December 28, 2022 · 6:00 am

The Editing Process #amwriting

Self-editing is not an easy task. As a rule, I don’t recommend it because we authors see what we want to see. However, hiring an editor is out of reach for some people, and we will discuss that further in the second half of this article.

WritingCraft_self-editingThe publishing world is a rough playground. Editors for traditional publishing companies and small presses have a landslide of work to pick from and are chronically short-staffed. They can’t accept unprofessional work regardless of how good the story is.

Finding a freelance editor can be a challenge. A good way is to ask other authors who they recommend. Also, many freelance editors network through social media sites like Linkedin.

Another way is to google “how to find a freelance editor.”

Quill_pen smallBefore you hire an editor, check their qualifications and references. SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association) has an article you should read regardless of the genre in which you write: EDITORS AND EDITING – SFWA

What to expect once you do hire an editor:

Many editors will ask for the first twenty pages of your manuscript at no cost to you. They will either accept your project or explain why it isn’t ready for editing. Submissions should be formatted as MS WORD documents using Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Some editors will ask for a different font, so format it in the style they require.

Using the ribbon at the top, on the far right-hand side of the home tab, click Select All. This will highlight your entire document. With the whole document highlighted, open the paragraph tab to drop down the formatting menu. The manuscript should be aligned left, creating a ragged right-hand margin. Sentences should be double-spaced with no extra space between paragraphs. The first line of each paragraph should be indented .5 and formatted using the ribbon (not the tab key).

formatting_paragraphs_word_doc2018_LIRF

If you have used the tab key to indent paragraphs, you can fix it by using one of the following ways.

To remove tabs from a manuscript in MS Word or most other word-processing programs, open the “Find” box (right side of the ribbon on the home tab). In the “Find” field, type in ^t. (Caret + lowercase t) (press the alt key 94 to make ^ and key the t). This only works if you have a ten-key (number pad) at the right side of your keyboard: ^t.

Then click “Replace.” In this field, type nothing. Click once on “Replace all,” and it will remove every tab.

remove_tabs

That will leave you with no indents whatsoever. Your manuscript will temporarily look like a wall of words, but you will resolve that.

Once the tabs are all removed, use the following instructions to format paragraphs.

FIRST: SELECT ALL. This will highlight your entire manuscript.

Step 1: On the Home tab, look in the group labeled ‘Paragraph.’ On the lower right-hand side of that group is a small grey square. Click on it. A pop-out menu will appear, which is where you format your paragraphs.

Step 2: On the indents and spacing menu: Use standard alignment, align LEFT. We use this format because we are not looking at a finished product here. We are looking at a rough draft that will be sliced, diced, and otherwise mutilated many times before we get to the final product.

Step 3: Indentation: leave that alone or reset both numbers to ‘0’ if you have inadvertently altered it.

Step 4: Where it says ‘Special,’ select ‘first line on the dropdown menu.’ On the ‘By’ menu, select ‘0.5.’ (Some publishers specify a different number, 0.3 or 0.2, but 0.5 is standard.)

Step 5: ‘Spacing’: set both before and after to ‘0.’

Step 6: ‘Line Spacing’: set to ‘double.’

If you don’t have a ten-key pad, you must remove each tabbed indent by hand. Beginning with the first paragraph on the first page, scroll down and use the backspace key to remove the tab indenting every paragraph.

The editor will probably use the track changes function in MS Word. They will return your manuscript with their suggestions for revisions, highlighted in red and noted in the review column on the right-hand side of the document. You will use the track changes function to accept or reject each suggestion. This is what track changes looks like when you get the manuscript back:

what track changes looks like

Also, you might receive a separate report detailing the editor’s overall impressions of your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses.

During the editing process, a word-frequency report might be generated. A style sheet will probably be developed for usages and unique spellings that may pertain to your manuscript. Via email, you and the editor might discuss the names and usages that may differ from standard spellings to create that style sheet. A good editor will respond to your questions as soon as they receive your email.

