5 Steps forto Self-Editing Your Fiction Novel

Commented [MC1]: Great title!

Being an independent author is hard because you have to pay for everything yourself and
you dont even know ifwithout knowing whether your published book will sell enough to make
you a profit. We allEveryone knows that there are some awful iIndie novels out there, but . So
what can you do to make your novel one of the good ones? How cando you make sure that your

Formatted: Font: Italic

Formatted: Font: Italic

book will sell? First,Well, to sell, a novel needs to have a good plot and have good characters,
and be well edited. Unfortunately, paying several editors to look at these issues (and you should
have more than one) can cost a lot of money. To minimize the cost, self-edit your books before
sending it to a professionaln editor by using these five steps.
1. Let the Novel Sit
This sounds a little clichd, but its true:. iIf you go back to edit your novel right away, you
wont notice the faults and the inconsistencies because your brain will automatically fixll in the
troublemissing spots for you. You know what the story is supposed to be convey and how the
characters are supposed to feel, so thats exactly what youll read. To combat this, dont touch
your novel for about a month after you finish writing it. If youre pressed for time, wait at least a
week. When you come back to your novel, the story wont be asso fresh in your mind, and youll
be able to notice the rough spots.
2. Jump into Content Editing: Do the Plot and the Characters Work?
Next, read through the novel as quickly as you can. Ignore the little grammar mistakesyou
want to focus on the big issues right now. Think about the plot line. Does it have a beginning, a
middle, and an end? Is there a crisis that the characters haves to be faced? Does the book feel like
it actuallyhave a solid finishes and does it ties up the loose ends? Is the ending not terribly
unpredictable? If not, its time to rewrite.

Commented [MC2]: Can you explain what types of editing an

independent author will need?

Lets talk about how to tell the your story. Preferably, your story should be complex
enough to have at least two simultaneous plot lines (a main plot and a subplot) happening at the
same time, so that readers wdont get bored. Having multiple plots is the way real life isSince
real life is full of multiples plots, so including more than one plot in your story makes the storyit
more believable and draws the reader in.
When tellingWhile you write the different plot lines, make sure your story is showing,
not telling. Again, this phrase is clichd and even confusing, so let meIll explain it in more
detail. Dont tell the reader right out what has happened in the past of your novel and dontor
narrate what is currently happening. Refer to the events of the novel through the characters
internal voices, through the characters reactions to events, and through dialog. Itll If you use
this method, it will take more timelonger to tell the your story,, but I promise you that but taking
the time to showing instead of tell,ing will make your story much more interesting to your
readers.
After fixing those your large plot issues, look at some smaller issues. For example, make
sure your point of view is consistent, whether the story is being told in first, second, or thirdat
person the story is being told in. Whether its first person, third person, or omniscient, make sure
the point of view is consistent. Most fiction authors use third- person voice. For third- person
voice, each scene in the story should be told through the point of view of only one of the
characters in each the scene. If youwere telling the story through Marys point of view, youwe
can say Mary was happy, but youwe cant say Sarah was happy, too,. because you arent in
her mind. To get around this issue, youwe can say something like, Sarah looked happy.
Next, think about the background information youre giving the reader at the beginning
of the book. Is there enough that to keep the reader wont befrom being confused and decidinge

to stop reading? Be careful with including too much background, though, because that drives
readers away, too. Give only the necessary information and then add more information
throughout the story as its required.
Make sure your scenes and characters have enough detail. As I mentioned before, give

Commented [ML3]: This is a pretty short paragraph. Also, could

we add a transition to ease into the next topic?
Commented [ML4]: This paragraph only discusses characters,
so maybe we should take out scenes.

the necessary details at the beginning of the scenes and add detail as you go through the itscene.
For example, lets say I describe my character as being short and having red hair. In one point in
the scene, someone says something that scares her. I might write something like this: Her
freckles stood out on her white face. Now the reader knows she has freckles., too, without my
directly saying, She has freckles. In addition to spreading out details, make sure you arent
simply listing characteristics, because that gets boring fast for the reader.
Now look at your characters. Consider the following questions. Do the characters feel
real? In other words, dDo they characters have weaknesses and strengths? No characters areis

