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You’ve written your book. Now comes the editing. Is it really that overwhelming?

As an author, editing your own book can be a daunting task. It's easy to get too close to your work and miss obvious mistakes or opportunities for improvement. But learning to edit your book like a professional will improve your book.

Here’s how you can self-edit your own book.

1. Let it rest

After you've finished your first draft, it's important to let your book rest for a period of time before you start editing. This gives you some distance from the material and allows you to come back to it with fresh eyes. The length of time will depend on your personal writing process, but aim for at least a week or two.

Ideally, you should let your book rest for 4-6 weeks before starting the editing process. This gives your brain a chance to fully detach from the writing, so you can approach it more objectively.

2. Read through once without editing

When you're ready to start editing, read through your entire manuscript without making any changes. This first pass is all about getting reacquainted with the story and identifying any major structural or plot issues. Pay attention to pacing, character development, and the overall flow of the narrative.

As you read, make notes in the margins or a separate document about anything that stands out - plot holes, inconsistencies, slow pacing, underdeveloped characters, etc. This will give you a roadmap for the editing process.

3. Focus on big-picture edits first

Start your editing process by focusing on the big-picture elements of your book. This includes things like plot, character development, pacing, and overall structure. Work on fixing any major issues or weaknesses in these areas first, before moving on to line-by-line edits.

4. Read it out loud

Reading your manuscript out loud is an incredibly valuable editing technique. Hearing the words spoken aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing, repetitive language, and areas that need more clarity or punch. Alternatively, if you use software like Word, you can get it to read it out to you.

5. Check for consistency

As you work through your book, make sure to check for consistency in things like character names, physical descriptions, timelines, and details about the setting. It's easy for small inconsistencies to creep in, especially in longer manuscripts.

Have a style guide or reference document on hand to ensure you're using the same spelling, capitalisation, and formatting conventions throughout.

6. Polish the language

With the major structural and content edits out of the way, you can now turn your attention to polishing the language and prose. Look for ways to tighten up your writing, eliminate redundancies, and vary your sentence structure. This is where you'll really make your book shine.

7. Get a fresh pair of eyes

No matter how careful you are, it's impossible to catch every single mistake or area for improvement in your own writing. Even the most seasoned authors benefit from having a fresh pair of eyes review their work. Consider hiring a professional editor or finding a trusted beta reader to provide feedback and suggestions.

Their outside perspective can be invaluable in identifying areas you may have overlooked or blind spots in your own editing process.

Editing your book like a professional takes time and dedication, but the end result will be a stronger, more polished manuscript. By following these seven steps, you'll be well on your way to taking your book to the next level.

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