(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Hellooo everybody! Today we're talking about
editing, everyone's FAVORITE part of the writing process!
Right? Am I right? More specifically, we're talking about
self-editing, which is the series of revisions and edits that you do
BEFORE you submit your manuscript to a professional editor.
This process can be overwhelming for writers, especially if this is your first
go at it, which is why I am breaking down my top ten (10) tips
for self-editing your novel before you ship it off to a professional editor!
On that note, I'd like to give a shout out to Edit Out Loud, who has graciously
sponsored today's video! Edit Out Loud is a super handy app that
allows you to upload any word document, listen to it anywhere
and at any time, and leave comments within the app so you
know exactly when and where to edit. Many of you know audio
helps writers catch errors they may have missed while reading. If you're not
familiar with this, we will be covering it
later on in this video. It also helps you catch redundant words,
awkward sentences, pacing problems, and issues with grammar.
I uploaded The Savior’s Sister and listened to it through Edit Out Loud
while I was in the waiting room at Cliff's doctor's appointments, and it was
BEYOND helpful. Listening to the manuscript on its own
is helpful, but being able to leave comments where you list exactly what
needs to be edited is what makes this app REALLY stand out
for me. If you're a multitasking writer like myself, I definitely recommend Edit
Out Loud. You can check it out on their website, in the App Store,
and now in the Google Play Store. It’s available on both iPhone and Android, and
even better, you can try it out for free! Get on it!
I've got it linked below. You're welcome! If you want
to learn more about the writing and publishing process,
subscribe to my channel and ring that bell. I post videos on Wednesdays, with
bonus content on Mondays. And don't forget my upcoming dark
fantasy romance novel The Savior's Sister is available for pre-order
right now in ebook, hardback, and paperback.
Everyone who pre-orders is welcome to enter my presale giveaway, and everyone
who enters will be walking away with a five chapter teaser of TSS,
PLUS you will be eligible to win over thirty-five (35) prizes. I have
all the information listed below! With that said,
let's break down my ten (10) tips for self-editing your novel in three,
two, one, go! Number One (1): Chapter by chapter. “But Jennaaa, editing a manuscript is so
intimidating, because you have to revise an ENTIRE book!”
That's true, which is why you should focus on one chapter at a time instead
of the whole damn thing. A lot of newbie writers get over the
hump of crafting their first draft and then give up,
because the concept of editing is so overwhelming.
I know it feels like a lot to fix up an entire manuscript, but you know what’s a
whole lot easier? Fixing fifteen (15) pages, then another fifteen (15) pages,
and then another fifteen (15) pages. You'll be surprised just how quickly you can fly
through your edits when you only look at them
one chapter at a time. Number Two (2): Do what the pros do. This does not mean you
need to be as qualified as a professional editor, but
you should try to emulate their process. If you're not familiar, the standard
professional editing process looks like this:
First, there's the developmental edits, which means storyline and content edits.
Second are the line edits, which means editing paragraphs,
style, and flow. Third is the copy edit, which is where you look at your work on
a sentence level, so we're talking about punctuation and
grammar. And lastly is the proofread, which is where you look for any teeny,
tiny mistakes that have slipped through the cracks.
This order makes sense because there's no point in editing punctuation if you
haven't even tackled the story issues. Tackling story issues means
having to rewrite scenes completely, plus taking your self-editing
process one focal point at a time means each draft will be a lot less
overwhelming. You may see a ton of grammatical errors, but you don't have to
worry about them right now because you're focused on the developmental edit.
Pay attention to the phase that matters and leave all the other problems for a
future round. Number Three (3): Color coding. If you're a
visual learner, there is so much power in color coordination. When I first begin
the editing process, I start by reading one chapter at a time.
Sometimes there are issues that are easy to address, other times
not so much. If I come across a mistake that's really difficult to correct,
I highlight it based on what kind of issue it is and move on. You can choose
any color coding method you prefer based on your style, strengths, and
weaknesses, but typically I highlight anything that can be shortened or
deleted in blue, anything redundant in pink, and
anything that just needs to be rewritten altogether in yellow. This allows me to
easily scroll through my document and look for
specific errors to address. For example, if I'm purging repeat phrases,
I'll look for pink. Number Four (4): Move on. Another benefit of the highlighting
method is it allows you to move on. Sometimes writers fixate on an error
they can't quite figure out how to fix. You can sit there for hours getting
ABSOLUTELY nothing done, or you can highlight that bitch and move
on. Save the tricky stuff for later. It's possible the answer will come to you
over time, or you might need to ask other writers for their feedback.
