The title says it all! I am in the process of editing my second book, Public Affairs and this can be a tedious at times. So, yes, LOTS of coffee is needed. This is exciting because my work will be released at the end of Summer 2018! I enjoy re-reading my work and seeing ways on how can I “tweak” and tighten up parts of the story. On the other hand, there are times that I know what I am saying, but the reader might not get it. So, the editing hat goes on! I am proud of the direction my work is heading towards. Over the last few years of writing, I sit back and reflect on some lessons that I have learned in this process.
- You are human….mistakes will happen. This lesson I think is the most important thing to understand because we all take our work very seriously and sometimes people will just pick at things without looking at the whole picture.
- Ask your closest friends to be Beta Readers. I know some people might not agree with this, but if they are friends, won’t they be the most honest? In my case this is 100% true. I enjoy getting feedback from my friends because they know me and they are readers themselves. The caveat is that they are plugged them in my accomplishments.
- Check for substantive editing (story development) and copy editing (grammar, spelling). This is the hardest part because my background is not in editing at all. I do this for therapy and fun. I am learning to look at things though in a different lens. I also have a bad-ass book coach who has helped me along the way with this piece.
- Have fun! Since this can be a time-consuming project, try to make it fun. You are the expert of your work and you know where you want to go, so go for it.
I need to refill my coffee mug back up and head back to editing!
Recent Comments