rather than imposing ours.
Navigating Editing Stages
Understanding the different types of editing is your first step to a smooth process. Here’s a quick overview:
- Developmental Editing: This is the big-picture stage. Think character arcs, plot holes, pacing, and overall story structure. It's about ensuring your story's foundation is rock-solid.
- Line Editing: This dives into the sentence and paragraph level. It focuses on flow, clarity, word choice, and bringing out your unique style, making sure your prose sings.
For more details about the different stages of editing, including the manuscript evaluation route most newer authors don’t know about, then check out this blog post, “Book Coaches and Editors: What’s the Difference?”
Understanding Editor Rates
Editor fees can seem daunting, but let’s dive into the rigorous work involved and thus what you’re getting for your investment. The industry standard for editing speed is roughly 1,000 to 3,000 words per hour.
That means a 100,000-word manuscript averages 50 hours’ worth of work — for only 1 read through. That's equivalent to a full work week or more!
Now, this doesn’t mean your editor can turn around your manuscript in 1–2 weeks. They might be balancing a few other projects at the same time. Plus, how many writers can sit in front of the computer for 8 hours straight? Not many. That’s because our brains need a break from such an intensive mental effort.
The same holds true for editors. Brain fatigue contributes to realistic turnaround times, ensuring your manuscript gets the focused attention it deserves.
Supercharge Your Self-Editing: Actionable Tips You Can Use Now
Even if you plan to hire a professional, developing strong self-editing skills is invaluable. Here are strategies from the episode you can apply today:
- Breaks & Bibles: As Allyson advises, don’t sit in really long sessions. Take breaks. And make your own story Bible or style sheet. This helps you track details and prevents burnout.
- Deep dive into character background: To truly make your characters pop, Allyson advises that authors dig deeper into each character’s background. Authors should know what life experiences led their characters to specific moments of their book. This depth will naturally inform their unique voice and reactions.
- Edit in layers: For line editing, I recommend a focused approach: If you’re going to attempt line editing on your own, edit in layers. For example, scan each chapter looking only at emotions? If you name the emotion, that means you’re most likely telling instead of showing. Other layers could include setting, dialogue, pacing, character growth, etc.
- The "LY" adverb challenge: Want a quick prose polish? I challenge you to "reduce your LY adverbs by 90 percent. If you take the LY out and it doesn't change the meaning, then you don't need it. Overuse can truly weigh down your writing.
- The backwards & audio proofread: This is my personal secret weapon for catching elusive errors: I read the book backwards from the last chapter to the first chapter, and from last sentence to first. I also have my computer read the story aloud. Those 3 methods help stop our brains from filling in gaps and skipping over errors.
Ready to Polish Your Manuscript?
The editing process, whether you're tackling it yourself or partnering with a professional, is a critical step in bringing your best story to readers. By applying these insights and actionable strategies, you can navigate this journey with confidence and transform your manuscript into the polished gem it deserves to be.
Learn more by listening to the entire episode.
