Editing can be a tedious process, but it’s necessary for producing your best work. It may seem overwhelming at first when you find yourself staring at many pages, but if you break down your editing process into simple steps, you’ll find that editing is not as hard as it seems. While every author should complete an initial editing process on their eBook, no eBook is complete or ready to publish without being sent to a professional editor and proofreader for final polishing.
Focused Editing
Separate your editing process into multiple steps. Editing for everything at once prevents you from looking critically at the various parts of your manuscript that need your attention. During the first revision, place your emphasis on larger modifications. You may choose to delete entire chapters or add new sections. During this phase of your editing, you may notice that you have accidentally referred to a character by the wrong name or put a piece of the story out of sequence. Once you’re satisfied with the overall structure of your eBook, you can go back through during the next round of revisions, focusing more on sentence structure and style.
Selective Editing
As you’re reviewing your eBook, make a list of the substantial changes that you’re considering. Once you have that list, arrange it from most important to least important. This will make your task list easier to manage, as well as tighten your focus. You’ll make changes of which you can be confident, and you’ll avoid making edits that you’re on the fence about.
Editing on Paper
Many writers find it easier to edit their eBook when it’s on paper. You’ll catch small details more quickly and you also have the advantage of writing, circling, and highlighting as you please, so if you need to, print your manuscript. The most important benefit of printing the eBook is that you can visibly see the changes that have been made without the temptation of directly changing the text. When you go back to your manuscript, you’ll have a second chance to decide if those truly are the changes you want to make.
Your editing process will go further than these steps, but these are great starters to a task that doesn’t always look so friendly. Before you know it, you’ll have a finished eBook ready to be a top-seller.
Editing can be a tedious process, but it’s necessary for producing your best work. It may seem overwhelming at first when you find yourself staring at many pages, but if you break down your editing process into simple steps, you’ll find that editing is not as hard as it seems. While every author should complete an initial editing process on their eBook, no eBook is complete or ready to publish without being sent to a professional editor and proofreader for final polishing.
Focused Editing
Separate your editing process into multiple steps. Editing for everything at once prevents you from looking critically at the various parts of your manuscript that need your attention. During the first revision, place your emphasis on larger modifications. You may choose to delete entire chapters or add new sections. During this phase of your editing, you may notice that you have accidentally referred to a character by the wrong name or put a piece of the story out of sequence. Once you’re satisfied with the overall structure of your eBook, you can go back through during the next round of revisions, focusing more on sentence structure and style.
Selective Editing
As you’re reviewing your eBook, make a list of the substantial changes that you’re considering. Once you have that list, arrange it from most important to least important. This will make your task list easier to manage, as well as tighten your focus. You’ll make changes of which you can be confident, and you’ll avoid making edits that you’re on the fence about.
Editing on Paper
Many writers find it easier to edit their eBook when it’s on paper. You’ll catch small details more quickly and you also have the advantage of writing, circling, and highlighting as you please, so if you need to, print your manuscript. The most important benefit of printing the eBook is that you can visibly see the changes that have been made without the temptation of directly changing the text. When you go back to your manuscript, you’ll have a second chance to decide if those truly are the changes you want to make.
Your editing process will go further than these steps, but these are great starters to a task that doesn’t always look so friendly. Before you know it, you’ll have a finished eBook ready to be a top-seller.
