Hiring a professional editor is an investment in your manuscript, in
your writing career, and in your credibility as an author. That investment goes a lot further
when your manuscript is prepared. A few hours of prep before you submit can save you
money, save your editor time, and result in a substantially better final edit.
Here’s what I recommend to every author before we begin working together.
1. Let your manuscript rest
Before you do anything else, step away from your manuscript. Put it in a drawer
, physically or digitally, for at least two weeks. Longer is better. The distance gives you the
ability to read it as a reader, not as the person who wrote it.
When you return, you’ll catch obvious problems you were blind to during the drafting
process: scenes that are out of order, characters whose motivations shift unexplainably,
transitions that don’t work. Fix what you see. Then consider bringing in an editor.
2. Read the whole thing in one or two sittings
Before you submit, read your complete manuscript in as few sittings as possible. Take notes
as you go not stopping to edit, but flagging anything that feels off. Pay attention to
pacing. Notice where you get bored. Notice where you want to skip ahead.
This read-through gives you the same experience your reader will have. It’s one of the most
valuable things you can do before editorial feedback.
3. Resolve the big questions you already know
Every author submits a manuscript knowing there are a few things that don’t work. Maybe
the ending is soft. Maybe a secondary character disappears for 60 pages. Maybe chapter 7
has been rewritten eight times and still doesn’t flow.Before you submit, try to resolve the problems you’re already aware of. Paying an editor to
diagnose what you already know and could fix yourself is not the best use of your
investment.
4. Do a basic copy-clean pass
You don’t need to copy edit the entire manuscript that’s what copy editing is for. But a
quick pass to catch obvious errors helps your editor focus on the more important structural
and craft issues.
Look for: repeated words in close proximity, obvious spelling errors, scenes or chapters you
know are unfinished, and placeholder notes to yourself (“FIX THIS LATER”) that you
forgot to address.
5. Write a brief editorial brief
When you submit your manuscript, give your editor a short document one page is fine
that answers these questions:
- What is this book? (Genre, length, target reader)
- Where are you in the process? (First draft, third draft, ready to submit)
- What are you most concerned about? (What feels weakest?)
- What do you want from this edit? (Big-picture only, or line-level too?)
- Are there any sections you’re particularly protective of?
This brief helps your editor understand your intentions and focus their attention where it
will do the most good. It also ensures you get an edit that matches what you actually need.
The bottom line
Editing is a collaboration. The more prepared you are, the more productive that
collaboration will be. An editor’s job isn’t to fix a first draft it’s to take a manuscript you’ve
done your best with and help you take it to the next level.
If you’re ready to talk about what your manuscript needs, book a free Discovery Call. We’ll
look at where you are, what the manuscript needs, and whether we’d be a good fit.
