Tips for Successful Fiction Editing: A Self-Publisher’s Guide

One of the biggest challenges of fiction writing is getting what’s in your head onto the page. That’s because our stories and characters are three-dimensional. When we are immersed in our writing, not only do we feel what our characters are feeling, but we hear the sounds and experience the story firsthand. How do you take that 360-degree experience and put it into words where it makes sense to a reader? With the help of great editing. 

This article is all about fiction editing, why you need it, and how to find the right editor to help you write the best story possible. 

Thoughts on fiction editing

Writers of all skill levels can benefit from quality editing support, especially from a professional editor. They are a critical piece of the book development formula and without one, you risk not having the best possible version of your book.

If you’re a writer, then you can probably relate to the feeling of your thoughts not translating well from your brain to your keyboard or pen, and even if they do make it to the page, they can still miss the mark with your readers. A professional editor can fill in the gaps with an objective, extra layer of support. 

The fiction editing myth

Editing is not just about grammar and punctuation, especially with fiction. It’s an extension of the writing process, not separate from it. It’s what propels our writing from good to great. We may come up with the stories and get the ball rolling, but the keen eye of a skilled editor gets our book to the finish line. 

The mistake that authors make, especially new ones, is getting impatient with the book development process. They want their book published “yesterday,” so they cut corners to get it published as quickly as possible by editing themselves or using software like Grammarly or ProWitingAid and calling it a day. There’s nothing wrong with using editing software. It’s a great way to clean up the little mistakes that we naturally make when writing, but it’s not enough. 

When we edit ourselves, our brains tend to fill in what’s missing, the sample viral experiment that travels across the internet from time to time like the one below from the How Stuff Works website shows how our brain can fill the blanks even though what we’re seeing isn’t there. 

If you could read the question in the box above, it’s not a far stretch to imagine how editing your own work might fall into the same trap of seeing something that’s not there. We can’t separate our brains from our writing, but an editor can.

The different types of fiction editing

Editing comes in all shapes and sizes. Knowing which is the right fit for your book is the first place to start. 

Self-editing – This is where the editing process begins—with you. While it’s the professional editor’s job to get your manuscript ready for publication, getting the basic editing out of the way can help speed up the professional editing project and save you money because there’s less work to do. 

Developmental – This is the top-down view of your manuscript. The responsibility of the developmental editor is to go in and take a look at your book as a complete work, from beginning to end. The focus is on the structure of the book to make sure that the framework is sound before moving into other types of editing. In fiction writing this includes themes, plot, character development, and pacing. 

They’re looking at the flow of everything, if maybe chapters can be tweaked or broken up, or sections can be broken up to make the story flow better. They are the ones that look at the big picture to make sure that the story the beginning, the middle, and the end, all of it comes together, and it makes sense. 

Line Editing – This editing gets granular and looks at the sentences line by line to weigh how sentences are constructed: their style, and phrasing. It also considers how ideas are developed within the context of the story and what areas can be adjusted to create a better reading experience. 

Copyediting – This editing focuses on the technical side like grammar, punctuation, spelling, and how words are used. According to Amy Eionsohn and Marilyn Schwartz in their book The Copyeditor’s Handbook, copyediting also includes:

• hyphenation, capitalization, punctuation
• Treatment of numbers and numerals and quotations
• use of initialisms, acronyms, and other abbreviations
• Use of italics and bold type
• Treatment of special elements

Sensitivity reading (not editing but a part of the process) – Sensitivity reading is a part of the editing process to ensure that marginalized groups are not misrepresented or certain subject matter is handled appropriately within the context of the story. Every book doesn’t need a sensitivity reader, but if you’re not sure, it’s always a good idea to ask for a professional opinion.

Proofreading (not technically editing but a part of the process): Although a proofreader looks for manuscript errors, they are not considered the editor, the one hired to shape up the manuscript. A proofreader’s job is to take a manuscript that’s been formatted and read it to make sure nothing was missed during the manuscript development process. A manuscript can go through 3 editors, and someone will still miss a double period or a comma in the wrong place. Or, during the formatting process, something might be deleted by mistake. It’s the proofreader’s job to ensure that the manuscript looks good and is ready for printing. 

Fiction editing for self-publishers

There are a lot of pieces to the editing puzzle. It’s a mistake to think that editing is only about grammar and looking for punctuation mistakes. A good editor can partner with you to bring out the best in you as a writer and your story. What you learn through a professional editing process can help you build your writing skills and improve future writing. 

As an author, it’s not uncommon to feel close to your story and hesitant to let someone else handle it. I get it. It takes trust and vulnerability. After all, when you live and breathe your story and its characters, it can be hard to let go and be objective. An extra pair of eyes from your editor can help you create distance from your story so you can see what improvements need to be made. 

