Editing
Make a revision plan before changing sentences
Turn a broad sense that the manuscript needs work into a short sequence of decisions, with structural changes placed before local corrections.
The subject index / 32 articles
Editing
Read the work again with a purpose: structure, language, continuity and the details that survive to proof.
Editing
Build a reverse outline from the draft you have
Describe what each existing section does, then use that map to test the manuscript’s actual sequence.
Editing
Recognising a structural problem in a manuscript
Look beyond individual sentences when readers cannot follow the manuscript’s central movement, even though they understand its separate parts.
Editing
Read a scene for purpose, pressure and change
A focused scene audit follows the immediate aim, the resistance it meets and the situation left behind.
Editing
Find repetition that weakens an argument
Repeated wording is easy to spot; repeated argumentative work requires a closer look at what each passage contributes.
Editing
Rearrange paragraphs before polishing them
Paragraph order becomes easier to judge when you examine the job of each block before revising its sentences.
Editing
Read for sentence rhythm
Sentence rhythm comes from the movement of thought as well as the length of the lines on the page.
Editing
What reading a draft aloud can reveal
Reading aloud can expose awkward movement and missing words, provided you listen to what is written rather than silently repairing it.
Editing
What to look for during a line edit
A line edit examines how the prose delivers meaning, emphasis and voice once the larger shape of the manuscript is reasonably settled.
Editing
Copyediting and proofreading are different passes
Choose an editorial pass by the state of the manuscript and the decisions that remain, then describe the required work explicitly.
Editing
Start a style sheet that another editor can follow
Record the choices that are specific to the manuscript, with enough context for someone else to apply them consistently.
Editing
Track character details without building a database
A small continuity record can save a long search. Record the details that constrain later scenes, rather than everything you know about the cast.
Editing
Check the calendar inside your story
Dates, travel and elapsed time can contradict a story even when each scene reads well. A separate chronology makes those clashes easier to find.
Editing
Check numbers in a nonfiction manuscript
Treat figures as claims that have to agree with their context. A number check includes units, dates, comparisons and the calculations behind the sentence.
Editing
Give names and specialist terms their own check
A spelling check may accept the wrong name without complaint. Give people, places and technical vocabulary a pass based on sources and consistent usage.
Editing
Check a quotation against its source
Check the words, but also the boundaries and context of a quotation. A faithful transcription can still give readers the wrong impression.
Editing
Keep source notes that survive revision
A source note needs to travel with the claim it supports. Store enough context to understand it after chapters have moved and links have changed.
Editing
Write a brief for a freelance editor
A useful brief explains the manuscript, the work you need and what will be handed back. It also makes the edges of the job visible before anyone begins.
Editing
What a sample edit can and cannot tell you
A short sample can reveal how an editor approaches your sentences. It cannot show every problem in a book or replace agreement about the full assignment.
Editing
Answer an editor query without losing the decision
An editor needs an answer that can be applied to the manuscript. Make the wording, location and final decision clear, especially when a query has several parts.
Editing
Working through a manuscript in tracked changes
A considered review preserves the reasons behind an edit and leaves a readable, agreed manuscript.
Editing
When two readers disagree about the same passage
Conflicting feedback becomes easier to use when you separate a reader’s experience from their proposed repair.
Editing
Give a draft enough distance to read it again
Distance helps you notice what the page actually contains, provided the pause has a clear return point.
Editing
When a favourite passage no longer belongs
Test a cherished passage by what it contributes to this book, then consider placement and scale before cutting it.
Editing
Keep track of objects, spaces and physical actions
A small record of positions, possessions and movement can prevent actions that the reader cannot physically follow.
Editing
The final proofreading pass
A final proof pass works best when the text is stable, the checking tasks are distinct and every correction can be verified.
Editing
Proofread on paper without losing your corrections
Paper can change how you read a draft; a controlled transfer process keeps its corrections from becoming a second version.
Editing
Separate corrections from new revisions at proof stage
At proof stage, distinguish a necessary correction from a new preference and assess the consequences before changing the file.
Editing
Hand a manuscript to an editor without version confusion
A clear handover gives an editor one authoritative manuscript and a short account of what the assignment covers.
Editing
What to ask of beta readers
Match early readers to specific questions, give them a manageable brief and treat their responses as evidence about the draft.
Editing
Discuss sensitive material with an editor
A useful conversation identifies the material, the editorial question and the limits of the review.
Editing
Knowing when to stop revising
Revision can stop when the draft meets the needs of its next stage and its remaining questions have been consciously resolved.