Editing. Yuck.

So here you are. A shiny new draft of your manuscript in hand. You've done the celebratory dance. Maybe even had a party for yourself. After all, finishing a book is a really big deal. You should be excited and proud. Then you wonder, now what?

There are writers who love the editing process. They absolutely relish the idea of rewrites and finding typographical and grammatical errors. I am not one of those people. At all. In fact, I once posted on Instagram that editing is the bane of my existence. Dramatic? Yes. Did I mean it at the time? Yes.

Writers have two options at this point - hire an editor, or do the editing themselves. There are several blogs and articles out there recommending that you hire an editor. In an ideal world, every author would be able to hire an editor, or be part of a publishing house that provides one. A fresh pair of eyes to evaluate your work and do all the editing for you. Who wouldn't want that? But not everyone has the funds to hire an editor.

If you have the money and prefer a professional editor, there are many ways to find one. An online search or a search of social media pages like Instagram will get you an extensive list of potential editors. Reputable editors will ask you to send them a sample chapter so they can show you what their editing work looks like. They can edit for content and give plot suggestions, or they can do typographical and grammatical edits only. They typically charge based on your word count. Having an editor do a sample for you is critical for a few reasons. First, you want to make sure they are catching the errors and doing what you will pay them to do. Second, you get an idea of how long it will take them to edit your full manuscript. And finally, you can see if you like their editing style and suggestions. I completely understand if you feel anxious about turning over your book baby to someone else. Ask for references. If possible, enter into a written agreement that outlines the amount being paid, the work being done, the due date for the work, and what happens if you are unhappy with how the editing was done.

I decided to do my own editing. This was mostly a financial decision on my part. Plus, I'm a control freak and likely would do all the editing I do now anyway. Here are the steps I take for rewrites and editing (I will try to keep my tone light as opposed to the loathing I feel just saying the word "editing"):

1. The First Draft. Once my first draft is complete, I do the obligatory over-saving to ensure I don't lose it in some freak computer meltdown, and email myself a copy. I have a copy printed at my local print shop so I can hold it in my hands and give it a hug. Then I put my manuscript in a 3-ring binder to be stored away in a safe place. Yes I said it, stored away. For at least two weeks.

2. Rewrites. When I first started writing, my impulse was to immediately read my masterpiece and start doing rewrites. I learned over time that it is best to let my manuscript sit for a while before I read it. This not only gives me a break, it also lets the story fade a bit from my mind. While this may sound counterintuitive, if I do rewrites while the story is still fresh, I may mentally add things to the story that aren't actually on paper. The first read through is for that purpose - did I forget to add scenes I originally wanted? Should I add more dialogue? Does a scene conflict with something that happens later in the story? I often add between 5k and 10k words in the rewriting phase. I think it's because of the rush to get the story out when I'm writing the first draft. Once the first draft is done, that sense of urgency is gone. I know I've completed the book. Now it's time to refine it.

3. Pre-readers. After I've completed rewrites, I send copies to five of my closest friends and family members for their thoughts. Most of them are reading for content - do they like the story? Is there something they would change? Are there any plot holes? One of my readers goes above and beyond that. My aunt is also looking out for typos. The human mind is designed to autocorrect typos for us as we read. While this is an amazing feat, it's not so handy when you're editing. Some typos are glaring and obvious, but there are others that you need to actively be looking for to find. It is very common for my aunt to find typos I missed while doing my first read-through and rewrites.

4. Line by line edits. Ugh. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This isn't fun. Not even a little bit. At this point, I have another version of my book printed at the local print shop. It replaces the original draft in my three-ring binder and becomes the longest phase of the editing process for me. Highlighter in hand, I go page by page and highlight any typos. In the top right-hand corner of the page I will either put an "X" or the number of typos on that page. I do not read the pages in sequential order. I will open the binder to a random page and edit it. Once that page is done, I will flip to another random page. Reading in sequential order is dangerous. Even though you wrote it, you may get caught up in the story and gloss over errors. Trust me, it happens. I do this until all the pages have an X or the number of edits needed. I won't lie, I sometimes go through and count how many pages are left as an enticement to keep myself going.

5. Order a proof book. Once I've entered all the typos I found in my line by line editing, I'm ready to see what my book will look like as an actual book. To do so, I upload the manuscript into Kindle Direct Publishing. I am going to give A LOT more details about Kindle Direct Publishing and this process later. If I have my cover ready (again, more on this later), I will also upload the cover. If I do not have a cover yet, I order a proof copy with nothing more than a blank white face and the title of the book. About a week later, an actual book shows up at my house. My book. It is once again time to do a happy dance.

6. Review your proof with a fine tooth comb. Make sure page numbers are where they are supposed to be. Ensure margins aren't wonky (yes, that's an official term). Are lines spaced appropriately? Does the book look the way you want it to look? I am going to write a post later about page formatting because it was an issue for me starting out. If the overall look of the book is exactly how you want it, it's time to start editing again. I do a read through of the book again, this time not focusing too much on trying to find typos. I'm looking out for the flow of the story and if there are any points where I pause. If something doesn't feel right, or there's just a smidge of hesitation as I read, I correct it to ensure the read is as smooth as possible. And then...I read it again. This time being more mindful of typos. Inevitably, I will catch a typo at this phase and wonder how the heck it made it through this far. It also triggers a paranoia that there are other typos in the manuscript I've missed. At some point though, you have to let it go. You could read and re-read your manuscript a thousand times and find things you want to change. It's the nature of the beast. For me, I eventually reach a point where I stop myself and have to trust that I've done enough.

7. Re-order a proof. I only do this if my first proof didn't have its cover yet. You need a proof copy of your book with the cover before you put it up for sale. Yes it looks really pretty on your computer screen, but you have to hold it in your hands and make sure it's what you want. At least I do anyway. Again, control freak.

8. Hit the publish button and let it go. For real, let it go. Channel that inner Elsa. In fact, I have never read one of my books again after it's been published. I would just want to change something. Or God forbid I found a small typo. It would drive me insane.

One thing I've noticed about editing is I do less and less of it the more I write. I've learned my writing Achilles heels and avoid them as I'm doing the first draft. For instance, I like to use the word "just" a lot, and for some reason whenever I meant to say "imagine" I would type "image". I'm catching those issues upfront now. I'm also a better writer now. Or at least I think I am. I've found that with each book I've written, the less I do in the rewrite phase.

Hopefully this insight is helpful to you in some way. Again, my usual disclaimer - do what works best for you.