Self-Editing Guide for the New Writer

By Mary Harris

Are you a new writer? This guide will help you edit your new manuscript, with tips and free resources. Want to save money? The more you self-edit, the less you pay a professional editor. Want to increase your chance of getting accepted by a major publisher? "Clean" manuscripts get looked at more often! Professional editors usually charge by the word, AND by the work needed. When you send a "clean" manuscript, you will be charged less money. As a professional editor, trust me on this one! When you go over your book carefully, even if you don't get everything right, a publisher will take a long hard look because of the effort you have put in. As a submissions reader for publishers, trust me on this one too! And good luck!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Harris
• Release date: Jun 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310248290

Mary Harris

Hi! I've been a writer forever, and an editor for over 25 years. I work for publishers and indie writers, and love helping new authors shape their voice and vision!

Book preview

Introduction

First of all, congratulations! You’ve done something very few people accomplish: you’ve finished writing a book! You deserve a lot of praise for having a wonderful idea, getting it all written, and now, finalizing your wonderful novel! Yay for you!

I hope that you have given yourself a lot of pats on the back, and perhaps a treat or two. You deserve it!

Now for the next round of work: editing. In one of my writers’ groups, we used to say that when we described our manuscript as That damn book, we were close to finished. You may still be in the honeymoon phase, sure this novel will be on the New York Times best sellers list 12 hours after it’s uploaded! I hope that’s true! But you still have a little editing to do.

Here are strategies and tips for giving your book a great edit, whether you’re self-pubbing, going indie, or have a traditional publishing contract. There are many