Are you the one who just finished the final draft of their book? Are you also afraid of what comes next? Let’s face it — you treat your book like your baby. And no parent would like it if someone hinders with their baby. For example, a new mother would always think that their baby is always right — doesn’t matter if his class teacher accuses him of being rude to other children. On the other hand, a second-time mother would support the teacher in this scenario, because she knows that the teacher will not accuse the child had they not made a mistake.
Let me get it straight — you are the parent, your book is your child, and the editor is his teacher. Just like their teacher never wishes something bad for your child, your editor is also your well-wisher. You may think that they would tear off your manuscript, but in reality — they are the one with the keen eyes which refine your book into the diamond it is ought to be.
Mainly, the editor can help you with the following:
Here are 11 things that book editing mainly consists of:
- Structural Editing: This involves assessing the overall flow and organization of the book. An editor will look at plot, pacing, character arcs, and ensure a logical and satisfying narrative structure.
- Character Development: An editor can analyse your characters for consistency, motivations, and believability. They’ll help you strengthen their personalities and make them relatable for readers.
- Genre Expertise: An editor familiar with your genre can ensure your book adheres to conventions while maintaining its unique voice. They can help you incorporate genre elements effectively.
- Prose Enhancement: Editors analyse your writing style, identify areas for improvement in clarity, conciseness, or flow. They can suggest ways to strengthen sentences and ensure your voice shines through.
- Copyediting: This focuses on the mechanics of writing, ensuring there are no grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, typos, or inconsistencies in spelling or formatting.
- Fact Checking: Editors can verify the accuracy of information in your book, particularly for non-fiction works. This ensures credibility and avoids factual errors.
- Readability Assessment: An editor can assess how easy it is to read your book. This includes factors like sentence length, vocabulary complexity, and overall structure. They can suggest ways to improve readability for your target audience.
- Continuity Editing: This ensures consistency throughout the book. Editors check for continuity errors in plot, character details, timelines, and settings.
- Cliché Detection: Overused phrases and clichés can weaken your writing. Editors can help you identify and remove clichés, making your writing more original and engaging.
- Word Choice: An editor can help you choose the most precise and impactful words to convey your meaning. They can suggest synonyms or alternative phrasing to elevate your writing style.
- Emotional Intelligence: An editor can help you ensure your story evokes emotions in your readers. They can suggest ways to strengthen emotional payoffs and make your characters and plot more relatable.
Some authors do ignore these aspects and then cry over the negative reviews their books receive. No, really. And then they justify their act by quoting books like Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. The point is that, books like Twilight are sold because of their plot which caters to the young adult audience. But what if your book does not have a similar plot? What if the target audience is different? And also, for a first-time author, especially when you are self-published, it becomes really important to polish your book to the finest. Your books not only define your thoughts and creativity, it also becomes an imprint of who you are.
Think about your favourite author. What kind of image are you able to create in your mind? I bet most of it comes from their writing style, choice of the book cover and how they have presented their ideas. I think of Sudha Murthy to be a kind woman, because that is how she has presented herself in her books.
Now, what did we learn? Editing is an opportunity to refine your priceless work and turn it into a masterpiece rather than a punishment. Accept the editing process as an opportunity to develop as a writer. Your book may really shine and make its way into your readers’ hearts and thoughts when you work with a talented editor as your partner. Looking for an editor? Fill out this form and let’s connect.