The publishing path you choose will determine the degree of “perfect” your manuscript should be in before submission. A fiction manuscript must be complete before you query agents or publishers, but there will be some final editing done by the publisher. For those self-publishing, it is up to you to submit your book for publication in its final, ready-for-the-masses draft, unless you are utilizing the editing services of a self-publishing service provider. Here are five tips for editing your manuscript before submission or publication that will help improve and polish your manuscript, regardless of your publishing path.
Writing a book is an intense project that requires full immersion. After completing your manuscript, you need to take a break from it for a moment to find a new perspective. The required time between a first draft and revisions is different for every writer, whether it is one week or one month. Take a break. Work on something else for fun. You'll know when you're ready to rework your manuscript when you have a fresh perspective and renewed energy that comes after you have forgotten some of the finer details of your work.
Writing is a solitary profession. But once you've finished your manuscript, it's time to let others weigh in. While it can be difficult to receive feedback on your writing, it is a necessary step toward producing a book that can be clearly understood and appreciated by others. Find readers who can be honest with you and who are knowledgeable about quality writing and your book's topic. One resource to utilize is a writers group, which can provide feedback throughout the writing process. Another valuable resource is a developmental editor. The editor looks at the big picture concepts in your book so you can make any necessary overhauls before the finer details of copyediting. Even if you intend to publish your book traditionally, a developmental editor can help you by creating a clearer, more organized, and impactful version of your book.
"Planning your marketing strategy now will not only help you land a contract, it will help your book be more successful in the marketplace too."
Before you self-publish a book or submit your book to a publisher or agent, you need to look at your work from a marketer's perspective. Research other successful books in your genre. Does your manuscript fit within genre guidelines regarding word count, language, and storyline? Does it have something unique that will help it stand out from the other books in the genre? Now is the time to make necessary changes to your work to meet the expectations of readers and publishers. Before you query an agent or publisher, be aware they expect authors to already have a marketing plan and platform to help promote the book. Planning your marketing strategy now will not only help you land a contract, it will help your book be more successful in the marketplace too.
Typos and grammar errors turn off readers, whether the reader is an agent, publisher, reviewer, or consumer. After you have tackled large-scale changes to your manuscript, it's time to look at the finer details. When you are self-publishing a book, it's important to fix all errors before submitting your manuscript for publication. Readers and reviewers may forgive a typo or two in your book, but they quickly dismiss a book riddled with errors. It is difficult to edit your own work because you know it intimately, which makes it easy to skip over errors. Hiring a professional copyeditor is one of the best investments you can make. If you intend to publish your book through a traditional publisher, you should still edit your manuscript before submission to ensure that it is free of excessive errors and typos. While the manuscript may not need to be absolutely error-free, the query letter does.
"When querying an agent or publisher, look for instructions on the company's website about how to submit your manuscript..."
The last tip for editing your manuscript before submission or publication is to format your manuscript as your intended audience requires and expects it. When querying an agent or publisher, look for instructions on the company's website about how to submit your manuscript, including how to format it, what to send, and how to send it. Straying from these instructions is a sure way to receive a rejection letter. When you self-publish a book, follow the guidelines given by the service provider, printer, or distributor. You'll save yourself a lot of time and heartache by learning the details of any required formatting or file requirements before designing your book.
Glad this was helpful to you.
Thank you for the advice. It is new territory for me and a little daunting, but if I take tiny steps I'll make tremendous strides.
I'm anxious to attack each of these steps as I complete my fiction novel :)
Thank you for those tips. My first "book" was what I lovingly refer to as :" MY GRIEF PIECE". It was how I dealt with the death of my mother.
My mother was an exceptional woman. Full of Godly wisdom , and love. she was mother to so many children but i was so blessed because I came from her body. I am Flesh of her Flesh. the unique closeness she shared with all of her biological children (there are 4 of us) caused a live altering change in our lives. we are forever changed. For me the void she left in my life, was a major shift in my paradigm! 2 days after her funeral i could not get out of bed or move any part body,limbs, head hands nothing . I COULD NOT BREATH! I KNEW I WAS ABOUT TO JOIN HER THAT SAME DAY, I WENT TO MY COMPUTER TO LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF HER IN THE CASKET I HAD UPLOADED, AS MY TEARS BLINDED ME I STARTED TYPING HER A LETTER HER HOW I FELT. THE MORE I WROTE THE STRONGER I BEGAN TO FEEL. IF I HAD THOSE WONDERFUL TIPS I KNOW MY BOOK WOULD HAVE BEE WRITTEN BETTER. AS THIS SECOND BOOK IS A SORT OF SEQUEL, i AM SURE WHAT I WILL BE GLEANING FROM ALC WILL TRANSFORM ME INTO A GREAT AUTHOR, ! Michele E. Churn-Price
This is helpful. However, I normally write my work using Ginger, in Office Word. I would think this would be classified basic editing. I am a self published author of previous years and now in my golden years, I wish to publish again. Much, I have forgotten so in reading your 5 tips article, I find dealing with todays literary aspect much more challenging. LOL. It should be an interesting journey.