Behind the Edit: A Look Into My Editing Process

The very first thing I do as an editor when I get a new manuscript is read the entire document (out loud, if possible).

During that initial read through, track changes is on, but my focus is not on making edits. If there’s a small typo or misspelling that takes less than a second to correct, I might fix it, but my primary goal is to read—to learn the story, the characters (for fiction), and the argument (for non-fiction). 

As I read, I leave comments with some of my initial thoughts and questions, but these comments aren’t for the writer. They’re for me to revisit during my second round through the manuscript.

And the second round is specifically for making sure everything flows and makes sense.

The thing about writing is that sometimes you can say something that sounds good, but is inconsistent with your story. And sometimes you can say something that makes sense but reads choppy or clashes with the tone of the writing.

This second round of editing is where I make corrections or comments concerning things like a character suddenly having blue eyes in chapter 13 when they had brown eyes in chapter 2. 

This is also where I make sure sentences sound good. I usually suggest small, subtle changes to verbiage, sentence structure, and punctuation. But sometimes the changes I suggest are big and powerful, adding more impact to the scene or argument.

This second round of editing consists of a lot of reading and rereading. Sometimes it even consists of acting out dialogue and movements. Does that sound natural? What words would the character emphasize here? Is this movement even physically possible? What would this look like?

There’s a lot of back and forth during this second round of editing. I’m constantly switching between chapters. I have to make sure that all details are consistent. With the story’s end in mind, I ensure everything leading up to the last page makes sense. I’m making note of characters’ backstories, personalities, and physical traits, keeping track of the small and big events, and watching out for plot holes (finding plot holes is a guilty pleasure of mine).

I don’t separate my copy and line editing processes. As I’m ensuring things flow and make sense during this second round, I’m also making sure that everything that needs to be grammatical is grammatical, and that the rules of grammar that need to be broken are broken well.

Sometimes this second round of editing includes many mini rounds of editing. A certain chapter might undergo three or four passes if necessary. 

The second round is where the magic happens. It’s where the bulk of my work lies. By the end of it, just about everything is complete. All that’s left to do is polish and perfect the story. 

My third round of editing is a final read-through to make sure everything is just right. Any changes I make at this point are merely to ensure things shine at the sentence level.

Interested in learning more about my editing process and how I can help your story? Schedule a free discovery call here.

I'm rooting for you.