Commented [ML5]: Since characters have already been

mentioned, could you say something like, There are even more
things to consider when it comes to your characters. Consider the
following questions . . .

perfect, but do keep in mind that they shouldnt have so many faults that yourthe reader thinks
the character is stupidlacks empathy for them. . To continue with the questionsAlso ask yourself
whether, do the characters have motivations for their actions.? Whenever a character does
anything, he or she must have a motivation, even if its not explicitly stated in the text. In each
scene, think to yourself, would this character react in this way? Why? If you can answer this
question by thinking of characteristics that are described or hinted at in the book, then youre
golden. But mMake sure that these characteristics are in the book., though! Sure, Mmaybe
you know that your character has a hard time saying no to requests, but the reader wont know
unless the novel hints at that aspect through the characters thoughts and actions.
The characters need to have changed or learned something by the end of the novel. Static
characters are a sure way to drive away readers. YourThe characters need to have changed or

Commented [ML6]: Good point!

learned something by the end of the novel. After all, who wants to read about a stagnant
character who never changesperson? Think back on your story. What flaws have the characters
overcome? What have they learned? What do they still have to overcome and learn? Make sure
the characters arent perfect by the end of the book, either, because perfect people are hard to
relate to.
Now for the most important question in character development: are the main characters
likeable? I remember reading a book where that had I hated the characters I hated in it. I hated
them for some of the reasons mentioned abovethey didnt change and they had a multitude of
faultsbut I also hated disliked them because they were selfish and conceited. Now, it is
possible for your character can to be selfish and conceited, but still be likeable:. iIts all in the
way you spin it. The characters in theis book I read lacked motivation for their actions, and they
never learned from their mistakes. It was frustrating for me as a reader. Make sure that your
characters have several reasons for acting the way they do and that they learn at least a little bit
from their mistakes. Even evil characters can be likeable. After reading your novel, ask
yourself, Ddo I like this character? If not, its time for some rewriting!
By the end of this process, youll probably have gone through several rewrites. Thats the
way it should be. But theres one last step in a content edit: read your book again and delete all
unnecessary information. Get rid of anything that doesnt add to the storyline. Understand that
Im not saying you should strip away all description and side plots;. jJust make sure those
descriptions and side plots significantly add to the story.
3. Begin Line Editing: Common Punctuation and Grammar Problems

Commented [ML7]: Analyzing your characters, you mean? Or

everything youve talked about so far?

Now read your novel again, this time looking for the little stuff. Go words by wordr. Really.
Read it your manuscript out loud veryreally slowlyeven agonizingly slow. Look for and fix the
following errors.
For each paragraph, check that the sentences vary in length. If they dont, then vary them.
Reading several short sentences, or long sentences, in a row is monotonous and difficult for
the reader.
Some of the most common punctuation errors I see when I editin manuscripts are comma
splices. A comma splice happens when you try to join two independent clausesclauses that can
be sentences by themselveswith a comma. For example, I love strawberries, theyre good, is
a comma splice. Instead, use a conjunction (in this case, because), and a period, a semicolon,

Commented [ML8]: But you wouldnt want to say I love

strawberries. Because theyre good. Make sure to explain this.

or even a dash. But make sure you know how to use the punctuation before you apply it.

Commented [ML9]: Could you explain it?

