A Practical Guide for Self-Editing Your Novel

You've poured your heart and soul into your novel, and now the finish line is in sight. But before you hit that “publish” button, there's one crucial step: editing. 

Now, in the ideal world, every author would have a professional editor meticulously combing through their manuscript. But hiring an editor may not be feasible for every author or for every book, depending upon your budget or available timeline.

Fear not!

Here’s a practical guide to self-editing your novel, focusing on the essential steps to refine your work and prepare it for publication. Even if you are going to hire an editor, you'll get much more bang for your buck if you can complete a self-edit before handing off your manuscript.

The Big Picture: Assessing Your Story

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of grammar and sentence structure, it's crucial to take a step back and assess the overall structure and development of your story. This is where you become your own development editor, examining the core elements of your book and looking for places where it might be inconsistent.

Let's start with a broad assessment, which involves getting a clear overview of your plot, characters, and overall message.

1. Create a Plot Summary

Begin by distilling your entire novel down to its essential plot points. Think of it as a skeleton of your story. What are the major events that drive the narrative forward? Write them down in chronological order. As you do this, pay close attention to the following:

• Timeline Errors: Are there any instances where the timeline doesn't make sense? Do events happen out of order, or are there inconsistencies in the passage of time?
• Plot Holes: Are there any gaps in the narrative? Are there unanswered questions or plot points that don't quite add up? Do any characters act in ways that don't make sense within the story? Look for those places where a reader might say, “Wait, what?”
• Character Issues: Do your characters behave consistently? Are their motivations clear? Are their actions believable given their personalities and backstories? Do their relationships make sense within the context of the story?

2. Develop Character Summaries

Next, create individual summaries for each of your main characters. Don’t just focus on their physical appearances, but explore their personalities, motivations, and relationships to other characters. Consider these questions:

• What are their core desires and fears?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses?
• How do they change throughout the course of the story?
• Do their actions align with their established traits?

Detailed character summaries can help you ensure that your characters are consistent and that their arcs are satisfying and believable.

3. Craft a Book Blurb

Finally, try writing a 3-5 paragraph blurb or book description for your novel. This exercise forces you to condense your story into its most compelling elements. As you write the blurb, ask yourself:

• What is the central conflict?
• Who is the main character(s) and what are their goals?
• What are the stakes?
• What genre does it fit into?

The act of summarizing your book for a blurb can reveal inconsistencies or areas where the story isn't quite as clear as you thought.

Questions to Guide Your Assessment

As you conduct your broad assessment, ask yourself these key questions:

• Are there plot holes or redundant scenes? Do any scenes feel unnecessary or repetitive? If so, consider cutting them or combining them with other scenes.
• What themes have emerged? What’s the core message of your book? Are these themes explored fully, or are some left underdeveloped? Are there any contradictory themes or messages?
• Is your writing consistent? Do you maintain a consistent voice and style throughout the book? Are there any shifts in point of view (PoV) or tense that feel jarring? Are the scenes and chapters consistent in terms of length?

Self-Editing Tools: Your Allies in the Process

Once you are satisfied with the bigger picture of your story, do an additional read-through or edit looking for the nitty gritty like spelling and grammar errors. Let's explore some tools that can assist you in the self-editing process. These tools can help you refine your writing and catch errors that you might otherwise miss.

1. Generative AI: A Helping Hand with Limitations

Generative AI tools can be useful for various aspects of your writing process. They can help you brainstorm ideas, generate different versions of a scene, or even help you find plot holes or inconsistencies in your character's actions. You can ask questions like “Is there another way to resolve this plot point?” or “How could this character react differently?”

However, it's important to remember that AI tools are not perfect. They are not great at line edits, and their development edits may not be helpful if you aren't sure what to ask. Use them as a tool to spark your own ideas, but always rely on your own judgment and instincts and remember that the AIs will make things up no matter what, even if there’s nothing specifically for them to respond to. 

2. Grammar and Style Checkers: The Line Editor's Friend

Tools like ProWritingAid and Grammarly are invaluable for line editing, even when using the free version of either tool. They can help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, awkward phrasing, and other writing issues. These tools can also help you learn to write better copy by highlighting areas where you can improve your word choice, sentence structure, and overall flow. They can flag overused words, passive voice, or other common writing pitfalls.

However, these tools are not infallible. They may sometimes suggest changes that don't make sense in context, especially with creative writing. Always use your own judgment and, if needed, refer to a style guide. Use them as a starting point, but always make sure the final result sounds natural and fits your style.

3. Reading Aloud: The Power of Sound

One of the most effective self-editing techniques is to read your manuscript out loud. This helps you catch errors that you might miss when reading silently. You'll hear awkward phrasing, repetitive words, and inconsistencies in tone. If you don’t want to read out loud, you can also have your computer read the book to you.

When you listen to your book, you'll notice things that you might not otherwise. You’ll hear where the sentences sound awkward, where the flow feels off, or where the dialogue feels unnatural. Reading aloud helps you experience your book from a reader's perspective and can be extremely helpful in identifying areas that need improvement.

Final Thoughts

Self-editing is a crucial step in the publishing process.

While hiring a professional editor is ideal, you can accomplish a lot on your own with the right approach and tools. By taking the time to assess your story, utilize the available resources, and carefully review your manuscript, you can significantly improve the quality of your writing and produce a book you’re proud to share. Remember, this is a process of continuous learning and improvement, so be patient with yourself and embrace the challenge. 

We have a lot of resources in the members area to help you with your editing journey; the one I’d recommend that you start with is Training #470 on Book Editing for Authors, as it provides a more in-depth look than we had time to get into today.