Self-editing for authors
Check out these quick tips to get your manuscript in tip-top shape before sending it on to the editor!
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One of the most common questions I get is How can I clean up my manuscript before sending it to an editor? In other words, what authors want to know is how to effectively self-edit to save money and time.
Many editors charge hourly rates, or they may offer a discount for manuscripts that have been edited well before they arrive in their inbox (I know I do!) Not to mention, we tend to retain new skills much better when we implement them ourselves rather than accepting the work of others. This means that authors are much more likely to write cleaner drafts when they learn self-editing skills, rather than relying on the edits of a professional. While I would never suggest that you will reach a point where your editing skills are so strong that you no longer need an editor (even New York Times selling authors use an editor after decades of a successful career), I am confident that when writers learn what to look for in their own writing, they will see a much better return on their investments when it comes to paying an editor.
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Take a break!
It is a truth universally accepted among writers that you should set a manuscript aside for a time before going back to make any revisions. You’ll do best if you’re able to put the story completely out of your mind during this time and work on another project. Conventional wisdom says to take at least a two week break, but many authors take as many as 6-8 weeks. Just be careful not to set your manuscript aside for too long, there is a fine line between refreshing your mind and letting it go cold on you.
Change things up
When you get back to editing, sometimes you still can’t see through the weeds. Luckily, authors have come up with plenty of tricks to get through the sometimes monotonous task of editing your own work:
Try listening to the book aloud—there are multiple options for having your book read back to you. Microsoft Word has a read aloud feature, you could utilize an AI narrator such as MicMonster or Synthesys, or you could simply read it aloud yourself. If this feels like too much, you may choose to at least listen to the dialogue aloud, to be sure the cadence is smooth and organic.
Other writers swear by changing the font and format. Try increasing font size, switching to double spaced lines, or pick a new font such as Courier.
Some authors find they work best by printing out the document and marking it up by hand. Be aware, this will get pricey quick, and then you still need to go through and make the changes in the document—so this might double or even triple the amount of time you spend editing
Clear out the clutter
Check your document for passive text, redundancies, weak verbs, repetitive or overused words and phrases, cliches, and modifiers, including adverbs and adjectives. Some writers and editors will tell you to remove as many adverbs and adjectives as humanly possible, while there is some wisdom in this advice, oftentimes it leads to authors twisting and mutilating their sentences into a complete mess in order to get their point across without the use of any modifiers. My recommendation is usually to use them sparingly and intentionally, and when revising your document before sending to an editor look for clauses containing more than one (two at most) modifiers. If you have a clause containing more than one or two adjectives or adverbs, you likely need to revise.
Take notes
Keep track of your most frequent errors and tendencies. Make a note of them as you work or keep a running document, adding to it or revising with each project. The more aware you are of these problems, the less likely you are to repeat them during the drafting stage. Eventually, these changes should become so instinctual that you make them on the fly, making your revision process that much faster.
Utilize technology
There are loads of options out there for writers looking to tighten up and clean up their writing. Some of the most popular include ProWriting Aid, Grammarly, Hemmingway Editor and Autocrit. When it comes to grammar and spelling, ProWriting Aid is my top recommendation, but many authors still use Grammarly premium. Hemmingway Editor and Autocrit are both excellent options for evaluating prose elements such as pacing, dialogue, and word choice, though they are not as effective with spelling and grammar. At the very least, just about every word processor in existence has a spell check function, use it!
These software options may not find everything, and they certainly can’t replace a human editor, but they can make your editor’s job a lot easier.
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I cofounded The Inspired Author network along with my wonderful friend and best-selling author, Tara Grace Ericson. We created this network with the mission of offering books, courses, and other resources to encourage and equip authors in all stages of their writing journey.