“Editing requires a lot of problem-solving and balances the raging abstract of actually writing the story with the more analytical, objective process of shaping it.” – Thia S.

Writing this blog post on editing gave me the same headache and boredom that real editing causes. Friend, editing is hard. Like Thia S. said above, it takes out the story creation and replaces it with analytical shaping.

It’s like the characters take a vacation while you copy their journal entries.

Nonetheless, editing plays a crucial in-between role that gets the book from our desktop into readers’ hands.

So, do whatever you must to be ready to persevere for the story God has given you. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Let’s try together, friend, to edit with hope in our hearts and the end light in our eyes.

What is the goal of editing?

Perfection? Ha! Not at all. It’s not possible in this life to produce something without flaws, so don’t stress about perfection (even if you are a perfectionist ;p). Quite simply, this is the goal of editing: to refine what has been written so that it is pleasurable to the eye and the story rings out clearly.

How do I reach that goal?

Editing is accomplished well by giving special attention to these areas:

1. Grammar
   Okay, I know you’ve got this one. It just had to be mentioned. Find all those pesky misspelled words, incomplete sentences, and misplaced punctuation marks.
2. Character Inconsistencies
   Our heroes, mentors, or allies can act out of character. Sometimes it fits the story plot. Other times, we need to correct the characteristic flaw.
3. Plot Holes
   On occasion, we complete a plot detail in our heads, but forget to write it down. We need to identify the holes and fill them in. As a bonus: it makes the book longer!
4. Scripture Veracity
   Paul implored Timothy to be one “who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15b). When we incorporate Scripture into our stories and/or use them as the basis of our themes, we need to proof them for accuracy.
   Did we consider the context? Did we look at more than one proven translation? Have we asked other Christians – our parents, pastor, older sibling or friend – to share their thoughts on the passage? Scripture makes our message stronger, so let’s ensure it is entirely truthful as a representation of our Truth.

Whether you are hiring an editor or editing yourself, I encourage you to spend some time looking through your manuscript to refine these four areas. Because you are the one who knows the best voice, direction, and message for your book. God gave this book to you.

Should I hire an editor?

There is definitely value in hiring an editor. I gained much from my editor’s insights. I watched how I wrote my next manuscript more critically and was able to avoid several of my past mistakes.

Let’s just be honest, though, they come with a cost. It’s well-deserved, but we don’t always have the ability to pay for it. If you are in a position where you can hire an editor, and you would really like to, go for it!

But, you don’t need to hire a professional editor to turn out a good book. So, if you can’t, don’t worry about it.

What does the editing process really look like?

If you hire an editor…
You send the manuscript to the editor (commonly via email).

You wait.

When the manuscript is sent back, you get to look at the edits and approve or disapprove them. My editor used track changes in Word, which is super simple. It even allowed us to type notes to each other on certain parts of the book that were in question.

Then, you send it back to the editor. The editor will look through any notes you have made and give it another read-through.

When you receive the newly edited version, give it another look through yourself. There is some work only you, the Christian who wrote the book, can do. For instance, my editor asked me to look through all the times I had used the words “then” and “spun around.” They needed to be removed or replaced as often as possible. So, give it your full attention.

At this point, you can send the manuscript back for one more round of edits. Or, if you’re satisfied, you can kindly thank the editor and move forward.

If you are editing yourself…
You definitely want to have at least one other person read through your manuscript and suggest edits. A person with fresh eyes will catch mistakes faster than us, because our brains often fill in details from the story in our heads.

Ask someone to read your manuscript and look for specific things (i.e. grammar problems, plot holes). Cater toward their strong suit. For instance, my sister Aynsley is great at identifying plot holes and character inconsistencies. My mom is great at finding grammar problems and helping with Scriptural veracity. When they read, they naturally see these issues and alert me.

You can take a break now. It’s an amazing time to walk away and refresh your mind before more editing.

When you get the manuscript back, re-read through your book looking for errors. Make changes as you like. Also, find and fix any trouble spots your reader spotted.

When you are satisfied, you can move forward.

Now, listen. This process seems much simpler and shorter, but you are your hardest critic. In many ways, this is good. But, it does make the editing process longer. I will read and re-read the manuscript at least a dozen times after family members have handed in edits. Usually, this takes me a few months.

Yes, friend, editing is a long and tedious process. In the end, though, what we have is a story that rings out clearly and is ready to be shared.

Blessed book editing, friend!

Comment below! Have you edited a manuscript before? What was your experience? Where are you now in the editing process?