Another difficult punctuation mark is the semicolon. Back in the olden days, semicolons

Commented [ML10]: Could you give a specific time period,

like the 1800s?

could be used as commas. For example, You know this lake is full of vicious creatures;
creatures that will eat you alive, was once considered proper. Its not correct anymore.
Semicolons can only be used to join two independent clauses. Creatures that will eat you alive,
is not a sentence by itself, so it cant be joined to another clause with a semicolon.
Punctuation with quotation marks is often messed up, so let me explain it simply. A
comma and a period always go inside a quotation mark. No exceptions. Question marks, and
semicolons, dashes, etc., go inside the quotation mark if theyre part of the quote, butand they go
outside if theyre not. For example, if Mary is asking about something that Sarah said, Mary
would say, What do you mean, Men are all scumbags? For most dialog, though, the phrase
will end with a comma: I need to go shopping, Mary said. However, we only use a comma if
the dialog tag is part of the sentence. We wouldnt use a comma in this instance: I need to go

Commented [ML11]: Should you mention the single quotes

within double quotes rule, as well?

shopping. Mary looked around the room. If youre splitting up a quote with a dialog tag and
commas, make sure the quotations make sense together as a sentence. For example, in the
following case, we cant use commas before and after the tag, although many authors would be
tempted to: I love shopping, Mary interjected. Its so relaxing. To use a comma after the
dialog tagMary interjected would make a comma splice!
Lets move on to grammar issues. Keep an eye out for fragments. A complete sentence
has a subject and a verb and doesnt start with a subordinate conjunction (because, while, etc.).
The phrase Because she was hungry is a fragment. Now, in fiction, fragments are often used to
create suspense or to draw the reader in, but. mMake sure your fragments do draw the reader in
instead of confusing him or her. If youre not sure whether the fragment works, then make it a
complete sentence. But if you know it will work, then go for it!
Another common grammar mistake is using confusing pronouns. Every time you say
he, she, it, or this (without a noun following it), and other pronouns, make sure that its

Commented [ML12]: Italicize

obvious what the pronoun is referring to. If youve used two male names in one sentence, and
you say he in the next sentence, ask yourself, Is it obvious who he is? If not, make it
obvious or use the name instead of the pronoun. This can also be a huge problem in dialog if
there are several people in a scene and he said or she said is used a lot.
A great way to spice up dialog in your novel is to change the dialog tags. Instead of
saying I dont know, she said uncomfortably, try I dont know. She shifted uncomfortably.
Also, its often not necessary to include the dialog tag. This is good because dialog tags slow
down the reader. If its easy to tell who the speaker is and what theyre feeling without the tag,
then take it out.

Commented [ML13]: Great tip!

Finally, delete words like very, extremely, just, really, suddenly, and literallywhich are
often unnecessaryunless theyre in dialog. Dialog is a lot more flexible than the rest of the text.
Just make sure the dialog wont confuse the reader.

Commented [ML14]: Can you give an example of what would

confuse the reader?

4. Check for Commonly Confused Words

Commented [ML15]: To shorten your piece, I would take out

most of the examples of commonly confused words and say
something like, Be willing to look up any words you arent sure
about. Also, check my website for a list of commonly confused
words or something like that.

There are some pairs of words that are often mixed up. Here are the most commonly confused
ones that you can keep an eye out for in your manuscript:
Adverse and averse: Adverse means harmfulHe was adversely affected by the cold.
Averse means to feel repugnance to somethingHe was averse to eating the congealed soup.
Assent and ascent: Assent means to agreeHe assented to our plans. Ascent is the act
of rising upwardsDuring our ascent, Mary fell and rolled down the hill.
Elude and allude: Elude means to avoid or escapeHe eluded capture. Allude is the act
of indirectly referring to somethingShe alluded to other plans she had that night.
Ensure, insure, and assure: Ensure guarantees a conditionHe ensured all the children
were fed before leaving. Insure is the act of buying insuranceHe insured his car. Assured is
the act of alleviating doubt or anxiety, and the word should only be used in regards to living
thingsHe assured her that everything would be all right.
Faze and phase: Faze is causing someone to feel afraid or uncertainThe house shook,
but Mary stood unfazed. Phase is a step in a processHes going through a phase. It can also
be used to refer to walking through a solid objectShe phased through the wall.
Illicit and elicit: Illicit is something that is illegalHe knew he would go to jail for the
illicit activity. Elicit is the act of getting a response or some information from someoneHe
hoped his abrupt declaration would elicit a good reaction.

