So You're Done with Your First Draft, What's Next?

Hello, authors and writers! Happy #motivationalmonday! I’m excited to share this great quote with you today: “The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist.” —Michael Lee

So you’re finished with your first draft— what’s next?

Congrats on finishing your first draft! This is such an exciting time, especially since you’ve completed the first step of your project—the first draft— but there is still much work to be done! I am a writer, editor, and self-published author, trying to help other indie authors navigate the fun yet overwhelming process of writing, editing, revising, and publishing their books.

So let’s get into it: Once you’ve finished writing your first draft, you’re going to need several editing passes before your work is ready for publication—no matter how good of a writer you are, the artistry of writing really comes together in the editing process. Great writing doesn’t just happen in one sitting; it’s a process, and I’m here to help you along the way! While I highly recommend that every indie author should have their book professionally edited, authors/writers must also put in some editing work too. After your first draft, it’s time to self-edit!

Here are the steps in the editing process that I, and other professional editors, offer as editing packages (preferably in this order):

1. Developmental Editing: Developmental editing is all about the big picture. With this step in the editing process, focus on the overall development of your story: your narrative, story plot (sub and main plot points), character development, overall readability, and genre assessment.

2. Line and Copy Editing: Line and copy editing is a line-by-line editing pass attempting to catch any grammar or mechanical errors like consistency, word choice, tense, voice, sentence flow, and sentence structure. This is an in-depth editing pass that will ensure you're one step closer to publication.

3. Proofreading: Proofreading is one of the last steps in the editing process. Now that you've completed developmental and line editing, your book is almost ready for publication. Save this step for last, having a professionally trained eye catch any additional typos, grammar errors, or inconsistencies. This editing pass will help you polish up the finishing touches to your manuscript. Because this is the last and should be the easiest step in the editing process, I provide one of the lowest rates you’ll find for book proofreading services! (link in bio)

(Check out my Instagram for videos and posts about writing tips and tricks. Also, check out my book editing and short story editing services!)

Self-editing tips and tricks:

Use these steps as a guide for when you self-edit. You’ll want to do a developmental and line editing pass by yourself before having an editor look at your work. If you are still unsure about how exactly to self-edit your own manuscript, here are some practical tips to help you in this next step of your writing process:

1. Print out your manuscript: Having a physical copy of your manuscript in front of you will help you catch spelling mistakes, run-on sentences, fragments, and any other errors you may come across. Since our eyes run over words more quickly on our computer screen, having a printed manuscript will insure you don’t miss any small details. Having a different colored pen (like red) will help you as you comb through your work.

2. Read your work aloud: Hearing how your writing sounds out loud will help you catch inconsistencies, redundancies, or errors with word choice and sentence structure. Sometimes a writer won’t catch whether or not their main points are clear until they’ve read it aloud! Trust me, it helps!

3. Edit line by line: Yes, line editing takes time. This is why editors usually charge so much for this service, but it’s a necessary evil. Systematically going line-by-line throughout your manuscript will help you catch any errors you might’ve missed before.

4. Embrace re-reading your manuscript: One or two editing passes isn’t enough. The more you re-read and are more familiar with your story, the more you’ll be able to develop your plot and characters throughout the editing process. The more I re-read my manuscripts, the more I add and develop the story. Your first draft might be great, but you can improve your story through revision.

5. Save proofreading for last: As you go through several read-throughs and editing passes, you’re going to most-likely re-write paragraphs, add descriptions, and enhance your characters, so immediately working on grammar and mechanics is pointless. Save this step for last, and if you chose to forgo an editor for developmental and line editing services, make sure to at least hire a professional proofreader to insure your book is error-free and ready for publication!

I hope these tips were helpful to you and that you’re able to apply them to your own self-edits! Happy Monday, and save and follow for more writing tips and tricks @thepoetscorner_!