Self-Editing:
Advice About What It Is and
What It Should Not Be

Self-editing starts the process of revising your manuscript to eliminate errors and polish your writing.

Self-editing versus rewriting are terms that are often difficult for writers to understand. Self-editing is typically correcting the small stuff whereas rewriting is basically reconstructing.

For example, it’s almost akin to the final chiseling of a sculpture to transform a slab of marble into a work of art, whittling away what gets in the way and doesn’t belong.

The End Is Only the Beginning

Writing “The End” upon completion of your manuscript is only the beginning. Now the arduous task of making your manuscript conform to the standards of traditionally published books begins. Yes, even if you self-publish, you’ve got to make your published book comparable to store-bought books.

Self-editing and proofreading go hand-in-hand. Following a thorough SpellCheck, proceed sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, looking for punctuation errors, words that don’t fit or should replaced by something better.

A Few Examples of Issues in Need of Self Editing

• INDENT!: Legal documents are not indented. Web text is not indented, but fiction is! Indent all paragraphs at least two spaces. Better yet, check out the format specifications of the publisher you’re targeting and format your entire manuscript, including margins and indentation, to their liking.
• DIVIDE LONG PARAGRAPHS: Long paragraphs are not eye-friendly or easily readable. They resemble legal text, and who wants to read that? Generally, a page should contain at least two full paragraphs, preferably more. Divide long paragraphs into two or more.
• PLACE DIALOGUE IN SEPARATE PARAGRAPHS: Never present the dialogue of more than one character within the same paragraph. Dialogue is always set apart in separate paragraphs for each speaking character.
• QUESTION MARKS: Make sure that questions, in both dialect and narrative, end in question marks.
• MULTIPLE PUNCTUATION: Never use combinations of punctuation or repetitive punctuation at the end of a sentence, such as "?!" or "???" or "!!!." Only one will suffice. Multiple punctuation is commonly used in comic books, but rarely in actual fiction.
• WORD REPETITION: Don’t repeat the same word or words in too close proximity to each other.
• ELIMINATE EXCESS CLUTTER: Eliminate excessive clutter, words that contribute nothing to a sentence’s meaning. Otherwise, your work may appear amateurish and will instantly stand out negatively to industry professionals. These words are just extra baggage.
• EXCESS PUNCTUATION: Look for excessive punctuation of any kind. For instance, too many exclamation points (!) stand out negatively. Eliminate most of them.

Research Other Issues in Need of Self-Editing

These are only a handful of problems that should be addressed in the self-editing process. Thoroughly research the topic and develop a long list of others.

Shouldn't a book Editor fix this kind of stuff?

A book editor looks at far deeper issues, problems that you’ve likely never even heard of. These are the types of errors that make the difference between amateur and professional results.

They analyze pacing—does it consistently maintain the reader’s interest?

Characterization—how well does the author really seem to know their characters and how effectively is their development reflected in the text?

Structure—does the story begin at the best place? How effective is page one?

Resolution—does the author provide a clear, concise, satisfying conclusion?

These are only a small sample of major issues detectable only by an experienced book editor.

Will self-Editing Help Me Get a Better Book Editor?

Absolutely. Professional book editors like myself with many years of experience prefer to work with authors who are serious about their work. Such authors are proud of their work and want to make their best impression when presenting a manuscript for my consideration.

I typically flip through a prospective manuscript looking for the above issues that should have previously been addressed through self-editing. If I see many at all, I reject the manuscript regardless of how good it might otherwise be.

Why?

Because every time I stop to make a minor correction it creates a distraction to my editorial mindset and it’s difficult to maintain concentration. I can’t perform my best work that way.

Desperate Editors Will Agree to
Virtually Anything to Get Your Business

As a result, you’ll find editors who’ll say, “Hey, these minor problems are no big deal. I’ll fix ‘em for you as I edit the rest.” These editors are hungry for business and are deficient in the degree of expertise you’ll want as an editor.

As explained in the remainder of this site, the best book editors must be impressed with your manuscript to take on your work. Inferior editors are more impressed by the payment they’ll receive regardless of the state of your manuscript.

Beware!

TWO TRUTHS ABOUT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY:

There are far more bad book editors than good ones.

There are far more bad literary agents than good ones.

Rewriting is the key to success as an author

There's a huge difference between self-editing and rewriting. The former involves checking grammar, structure, punctuation, etc. but rewriting means taking each individual sentence, each paragraph, and revising, polishing it, to make it the best that you can.

The great Truman Capote once said that writing without rewriting is only typing.

Take my advice. Yes, you should self-edit, but don't forget the importance of rewriting. It can mean the difference between success and failure.