The Editing Process

Happy #WritingWednesday! 🖤

As an editor, I’ve learned a lot about the differences between self-editing & professional editing. I started as a writer and evolved into an editor during my college years. It wasn’t magical because I realized all the issues within my own works by examining and analyzing the works of others.

Writers who are curious or lost about the editing process, I’m here to help.

✨ Don’t start the editing process immediately. Give yourself a minimum of 2 weeks—preferably 4—where you don’t touch your first draft or even think about writing. Jumping into editing your first draft can be messy and make you miss a lot of mistakes.

✨ You also don’t want to jump into editing without a plan. Hold yourself accountable with an editing schedule. Choose to focus on certain elements over others. Will you start with searching for plot holes? Will you examine and rewrite the beginning/ending until you feel that it’s perfect? Did you realize a character needs to be cut from the manuscript entirely?

✨ With these particular elements in mind, you should still take notes on other things you want to fix/revise. This way, you have an easier time going through and checking off everything you think needs a fix.

✨ Your manuscript is NOT perfect. When you begin the editing process, don’t expect your draft to be a masterpiece. All first drafts suck. First drafts are about getting words on the page. The real magic happens during the self and professional editing process.

✨ Not every word, line, character, plot idea, etc. is perfect. DELETE those unnecessary elements.

✨ Keep an audience in mind. This should be planned from the beginning, but if you didn’t do it before, set it in your mind during the editing process. This way, you can align your story to the genre and age group you have in mind for your story.

✨ Additionally, do not go to a freelance editor with your first draft, nor should you immediately query literary agents. Trust me, don’t.

I hope this helps you during the editing process! Self-editing is tough. I know. I’ve done it a million times to my own books and am going through those very motions right now. I’m right there with you! 👩🏻‍💻🖤

Xo,
Ashley