Editing a book may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be if you’re structured. In this blog post, I will go through the different steps I go through when editing a manuscript.
Editing Step by Step
- Take a break from the manuscript. Preferably for four weeks so that you can distance yourself from what you’ve written.
- Look at the big picture. In this step I look at the manuscript from a larger perspective, how does the plot work? Are there any major plot holes?
- Character development. In the third editing round, I look at character arcs. What is the development of the characters through the script? Can the character arcs improve?
- Dialogue and the pacing. Do my characters speak with unique voices? Does it feel like the story is moving too fast or too slow?
- Spelling and grammar is the last thing I check because I don’t want to waste time on it in case I delete whole chapters.
Feedback from readers, editors and/or test readers is everything. It’s easy to become blind to your own text, so I always recommend having someone else look at your manuscript. Preferably a professional editor.