A note on fiction editing software

Editing software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid can be a useful tool for helping streamline the writing process by helping with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Another benefit of using them early in the book production process is that they can help you save money on future edits because less work will need to be done to update the manuscript. 

One of the reasons I still recommend having a professional come in at the end of the self-editing process is that while software can help with the technical parts of editing, it won’t catch everything. A professional editor can often do much more. Human editors are not perfect, but what they can offer over AI-driven software tools is their ability to capture many of the nuances of quality writing that AI tools don’t understand or can’t process at this point. 

So yes, while those tools are great, they are best when used to help you to clean up your writing and prepare it for professional editing. This is especially true in fiction where you’re dealing with characters, atmosphere, tone, plot, dramatic irony, and all of the different literary devices. A professional editor can look at a work and decide what will be the best fit for a particular instance and not treat everything as a cookie-cutter project where one-size-fits-all. A professional editor can look at your story from the perspective of a human reader, after all, that’s who will be reading our story: humans. 

​How to find the right fiction editor for your story

How do you find the right editor for your book? It depends on the type of editing that you need. A first step could be to ask a professional book assessment to determine what type of editing you need, and once you know, follow these steps to select the right editor for the job:

1. Search for the main editor type first in your book’s genre: developmental, line editor, copyeditor (sensitivity readers and proofreaders come at the end of the process). Finding an editor in your genre is especially important because different genres have different reader expectations like tropes. An editor experienced in your book’s genre can make sure that it is developed according to the “rules” of the genre. 
   
2. Ask for editing samples: It’s not enough for an editor to say they can edit your work. A professional editor should be able to share book titles they’ve worked on. When asking for samples, ask if they can share books where they are listed as an editor in the book. Go to a site like Amazon and search for the book(s). Use the “Sample” button at the bottom of the book’s image to read a sample. The snippet offered should be enough to give you a feel for the quality of the edit. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to see the “before;” however, reviewing the samples will give you an idea of the caliber of the writer who hires the editor or the quality of the editor’s edits. Both are a good gauge of the editor’s quality.
   
3. Have a conversation: No two editors are alike. Every editor has their own way of editing which may or may not fit how you like to collaborate, so it’s important to get to know your editor to ensure you’re a good fit. Some editors are very strict and dogmatic in their approach to editing and how they work with clients. If you need a lot of structure and someone who doesn’t sugarcoat constructive criticism, then this type of editor could work well for you. On the other hand, if you need someone who takes a more gentle approach to editing suggestions, then you’ll want to look for those qualities in an editor. Their character and personality should come through in your conversation. Or, just ask them how they approach editing and their expectations for the writer. 

How long does the book editing process take? 

It depends on the type of editing and the editor. Some types of editing like developmental, copyediting, and line editing are more in-depth (which you want them to be), so you can expect them to take longer than proofreading, sensitivity reading, or a book assessment. Also, it depends on the editor’s schedule and availability. It’s best to ask the editor for their estimated turnaround time. 

How much does editing cost? 

Editing can vary based on the type of editing and the editor’s experience. A good gauge for what to expect is to reference the Editorial Freelancers Association list.

Can I skip certain types of editing?

If you get a professional book assessment and multiple types of editing are recommended, it’s best to go with what’s recommended to create the best version of your book; however, editing can get expensive, so if you have to choose, prioritize developmental editing and copyediting over the others to ensure your book has a strong structure and is technically sound. 

How do I keep from losing my author voice with edits?

A professional editor understands that their job is not to infuse their voice with yours but to enhance your writer’s voice only. This is why editors typically don’t do rewrites unless it’s for smaller projects where it’s more expedient. For book edits, editors will typically make suggestions, but the writer is responsible for making the updates based on those suggestions. Remember, ultimately, it’s your book. You don’t have to accept all of the editor’s suggestions, especially if it doesn’t sound like you; however, it’s important to know the difference between sound advice which will help you become a better writer, and advice that’s just the editor wanting to write your book for you. 

Takeaway

As an author, you want to create the best book possible for your readers. A professional writer understands that being a successful author is often a team effort, and editors are a crucial part.

Fiction editing can enhance the quality of your book and can include self-editing and editing software. Both are great places to start. A professional editor can take your book to the next level through a more comprehensive edit that goes beyond grammar and spelling to include structure, voice, tone, character development, themes, and so much more. 

If you have a limited budget, place high-quality fiction editing at the top of it. After the fancy book launch is over and the beautiful cover fades, what’s left and what matters most is the story, and when it’s done well, readers will come back for more. If it’s not done well, you’ve missed a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression