It doesn’t matter whether you are an aspiring author who is working on your manuscript or whether you have just completed your first draft; you might have several questions about the editing process and how you can make things easier for yourself when you reach this phase of your writing project.
The following tips can help you with editing your manuscript.
Take a Break First
If you have just completed your first draft of your book, no matter what genre you have chosen, your next step is to self-edit your draft. Self-editing is a nightmare for many authors, no matter how many books they have published. However, as this will be your first time self-editing a draft, we recommend taking things easy and not getting overwhelmed.
Ideally, you should leave your draft and let it sit for at least three months before you pick it up again to edit. The reason why you should give it a break is that, at the time you complete your first draft, your mind has become so familiar with the content that you might not be able to detect any mistakes.
On that note, it is in your best interest to give things a little break – ideally – go on a vacation and enjoy a few days near the beach and catch up with family and friends who you had avoided or ignored while you were focused on completing the first draft.
You might also start another project just so that your mind can get off the draft or story that you just completed. This way, by the time you get back to writing, you will see things with a brand new perspective, and you will be able to pick on mistakes fast.
Use the Right Software
To make the editing process easier, we recommend using the right software. Now, the best software is the software that you have, which is Microsoft Word, where you completed your first draft. However, if you are having problems with keeping things organized, especially when you are planning to edit six to eight chapters of your book – and you are having trouble keeping your character straight and the scenes straight, you might want to use Scrivener.
The thing about Scrivener is that it is almost like having a pin board or a bulletin board on your computer where you can move things around very easily.
Editing Takes Time
You might be wondering about how long it takes to edit the first draft of your book. You should keep in mind that editing a manuscript or a book can take somewhere between six weeks to two months. Obviously, the editing process also depends on the number of words or number of chapters that you have written. Some chapters might have fewer errors than others.
Sometimes, what can happen is that you have a great story, but your editor might spark some potential to improve the plot and make the story more interesting.
On that note, you should know that once you have self-edited your first draft, you will be sending your draft to a professional editor, who, generally speaking, will make your pages bleed. You might have to rewrite or rework certain chunks of your manuscript several times before your manuscript is ready to be published. Who knows, you might enjoy the process to the point that you might want to know how to become a freelancer editor and help other aspiring authors polish their manuscripts till they are ready to publish.
So, if you are considering the duration that it will take to edit your manuscript, in terms of hours, depending on the length of the draft, you can expect up to eighty hours.
Never Stop Learning
The point of self-editing is really to polish your writing and be a better writer. This aspect perfectly explains why the first few drafts of your books will be the worst ones that you might be writing in your life. On that note, if you are already considering the potential things that you can do to become better at writing, it starts with adopting a learner’s mindset.
Also, one of the easiest tips that you can follow to become better at the art of writing is to read. When we say read, we mean that you should read a lot. Now, if you are one of those people who want to be great writers but tell themselves and others – whoever cares to listen – they don’t have time to read books, then the truth is that you don’t have the time to write as well.
So, if you have already completed your first draft, you already know that you put quite a lot of work into its completion. Maybe you had to stay up nights to work on your chapters as you had to go to work and run errands during the day.
So, if you want to be a good writer so that you have to spend less time editing, you should find your favorite authors and read their work. Also, read the books that you don’t like just to see how things unfold in those books. Immerse yourself in books as books are food for the writer in you.
Avoid Some Common Mistakes
There are also several mistakes that new writers must avoid so they can set themselves up for success. For instance, if you haven’t reached the editing phase yet and you are still working on the first draft, you should know that you should never make the mistake of writing to please your English teacher or your friends.
Also, when you write, choose a subject or a theme that you enjoy writing about. What this will do for you is that it will get you in a state of flow where you will enjoy the process. Believe us when we tell you that your readers will always be able to tell whether you enjoyed what you wrote for them to read.
Express yourself first and forget potential rules and constraints when writing. Once you have the first draft ready, you can edit and correct the mistakes that you made initially. Finally, use as much active and robust language as you can, as it will make your narrative more powerful.
