Before you send your manuscript off for editing, here are ten essential things that every author should understand!
We all love writing books, but the editing process can be a little challenging for some of us. While it’s easy to think that your job is done when you write ‘the end’ and fire your manuscript off to your editor, there are a few things you, as the author, can do to make the next step in the self-publishing process a little easier.
If you’re still considering where to self-publish your book, be sure to check out our article on the Best Self-Publishing Platforms for Canadian Authors, where we do side-by-side comparisons of the most popular self-publishing platforms, their pros and cons, and which one will work best for you and your book.
Before you decide to send your finished book off to be edited, here are some essential things about editing that you should know!
- Don’t send that first draft straight off to be edited! – We all get excited about our book finally being finished. The temptation is there just to rush through and send that book straight off to the editor. The recommended course of action is to put the book aside for a few weeks and then read it again. Focus on all aspects of the book and try to make as many improvements as possible at this stage. If you can bring yourself to do it, try doing another round of changes and editing yourself. You want your book to be as perfect as you can make it before sending it off to be edited.
- Your book editing is not ghostwriting! – Your book editor isn’t there to write your book for you. Your book editor isn’t there to add dialogue and scenes, create characters, or finish off your book for you.
- Choose book editing services that work in your genre – If your book editor enjoys reading your genre, they will enjoy working on your book much more than a genre they hate. They will also be familiar with the genre’s style and be able to help suggest any edits.
- Be prepared for feedback, negative or positive – It may sound obvious, but many authors aren’t ready for the feedback they receive. Just because you believe that you may have written the next ‘Harry Potter’ book doesn’t make it true. Book editing isn’t there to destroy your work, but there may be some changes suggested that you don’t like. Try to go into your book editing with an open mind!
- It doesn’t happen overnight! – Don’t expect your book to be done in a few hours. A good b book editor is going to take a little bit of time to complete. Always leave yourself enough time for each step towards publishing your book.
- Don’t send it off unless you’re ready to move on to the next step in publishing – If you have even the slightest suspicion that you want to change an aspect of your book, don’t send it off for book editing! Take another week or month to try and flesh out any of the changes you may have been dwelling on.
- If you want to learn, let your book editor know! – If you are interested in becoming a better author, then tell your editor. Ask them to explain why they changed or suggested changing something during the book editing process. This will help you to avoid mistakes next time or may even make you a better author!
- Don’t just think about it. Let your book editor know! – If you’re trying to get the point across during your book or want your readers to think or feel a certain way, then let your book editor know before the book editing process. The more your editor knows, the better the book editing will be.
- Work on the book editing to improve your book – If you’re going to disregard your book editing, then why get it done? Be open to changes, and work with the book editor on the changes they suggest.
- Book editing is there to improve your book – Your book editing is there to improve your book, not change it to a different book altogether. It should suggest ways to improve your book without completely changing it or rewriting it. Ultimately, if you aren’t happy with the book editing, then it may be worthwhile to look at getting a second opinion from another book editor.
10 Things You Never Knew About Book Editing but Should Have! | Conclusion
There you go, ten of the most important things that your editor wants you to know before they start editing your manuscript. Good editors are hard to find, and great editors are even more challenging, so you must do everything possible as the author to keep your editor happy. The last thing any Canadian author wants is to replace their long-term editor with an unknown editor and rebuild that relationship.
If you are writing a book and need any assistance with paperback or ebook formatting, cover design, professional editing, or uploading to self-publishing sites such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark Publishing, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We also offer children’s book illustrations and formatting services.
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For authors still considering which self-publishing platform suits them as a Canadian author, read The Complete Guide to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for Canadian Authors, where we cover everything you’ll need to know about getting started on Amazon KDP for the first time.
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them or point you in the right direction.
