Hellooo, everybody!
Today we're talking about one of my favorite parts of the writing process, editing.
“But Jennaaa! Obviously you're joking!" Except I'm not.
Butters are you giving me kisses? Butters likes editing too. She’s like, “Editing's so relaxing.”
I genuinely love editing.
For me, it's super satisfying to take a story that I wrote and perfect it. I enjoy watching my work grow and
I feel like if other writers saw the editing process as a natural part of artistic growth,
they’d feel the same way. But until then you can continue hating editing like everyone
else. On a related note, it has come to my attention that some people have some
really shitty editing practices. Practices that not only result in a terrible book,
they just make no fucking sense. Because of this, I am breaking down the ten worst practices and
tips when it comes to editing your book. These practices are widespread, they're all too common,
and you shouldn't do any of them. Please, I beg you. I mean you can if you want,
but it's your book's funeral. Let's dive in.
(The sound of a pen scratching. LOGO.)
Before we get started, I just wanted to thank everyone for the well wishes. If you missed the
news, and my partner Cliff recently broke his femur. Which requires surgery and that whole
situation in turn severely flared up his chronic pain condition. He's back at home recovering,
but obviously between being his caregiver and releasing my upcoming book, my time is spread
very, very thin, to put it delicately. I know I usually go all out for October,
but this is all you're getting. You're getting the kitty cat, and a puppy dog.
I also wanted to let you know that next week I have the pleasure of being a speaker at Pro
Writing Aid Romance Writers week. If you guys showed up for the last time I spoke for them
at their Fantasy Writers Week, you know it is a free event. It's got all kinds of huge authors,
and I am honored that they have invited me back. Definitely check out the event. I'm gonna to be
talking all about how to write romantic chemistry. So if that's something you're into, or you want to
see tons of free talks by a bunch of amazing authors, definitely check it out. I have the
information below. Lastly, I wanted to say thank you to Bound By Words by sponsoring today's video.
Bound By Words is a professional editing service that covers copy editing, developmental editing,
proofreading, first chapter reviews, and so much more. She offers weekly check-ins so you
never have to wonder how your book baby's doing, and she has experience in both traditional and
indie publishing. Maddie is the mastermind behind Bound By Words and she got into this gig because
she loves stories. Thus she is super excited to be a part of an industry that floods the world with
creativity. If you're looking for qualifications, Maddie’s got you covered. She has a graduate level
editing certificate with a concentration in fiction, and she's a member of the Editorial
Freelance Association. And if you're looking for a personal recommendation, that's what I'm here for.
Maddie was one of the editors for my upcoming nonfiction novel Shut Up and Write the Book,
and I am not exaggerating when I say that she gave me the most thorough edit I have ever received.
And I've worked with a lot of editors. All that to say I cannot recommend Bound By Words enough.
I have Maddie’s information listed below. Definitely check her out. On top of that,
the first five people who book a service with her will get 20% off their edit. All you have to do is
make sure you let her know that Jenna Moreci sent you. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I
post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell.
The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister available ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobooks. So
if you'd like yourself some award winning dark fantasy romance please, please, please check out
my books. They're linked below! Now I’m breaking down the ten worst editing practices that writers
often fall into. Please do not do any of these practices ‘coz they're gonna fuck you right up.
Number One (1): Not soliciting enough feedback. When car manufacturers build a
new vehicle they run test drives, because people will eventually be driving these cars. Similarly,
readers will eventually read your book. See where I'm going with this? You need
feedback before you publish. Even before the professional edit. That means critique
partners and beta readers. Critique partners or fellow writers who, as the name suggests,
critiques your manuscript. Whereas BETA readers or readers within your target audience that give you
the reader perspective. I have a whole bunch of information about this in Shut Up and Write the
Book. These people are pivotal to the editing process because you are too close to your work
to see some of its most glaring issues. And for the love of God, you absolutely need to enlist an
adequate number of beta readers. At least ten! You need a significant number because you're
looking for trends in the feedback, and you're not gonna find any trends among three people.
Number Two (2): Ignoring the proper editing steps. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand
times. There are steps to the professional edit, and you need to do all of them. First
is the developmental edit which covers your book on a story and plot basis, like characterization
and world building. Next is the line edit, which covers your story on a paragraph and sentence
level. After that is a copy edit, which focuses on grammar and punctuation. And then we have a
proofread, which is just a final check for any lingering typos or formatting errors. You need
to go through all of these edits before publishing your novel. All of them. “But Jennaaa! I'm really
good at writing. I can totally skip these steps.” That's a load of bullshit and you know it. Unless
you've been doing this for decades, or have won multiple awards, you’re not the exception
to the rule. You can combine professional editing steps if you want to, but skipping them hurts no
one but yourself. And your readers I guess.
Number Three (3): Enlisting a shmeditor.
Yes, it's vital to hire an editor, but make sure you're hiring an editor and not a "shmeditor." There are
plenty of editors to choose from, but there are just as many people offering editing services
without the proper qualifications or education. “But Jennaaa! I don't even know my editor's
credentials.” Why don't you just ask them? Take Bound By Words. We already covered that Maddie
has a graduate level editing certificate. She's a member of the EFA. And she has both
traditional and indie experience. Then there are some shmeditors who claim they're qualified
because they teach high school English. It's not the same. I'm not saying all editors are cons,
that is hardly the case. But you should do your due diligence and make sure you're
hearing someone credible. And if you're ever unsure about someone's qualifications, ask.
Number Four (4): To hell with grammar! Who even cares about grammar and punctuation? It's not
like they're the building blocks of writing. Of all editing practices, it seems that grammar and
punctuation are the steps that most authors are willing to completely bypass. Writers,
you may not know how punctuation works, but other people do. Other people understand commas, other
people can see your run ons. Just because it's not important to you, doesn't mean it's not important
to readers. These building blocks are fundamental because they make the reading experience easier.