We overlook many flaws when trying to self-edit our work because we are as immersed in visualizing the scene as we were during the moments when we first wrote it. Our eyes see what we imagine to be there rather than the typos or missing words.

steampunk had holding pen smallIf you’re a member of a writers’ group, you have a resource of people who will beta read for you at no cost. As a critique group member, you will read for them too.

Be careful how you phrase your comments on their work. Be accurate and find positive things to point out as well as areas that need work.

For those who can’t afford a full professional edit, there is a way to make a pretty good stab at editing your own manuscript. However, it is time-consuming, which is why an editor’s services are not cheap.

Open your Manuscript.

Break it into separate chapters by copying and pasting each individual chapter into a new document. Doing this preserves the original manuscript and breaks it down into manageable chunks.

Save the chapters in a new file labeled with the word “revisions.” Example: Barons_Hollow_revisions_12-22-2022

FileDocumentClearly and consistently label each chapter. Ensure the chapter numbers are in the proper sequence, and don’t skip a number. I would label my individual chapter files this way:

  • BH_ch_1

Print out the first chapter. Everything looks different printed out, and you will see many things you don’t notice on the computer screen.

Turn to the last page. Cover the page, leaving only the final paragraph visible.

  • Starting with the last paragraph on the last page, begin reading, working your way forward.
  • Look for typos and garbled sentences.
  • With a yellow highlighter, mark each place that needs correction.

I can’t stress the importance of the following observation strongly enough:

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND AND OBEY THE BASIC RULES OF GRAMMAR. Those who think the standard grammar rules don’t matter to readers are doing their work and reputation a disservice.

misuse_grammar_consistently_memeIf you are writing in the US, you might consider investing in Bryan A. Garner’s Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation. This is a resource with all the answers to questions about grammar and sentence structure. It takes the Chicago Manual of Style and boils it down to just the grammar.

For a quick one-page reference, here is a link to an article I posted on the basics of grammar:

Fundamentals of Grammar: seven basic rules of punctuation

Punctuation is not an area where we can cut corners. It serves as the traffic signals, affects pacing, and avoids verbal chaos. Most readers won’t notice the grammar if you have a good grasp of the basics and are consistent.

When you have finished, you should have someone you trust read it for typos and copy/paste errors you might have missed. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but readers want to enjoy the book, not struggle through garbled sentences.

The New Year approaches, and many books will be indie-published novels written during NaNoWriMo. Will they be readable and enjoyable? If the authors took the time to have their work edited and seen by their writing group first—then yes, probably so.

Whatever you write, and whatever your publishing path, I wish you a blessed New Year. May the well of inspiration never run dry!

christmas-holly-sidebar 2

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30 responses to “The Editing Process #amwriting”

  2. wordsandcoffee1
    December 28, 2022 at 6:21 am

    Very thorough! I remember thinking my first time through the traditional editing process that it was much more involved than I had expected, but it was worth it in the end for a polished project.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Pingback: The Editing Process #amwriting — Life in the Realm of Fantasy – Lines by Leon

  5. Dan Antion
    December 28, 2022 at 6:44 am

    Thanks for sharing your insight, Connie. I love that quote by the editor.

    I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all the best in 2023.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. G. J. Jolly
    December 29, 2022 at 5:30 am

    All of my drafts are already formatted the way an editor would prefer except I have the space between lines a 1.5 in hopes of getting something more realistic for words per page. Also, I prefer drafting each chapter as a separate document because it makes backtracking for story changes easier. I just go into the folder where the draft pages are and choose the chapter I want to modify. I haven’t used the track changes function yet.

    Liked by 1 person

    • conniejjasperson
      December 29, 2022 at 5:45 am

      Hello! That sounds like a good system too. I draft in the way I described above so that when I send a final manuscript to Irene it is formatted the way she wants it.
      Thank you for stopping by, and I hope the New Year ahead brings you all the good things. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  9. raynayday
    December 29, 2022 at 9:10 am

    I agree with you. It takes a remarkable amount of discipline to self edit effectively I have tried often and failed, even though I once was an editor.
    A good editor can be worth their weight in gold, though I hate paying for editing. “Worth their weight in gold” assuming that they are small and skinny, perhaps of the faerie persuasion. Yes, that skinny, tis’ still a lot of gold. Better still if they are diminutive, preferably a skinny dwarf or better still around the size of Tinker bell. You get ghost writers can you not get a ghost editor?
    Now they may well be worth their weight in gold. Ghosts don’t weigh much, do they?

