So, You’ve Written a Book
If you’ve completed a full draft of a book, congratulations!! Writing is hard work, and to persist until you have a manuscript of (roughly) 60,000 words is quite an accomplishment.
So, what’s next?
You might be thinking: Am I ready for an editor? How do I know? And if I am, what kind of editor do I need?
In general, an editor’s job is to help you take your writing to the next level (or maybe even up a couple of levels). It’s logical, then, that the work you submit to an editor should be as polished as you can get it. The better shape your manuscript is in before an edit, the better shape it will be after an edit. [This is true for all levels of edits, but it’s especially true for developmental and line edits since those are usually the levels of edits that will alter a manuscript the most.]
Before Turning Your Manuscript over to an Editor
Before working with an editor, you generally want to do as much as you can on your own, and there are several ways that you can do this.
Get Feedback from Others
Many writers benefit from writing groups (aka writing workshops). Getting feedback from others is one way you can prepare your work for an editor. As someone with twenty years of writing-group experience (as both a participant and a facilitator), I offer this caveat: Not all writing-group feedback is helpful and may even be counterproductive.
Writing groups are often most useful if those in the workshop are at or above your same writing level. It’s also helpful to be among writers who have common goals, e.g., publication.
I would also caution against writing “by committee.” This is when a writer tries to incorporate every piece of feedback they’ve received from a workshop.
Getting feedback from others can be a beneficial way to enhance/develop your writing, but it’s not a replacement for an editor. It can, however, help you prepare for working with an editor.
Professional Critiques
Another option is a professional critique. A critique includes an editorial letter highlighting what is working well in your manuscript while also noting several key points to consider for improvement. A critique is not as thorough as a developmental edit but can still provide you with direction for revision. While a critique doesn’t replace a developmental edit, it may be a reasonable alternative in some circumstances if a developmental edit doesn’t fit into your budget. If you are interested in a professional critique of your manuscript, contact me to learn more.
Going Solo
It’s also okay, of course, if you prep a manuscript for an editor on your own, without outside feedback. If this is your preferred course of action, I highly recommend Matt Bell’s book Refuse to Be Done, which has a lot of useful self-editing advice.
However you do it, you should feel that your manuscript is as good as it can be at that point in time; in other words, you generally don’t want to submit a first draft to an editor! (One exception to this would be if you just want the editor to rewrite the manuscript for you. This kind of “edit” would generally fall under the category of ghostwriting, not editing, and is generally more expensive than editing. If this is something you’re interested in, contact me to discuss.)
What to Expect from the Editing Process
There are four levels of edits: developmental, line, copyediting, and proofreading. Most writers need all levels of edits, and they should be done in the appropriate order, starting with a developmental edit and ending with proofreading.
Developmental Editing*
A developmental editor does not make changes to your manuscript. Instead, they leave elaborate comments/explanations and examples. They provide you with appropriate information so that you, the writer, can decide how—or if—you want to change something. Besides the in-text comments and examples, you will receive an editorial letter that could be 20 to 30 pages long. This letter and these comments can take a long time to digest. As a developmental editor, I give the writer a suggested step-by-step approach to revision to make the process as manageable as possible.
When I received (relatively minimal) edits on only a 900-word story, it took me a couple of weeks to process the questions/suggestions from the editor and work through them. The revision for such a short story was not substantial, but I ended up adding about 300 words to the story and was very happy with the final product. But that was just for a very short story!
If you have a 60,000- to 80,000-word novel, you can imagine that working through the edits can take a substantial amount of thought and time. Some writers work very quickly; I consider myself a slower creative writer (which may be why I gravitate toward very short fiction). Regardless of whether you work or process information slowly or quickly, I would suggest that you allow at least a month for revisions after a developmental edit.
The changes that a writer makes after a developmental edit may be substantial. To that end, the writer may want to get feedback (e.g., from trusted writer friends, etc.) again at this point. In fact, this is often the point in which a writer will employ beta readers; the writer may then make additional changes based on the beta-read feedback.
Line Editing*
The next step is the line edit. As a line editor, I usually use Track Changes in Word to make edits, while also leaving explanatory comments. Other comments may be in the form of questions or include suggestions for clarity or consistency—anything that’s at the sentence (or line) level.
A line edit may or may not take as much time for the writer to digest as the developmental edit. Some writers may simply accept all changes and then work their way through comments. (If requested, I will send a writer two versions of the manuscript, one with Track Changes and the other with all the changes accepted.) The writer may still make relatively large changes to the manuscript at this point, though these changes are generally less extensive than with the developmental edit.
Copyediting and Proofreading*
The copyedit and proofread levels come next. And then the writer is ready to submit their manuscript (e.g., to an agent or publishing company) or self-publish!
Whew!
As you can see, writing—and editing/revising—a book is no small feat. But having an editor you can trust and who understands your work can make a big difference.
So, if you’ve just completed a manuscript, congratulations once again! But, alas, your work is not done. Now it’s time to invest in your manuscript!
If you’ve completed a manuscript and are ready for an editor, contact me to learn how I can assist you in the next part of the process.
*Note: Each level of edit is generally a separate service and cost.
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