That is your goal to make reading your book entertaining, inspiring, and easy. But you
have to actually care about grammar. Even if you don't fully understand it, that's fine.
Invest time and education into getting better. And ready to invest money in qualified editors who can
catch any lingering mistakes you've left behind.
Number Five (5): Believing you are the exception to the rule.
I genuinely love breaking rules, but you have to first understand the rules in
order to break them. That's the issue here. A lot of writers write what they wanna write, and then
at the editing phase they broken a rule. Instead of expressing concern they say, “Pfft, whatever.
I'm the exception.” Are you sure about that? Did you break the rule intentionally and artistically?
Or are you just a moron? Editing requires research and deep analysis. And you need to be willing to
admit when you've made a mistake. It's great to turn the tables and subvert expectations,
but readers can tell when you just don't know what the fuck you're doing.
Number Six (6): Recruiting yes men. It's amazing to have support. I'd absolutely recommend
surrounding yourself with people who uplift and motivate you. But these people don't have to be
your editors, or even your beta readers. Don't get me wrong. You don't want an editor who’s so cruel,
and they send you spiraling into madness. But the people who help you with your writing need
to actually help. That means giving the positive and the negative, the good and
the bad. When I critique my friends' work, I highlight the parts that I absolutely loved,
the lines that made me laugh out loud. But I'm also transparent about what needs work,
the plot holes, the inconsistencies, the shitty grammar. This can be hard for writers. It's tricky
to put your heart and soul into a piece of writing only to be told that it’s flawed. But you need to
be able to tolerate this feeling. It'll come over time. You just have to be patient. That doesn't
happen when you recruit yes men, people who just tell you what you want to hear for the sake of
staying in your good graces. You don't want these people reading your work. First, they're liars.
And second, they're not helping you at all. Yes, they may stroke your ego, but they are
going to send your writing crashing and burning.
Number Seven (7): Preserve your darlings.
To kill your darlings is to delete content, characters, or scenes that have no benefit to your story.
This is something a lot of writers really struggled to do. When The Savior's Champion
was in his professional edit, my editor pointed out a scene that absolutely had to be scrapped.
Problem is, I didn't want to delete the scenes. So what did I do? I deleted the scene. It had to go!
It's tough to do, but if it benefits the story, for fluck’s sake, just do it. I know it stings,
but you need to be willing to delete plot holes, filler, inconsistencies, and other
pieces of writing that don't serve a benefit to the plot. And if you can't make these tough calls,
the industry is gonna be real hard for you.
Number Eight (8): Rushing it.
I know you have a tight schedule, but I also know your first draft fucking sucks. I’ve met people who expect to write
and edit an entire novel in one month. One man's trash is another man's book, I guess. Listen,
the self-edit and professional edit are extremely important parts of the writing process, and they
can take as long or longer than drafting itself. You need to accept this as a necessary step. It'll
probably be time consuming. Plus, when you hire an editor, you're on their schedule. Unless you're
willing to pay extra, how can you expect them to edit an entire novel in one day? Quite often,
writers who rush the edit cut corners. They do this by skipping important steps which,
as we already covered, is a big mistake. I'm not asking you to spend a year on the
edit. That's not a good idea either. I'm just recommending you not to breeze through the edit
just to meet some sort of timetable. Unless we're comfortable with a whole lot of bad reviews.
Number Nine (9): Get a family member to edit. Seriously? Do I even need to explain why this
is an issue? I have met so many people who told me their mom, or aunt, or grandpa was gonna to edit
their book. And that's because they were really good at writing, or they used to be a teacher.
This is stupid. You are stupid. You must know that a family member is too emotionally close
to you to read your book with a critical impartial eye. And I'm sure the free price tag is tempting,
but is it really worth it to release a shitty book? I don't wanna elaborate on this because
it just hurts my heart. Stop enlisting family members to do your dirty work.
You're better than this. This is embarrassing.
And Number Ten (10): Not hiring an editor.
I shouldn't need to say this but you know what they say, common sense ain’t common. When you
go shopping, you expect to see a t-shirt or a pair of jeans on a hanger. You're not looking
for strips of fabric and denim, with loose thread and a needle. That's what releasing an unedited
manuscript feels like. The story feels unfinished because it IS unfinished. Editing is a mandatory
step of the publishing process. You may feel differently, but ask your readers. They're the
ones sifting through typos and grammatical errors trying to make sense of it all. They didn't sign
up for that. They bought your book assuming it was a finished, polished product. Publishing the
novel means just that. You're telling the world your book is done. Readers don't have to work,
they don't have to piece bits together. All they have to do is relax and read. And you need to hire
an editor in order to achieve this effect. So that’s all I got for you today. A huge
thank you to Bound By Words for sponsoring today's video. Again Maddie from Bound By Words was one of
my editors for Shut Up and Write the Book, and she did an amazing job. I cannot recommend her enough.
The first five people to book with Bound By Words will be getting 20% off their service. All you
have to do is let them know that Jenna Moreci sent you. I got the info in the description below.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you wanna be
alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell. The Savior's Champion and The Savior’s Sister
are available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobooks. So if you'd like to sell some award
winning dark fantasy romance, definitely check them out. They’re linked below. And be sure to
follow me on social media. I’m on Instagram, TickTok, BookBub and Facebook. And of course
you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
(Rumbling Male Voice) This is Brontes.
Why, the FUCK, haven’t you subscribed to Jenna’s channel? Do you REALLY want to face me? If you
don’t do it, you know what will happen, I’ll rip out your tongue, torture you, then leave your
rotten corpse out for the birds to feast on it! Now, press the goddamn button, and the bell, too…