    Liked by 1 person

    • conniejjasperson
      December 29, 2022 at 9:47 am

      Hah hah hah!!! You cracked me up, Ray! I love your sense of humor. Perhaps the Ghosts of Publishers Past will visit you in this New Year. I’d love to read that story.

      But seriously, when you think that editors only have one client at a time, and a manuscript can take several weeks to finish – they are skinny indeed if they must exist only on their fees. When I was freelancing, I was fortunate that my hubby had a job. I rarely finished more than two manuscripts in a month because I could only give the task of editing that intense kind of attention for three, maybe four hours at a stretch. After that I had to leave it until the next day or risk losing focus. If I earned more than $1,000 in a month, I was doing well, so it’s not a career one goes into unless they truly love helping authors get their books out.

      Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I hope the coming year brings you all the good things.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. raynayday
    December 29, 2022 at 11:24 am

    Ah, Connie, I know only too well what editors get paid. Over the years I have been editor on six different mags, all of which went bust. Were it not for interns and volunteers they would hardly have held out for months never mind years. A dying business.

    Liked by 1 person

    • conniejjasperson
      December 29, 2022 at 11:28 am

      Aw. It’s people like you who give us hope, though. Magazine editors are amazing!

      Like

      • raynayday
        December 30, 2022 at 10:49 am

        The ghosts of publishers past….
        Yeah, but Ray it is the type of stories you write. They are full of darkness and misery, Delve deep into them and depression will be your pay. You are hurting people Ray; don’t you get it? All this darkness and misery you send out infects others and they in turn grow dark and miserable. But you can write joyous stuff Ray, I have read it, I know when you turn your mind to it you can make people laugh and better still you make them weep with joy. I will leave you with this thought. Ray, make them weep with joy if you do not another of my kind will visit you and tell you more of your future.
        Another of your kind? I thought you were just my publisher. I am but I died a long time ago, do you not remember? Jealous husband and fat printer and so am naturally miserable, you could cheer me up were you to write something entertaining rather than all the dark horror stuff. It’s all very good but it is dull, dull, dull. She seemed to disappear instantly and was replaced by a fat bald bloke.
        “Hey Rob, Glad to see you” he said. “Err, excuse me what are you doing straddling me when I am in bed and trying to sleep. Oh, and I am not gay. “I know, your previous Publisher told me”. “My previous publisher? Barry Is still my publisher”.
        “Oh, Barry, the bus, Squish, I know” he said holding his hat up with one hand pinching his nose with the other. “They really don’t tell you about these things, the undertakers, though Barry giving him his due smelled of lavender and rose water even after being squished. For goodness’ sake get off me. I moved to the side levering myself up and pushing him off. Sadly, he fell from the bed with his hands still in his pockets The angle of his neck suggested instant death. But he was right I had to write something cheerful and uplifting instead of death and destruction.
        I poured myself a coffee trying to think of what may make a difference when my door opened a little musky perfume assaulted my senses before a nice leg clad in black tights above court shoes entered.
        “Lesley”, she said. I am your new publisher. Pushing with one shiny toe my previous publisher out of the way. What are you going to write next? We need something cheerful for a change.
        I think I have realized that.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. jpeters
    December 30, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    Very thoughtful and complete!!! ♥️

    Liked by 1 person

  13. OIKOS™- Art, Books & more
    December 31, 2022 at 12:51 pm

    Formating always was and also is a special thing to me. For editing i think giving the whole work into the hands of a professional editor it will be the best. My last revision of a own work had brought me four version at the end. Lol Best wishes for the start into a wonderful New Year, Connie! Thanks so much for all the useful and interesting posts of 2022! xx Michael

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Nickay
    January 5, 2023 at 3:13 am

    These are some super helpful tips especially with self-editing. 🩷🩷

    Liked by 1 person