I realized that I’ve done posts on self-editing and starting your own editing business, but I haven’t talked about finding a good editor. It doesn’t matter how amazing you are at grammar and writing stories, you MUST get an editor if you plan to publish. If you do traditional publishing, Read more…
Back when I first started these writing tips, I did a post on five mistakes new writers make. I meant to add more posts on other common mistakes, but I never got around to it. So, this week, I want to point out five more mistakes I often seen when Read more…
I recently opened a side business for developmental editing since I love dissecting stories and finding ways to make them stronger. Many authors have supplemental income because writing books is not always a lucrative business. While I think that is smart, that isn’t why I opened my editing business. I’ve Read more…
If you’ve been among writers at all, you’ve probably heard them say “kill your darlings” a time or two. It’s important to realize this is not writing advice. It’s editing advice. When you’re writing, you should follow your passion in whatever direction it takes you. However, when it’s time to Read more…
After a book has been through critiques and beta readers, it’s usually ready for the public. At this point, once all your edits are completed, you want to have some proofreaders. These readers are people who go through the book and look for typos, grammar issues, and formatting problems. I’d Read more…
As writers, we inevitably meet other writers who ask if we can read their manuscript and give them some feedback. If this happens, you need to first establish if they want a critique as a fellow writer, feedback as a beta reader, or proofreading. They are three very different approaches, Read more…
After I finish my first draft of a book, I like to take a break and then come back with fresh eyes to do a book analysis before doing any rewriting. My analysis basically entails me rereading the book and marking issues I’d like to correct. While I’m reading, I Read more…
Line editing is the last layer of edits an author should do before handing off their manuscript to an editor. You should do these edits when you think your story is the best it can be and are ready to improve its presentation. This round is all about making the Read more…
Last week I shared my process on rewrites, and this week I want to move on to content edits. These are still major edits, but they can be addressed on a chapter-by-chapter basis since they deal more with scene edits than the overall story. Definition Content editing, also called developmental Read more…
I’ve been wading through editing for a while now, and I’ve developed three types of edit rounds I do for my books. These don’t include any edits that come from editors but are what I do myself before showing my manuscript to an editor. The first and least technical edit Read more…