But there is NO benefit in mulling over that problem for hours and wasting
precious time. Slamming your head against the wall will
do you NO favors. Make the most of your time and get back
to work. Number Five (5): Listen. This is why Edit Out Loud is such
a godsend. There are few things more helpful than reading your work out loud,
or having it read out loud to you. When you silently read
your manuscript over and over again, you start to memorize the content, which
means it's very easy to skip over blatant mistakes. That don't happen when
it's read out loud. Mistakes and clunky sentences stand out
like a sore thumb. That's EXACTLY what you want during the
self-editing process. You NEED to hear your manuscript read
out loud in order to fine-tune your style,
address line edits, and of course, fix those pesky typos.
I recommend having your book read out loud at least once during the self-edit
process, but the more times the better. Number Six (6):
Critique partners. I don't care how great of a writer you
are, you don't know everything. Collect a pool of critique partners and
combine your knowledge to create a team of super writers.
With your powers combined you are Captain Planet! Critique partners are
fellow writers who critique one another's manuscripts.
The process is kind of like a light-handed edit
before the professional edit. Someone, or even multiple people,
read through your manuscript and point out any issues that you've missed
because you are too close to the project. This is especially helpful if you have
writing quirks. For example, an over-reliance on filter words or
characters who all have the same voice. It's also great to enlist critique
partners who are skilled in areas that you're weaker at.
For example, if you're a great world builder, your critique partner should
probably be really great at dialogue. Critique partners will let you know how
you're fucking up so you can build off one another and improve together.
Number Seven (7): Beta readers. The beta reader's job is mostly to address the
entertainment level of your novel. Is it interesting? Are they invested in
the characters? Does the plot make any sense at all? This information is
super important, and while it might not relate to the nuts and bolts of your
writing, it's still going to heavily influence
your editing. No point in publishing a book if no one likes it.
The most common things I look for from my betas are their reactions
to specific characters and scenes, as well as whether or not
they understand the content as I've intended. This will help guide you during
your edits so you can make the novel as clear and engaging as possible.
Number Eight (8): Switch up the format. Changing the font or
background of your manuscript can go a long way. We hear a lot of writers
talking about changing the font to Comic Sans or
switching the background from white to yellow,
but that's because switching up the format can drastically change the
reading experience. Other options are to change your reading
device. For example, if you've been writing your manuscript on Word on your
laptop, you then read it on a Kindle or an iPad.
This can provide an entirely new perspective, which will make the mistakes
all the more evident. Number Nine: Focus on the character.
If the issue in question is a particular character, as opposed to a plot point or
a scene, then it makes sense to focus all of your
attention on the scenes that character appears in. I usually like
to highlight that character's moments in green, and then I go through the
document and look for all the green. Or I do a name search. This allows me to
focus on one person, their voice, their personality,
their actions, without getting bogged down in all the other details of the
story. And lastly, Number Ten (10): The simplest but
mightiest tool - find and replace. The find and replace
tool is your friend! Especially if you have a propensity for
overusing certain words. Simply type that word into your search
bar and a number will pop up showing you how many times you've
used that word in your document. This is so helpful if you want to narrow down an
obscure word in your writing, if you want to change a character's name,
or if you've made the same typo over and over again
and you gotta fix it. It saves you from having to read the manuscript
ANOTHER time, because let me tell you you're gonna read it
SO many times throughout the editing process. Instead, you can allow Word to
find the problem areas and nip them in the bud.
So that's all I got for you today! A huge thank you to Edit Out Loud for
sponsoring today's video! If you want to listen to your manuscript
while you're on the go, maybe while you're exercising or doing chores, but
you also want the ability to leave comments directly in the manuscript
letting you know what to edit, then this is the perfect app for you!
It's available in the App Store and on Google Play,
you can use it on your iPhone or your Android, and you can try it out for
free! I've got the information listed below, check
it out! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays,
and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell! The Savior’s Sister is available for pre-order in ebook,
paperback, AND hardback, plus I'm holding a massive presale giveaway!
You can win one of over thirty-five (35) prizes, plus I am handing out
massive grand prizes. All of the information is listed below, pre-order a
copy today! Get on it! And be sure to follow me on
social media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can
Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Male Voice) Hey, this is Nick, the voice of Tobias
and the narrator for The Savior's Champion, written by
our Jenna! If you enjoy her writing advice,
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