Peak, pique, and peek: Peak is the pointed top of a mountain (or something that looks like
a mountain)They worked hard to reach the peak. This can also be used in expressions like
His frustration peaked when his computer broke down because the frustration reached a
figurative high point. Pique is to cause curiosity or interest or to annoy someoneThe article
piqued his interested, and The off-key singing piqued her. Peek means to look at something
from a hidden placeShe peeked through the curtains.
Precede and proceed: Precede means to go beforeShocked silence preceded the angry
outbursts. Proceed means to continue to do somethingAll is proceeding according to plan.
These are the most common mistakes that Ive noticed in Indie fiction writing. For a
more complete list, email me at somebody@example.com.
5. Get Help from Technology
Technology can be used as a last clean-up sweep before sending your manuscript to an
editor. First, run a spelling and grammar check. Microsoft Word can help you find mistakes that
you may gloss over when reading. However, evaluate each suggestion Word makes because the
suggestions are often wrong.
One of the most helpful aspects of Word that I use when editing is the Ffind and Rreplace
function (ctrl + h). I use it to look up commonly confused words (like the list of words above!) to
make sure that I didnt miss correcting any. In addition to the words above, I suggest keeping a
list of words you know you often use incorrectly, or that you use too much, and searching for
those words as youre finishing self-editing your manuscript.
Word has a great read-aloud feature. Turn on this feature and read along with it is great
for catching little typos. To add this function to your toolbar in Word, go to the drop down menu
at the top of the document (next to the Uundo and Rredo buttons) and click More

Commented [ML16]: Cool! I didnt know!

Commands. Make sure youre on the Quick Access Toolbar menu, and change the drop down
menu under View Ccommands Ffrom to Commands Not in the Ribbon. Scroll down until
you find Speak, click on it, and then click the Add button on the right. The button will now
be next to the Uundo and Rredo buttons at the top of the document. To use the read-aloud
feature, you have to select the section of text you want it to read before pushing the button.
Macros are codes that search for specific problems in your manuscript. For example, one
macro may search for missing quotation marks in a pair. To add a macro, go to the View tab on
the ribbon in word. Click on Macros on the right side, and then click View Macros. Type in
the name of your macro and click Create. This will bring up Miscrosoft Visual Basic. Paste in
your macro code under the title it puts in for you, saving and exiting when youre done. To use
the macro, go to View Macros, click on the macro you want to use, and push click Run. I
suggest downloading Paul Beverleys macros book at http://archivepub.co.uk/macros.html to get

Commented [ML17]: Thanks for providing the link!

macro codes.
Finally, when you makeing changes during a line edit, its easy to accidentally introduce
new errors into a manuscript. To combat this, save the document as a different file before
changing anything. After you finish editing, do a compare document, which is a function in
Word, to compare the current file with the unchanged file. This way, you can make sure you
changed every spot correctly. Use a compare doc when doing your own editing and when

Commented [ML18]: Issue?

incorporating another persons edits (remember, editors make mistakes too!). To compare files,
go to the Review tab on the ribbon and click the Compare button (near the right side). Put in
the documents you want to compare and click OK. Word will show the original and the new
document on the right side of the screen, and in the middle of the screen will be the original
document with changes in red that were made in the new document.

Commented [ML19]: Cool! Great information! I didnt know

you could do this.

Coming to the End . . .

After making all these changes and incorporating technology, your manuscript should be
in pretty good shape. But before sending it to an editor, send your manuscript to a friend.
Consider carefully the changes they suggest and implement what you think works; remember
that you always have the final say.
Now send the manuscript to an editor. Yes, after all this, youll still need a professional
editor to look over your document, because its impossible for one person to catch everything.
But if youve done the steps of self-editing, you wont have to pay the editor as much! The fewer
errors your manuscript has, the less an editor will charge you. Plus, you may have found some
things that the editor wouldnt have found because no one knows your book as well as you do.
Self- editing your novel isnt easy, but the more you do it the faster it will become, and or
fast, but it is certainly worth it!