Is Your Manuscript Ready?
The editorial process is a long and complex one in which the manuscript is passed back and forth between a writer and her editors. And that is why it can take many months before a manuscript is “ready” for publication.
First things first. As far as I know, no one has self-edited their way to stardom, so you will need a team of readers and freelancers to help you. Before you reach out to a professional of any kind, you must get feedback on your manuscript. You may obtain this invaluable commentary from members of a writers workshop, or you may get it from beta readers. Beta readers are other writers who read and comment on your manuscript usually while you read and comment on theirs. Depending on how you like to work, you may share your manuscript after an early draft (not a first draft), or you may share after a much later draft, or both. Either way, you need eyes on your manuscript because you cannot identify all of the problems within the manuscript on your own. Every writer suffers blind spots, and they need readers to point out the places of confusion, plot holes, inconsistencies, unrealistic dialogue, and anything else worthy of comment.
After you have incorporated the knowledge of your beta readers and you feel that your manuscript is in pretty good shape, you are ready for the professionals. Traditional publishers put many pairs of eyes on their books before publication. They follow an editorial process that self-publishers can, to some extent, emulate. Here it is:
1•Developmental Edit: The acquisitions editor often handles this in-line assessment of the plot and all the major things that go into it, such as voice, structure, character arc, and pacing. She points out not only the trouble but the places of untapped potential: both the inconsistencies and the moments that could create more conflict or drama, or benefit from greater detail. When the edit is done, the manuscript is returned to the writer for revision. Rewriting occurs, plot holes are filled, characters are more deeply developed, and scenes are rearranged.
2•More developmental editing: If a substantial amount of new copy has been written or rearranged during the first round of developmental editing, the editor will do it again. Then, it’s back to the writer for additional fixes.
3•Copyediting: Light, medium, or heavy depends on the skill of the writer. This is a close look at grammar and punctuation, and a weeding out of errors and awkward phrases. One editor may copyedit, or several may, one after the other. When the copyediting is done, the manuscript returns to the writer, who will revise confusing sentences and accept changes.
4•Proofreading: At least one person will proofread the manuscript in galley form. That means it is flowed into the layout and printed upon unbound pages.
5•Fresh-Eye Reading: A proofreader who has not yet seen the manuscript will read the book as if she were a regular reader, catching any typos and mistakes in design. This may be done in the form of galleys or an advanced reader copy.
I know what you’re thinking: how in the world am I going to afford all of this? My answer is, you don’t have to. You are self-publishing so you are going to perform some of these tasks yourself, and you’re going to recruit friends who can help with the proofreading (on printed pages or Word files). At least one round of developmental editing and one round of copyediting should be done professionally. If you feel your copyediting skills are strong, and you decide to copyedit yourself, I highly recommend you hire a professional proofreader. I’ve been copyediting professionally for decades, and I still sent my manuscript to a professional proofreader, who found many small inconsistencies. Like I said, it’s very hard to catch the mistakes in your own writing.
So now you know how the traditional publishers do it, and how you can do it too. It’s going to take some time, effort, and money—but it’s going to be worth it.
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Kim Catanzarite is a writer, an editor, and an instructor for Writer’s Digest University. Her debut novel, They Will Be Coming for Us, came out June 1, 2021. Click here to learn more about my book.
