Preparing Your Manuscript for Editing

Every Monday I will be posting a new blog entry, focusing on writing and offering advice to new authors. This week we will be looking at submitting your book to an editor.

So you have finished your book, a book that may have taken you years to write, and now it is ready for the editor. Sounds simple, all you need to do is attach it to an email and send it to your editor to fix, warts and all. 
STOP. 
While it may sound somewhat redundant, before you send your manuscript to an editor, you need to make sure that you have edited it to the best of your ability first. 
Why should I do that? I hear you ask. It's an editor's job to fix all the mistakes. While this is partially true, it is good practice to check your own work, ensure the story flows well and that there are no major plot holes in your story. By doing this you can cut down on the time it takes for your editor to complete the edit and make their job a little easier. You may also be able to catch story issues that the editor may not be able to find.
Here are a few tips on what you can do with your manuscript before sending it to your editor:

• Set your manuscript aside for a few days/a week after completing it, then read through it again. This gives you some distance so you can try to read it as a reader, not as an author, making it easier to spot mistakes. A good way to separate yourself from what you have written is to use the Read Aloud feature on Microsoft Word. By hearing your words read aloud, it can help highlight missing words, bad grammar and more.
• Use the spell checker to check for spelling mistakes, and bad grammar. There are also online programs such as Grammarly that can be used.
  
• Use a legible font and stick to standard formatting outlines. The most common is 12 point, Times New Roman. Do not use tabs, do not add extra spaces and use either single spaced or double spaced line options. Use a hard return between paragraphs and make sure scene breaks are clearly marked. Three asterisks are sufficient. A personal preference of mine is to remove the space after paragraphs which is the default setting for Word. It is simple enough to change and is located in the line options. 
  
• If you have a beta reading team, ask them to read through the story for you to check for errors. I would advise against using close friends and family to read for you unless you can trust that they can be objective and give you a helpful critique. 

There are different types of editors available, who will look for different things in your manuscript.

• A copy editor/line editor will look at the story as a whole to check for consistency, tone and clarity. 
• Proofreaders check for spelling and grammar
• Developmental editors are a lot more involved, they will look at everything, characters, plot lines, point of view, what works, what doesn't work and offer advice on how to fix any issues that the story may have.

Some editors only do one or two types of editing, some editors like myself will do them all. Always do your research. An editor can be expensive, but you don't have to break the bank paying thousands, especially if you are just starting out.
I offer reasonable rates, tailored specifically for new authors or authors with no budget. My rates are lower than the going rate because I know what it is like to be an author, trying to get your first book out there and having very little money to do it with. This is my way of giving back to the fabulous author community that I am a part of. I offer sample edits on request. Click the button below to find out more.

SKGregory Author Services