Do you ever wonder why you need to go over a manuscript so many times before it is right? I think it is because, as humans, we’re only capable of holding so much in our minds at any one time. Especially when you’re not trained to do so, you have difficulty noticing all of the mistakes/errors/problems in a manuscript all at one time.
You’ve probably noticed that every time you read through your manuscript, you find new errors. You wonder, “How is it that I didn’t notice the missing quotation mark in that bit of dialog or that ‘there’ was wrongly spelled ‘their’ or that I typed ‘abandon’ instead of ‘abandoned’ in the preface?”
Why don’t you catch all of the errors the first time around? I think that editing-proofing is similar to cleaning house. The messier it is, the more times you’ll have to go through it. The first time through, you might remove the bulk of the clutter. Once that’s out of the way, you can more easily see areas of dirt and disarray that need your attention. And after you do your second thorough, soap-and-water cleaning, if you use your keen senses, you’ll find even more dirt, dust and even clutter hidden in the crevices.
So it is with the editing process. After you go over your manuscript time and time again, you’ll continue to find things you’ll want to (or need to) change. It seems never-ending. And if you can’t settle on the name for your character, his background, the order of the events, or you are confused about how to use the apostrophe, how to represent numbers, etc., it will be never-ending.
I suggest that, once you are satisfied with your story or your nonfiction manuscript, continue to read it—using a fine-tooth comb—searching for every minute discrepancy, error, misplaced comma, etc. many times. Go through that manuscript until you can do so without seeing more than say five new problems. THEN turn it over to a qualified book editor. (You may be surprised at the additional problems he or she finds.)
As an author, I go through my manuscripts numerous, numerous times. As an editor, I like to go through my clients’ manuscripts twice. The first time, I catch the majority of the errors. This is also my opportunity to become familiar with the story or the material. But I like to take a second trip through in order to make sure what I decided late in the manuscript is applied to the first part of it. Once I know the story or the material, I can more accurately repair discrepancies-inconsistencies and poor writing habits that some authors tend to have. And, typically, I will find small errors I missed the first time around.
Some people say, “Why don’t you just read the manuscript one time and then do your editing?” I have tried that and I find that I cannot read a book that needs editing without editing it. In fact, I’ve been known to discard a published book that is poorly edited. The mistakes are so distracting to me that I cannot stick with the storyline. I assume that many readers have the same problem. Readers of any caliber do not appreciate—in fact, resent being subjected to—published books that are not properly edited.
How many times do you proof or self-edit your manuscripts before turning them out or turning them over to your editor? If you are working on a book, make sure that you are putting aside money for an editor. Don’t shortchange your chances for success (and don’t shortchange your readers) by not investing in an editor for your book. Of course, the more successfully you can fine-tune your manuscript, the less time an editor will have to spend with it.
I offer an online course on self-editing. Check it out here: http://www.matilijapress.com/course_self-editing.htm
If you are new to publishing, you really do need to understand the industry, your options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibility as a published author. Read my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author (Allworth Press). Available at the publisher’s website, my website, Amazon.com, most bookstores and other online stores.
Note: Part of your responsibility as a published author is to present the best product you can to your audience. And this means producing a properly-edited book.