STAGES OF EDITING A NOVEL

The Edit is In

A Guide to Polishing Your Prose Without Losing the Plot

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So, you've written a book. Congratulations! Time to bask in glory and publish immediately, yes? Not so fast, Shakespeare. Before you hit “send to agent” or “upload to Amazon,” it’s time to wrestle with the unsung hero of the literary world: editing.

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Editing is not just about fixing the odd typo or making sure your commas behave. It’s about shaping your manuscript into something that sparkles like freshly poured prosecco—crisp, clear, and ready to impress.

 

Whether you’re gunning for traditional publication or flying solo on the self-publishing route, this guide will walk you through the essential editing stages without sending you into an existential spiral.

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Part One

The Traditional Track​: When You Hand Your Baby Over to the Pros

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1. Developmental Story Editing: The Heavy Lifting

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This is where your manuscript hits the gym. Developmental editing—also known as structural, content, or substantive editing—is the big-picture pass. Here, editors look at the architecture of your story: plot holes, limp protagonists, unconvincing romances, and those “Wait, didn’t she die three chapters ago?” moments.

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An editor will assess:

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• Story arc and pacing

• Character consistency and motivation

• Plot structure and subplots

• Scene logic and emotional payoff

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While you can and should self-edit here, this is also the one stage most worth paying for if you’re aiming for a traditional publishing deal. Publishers may offer this (though not always as extensively as you’d hope), and a good dev editor can turn a decent book into a page-turner.

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2. Line Editing: Your Style Gets a Spa Day

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This stage focuses on the actual lines—how they read, how they sound, and whether your voice is working hard or hardly working. Tone, rhythm, flow, and mood all get examined under a very stylish microscope.

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Think of line editing as the stage where your manuscript goes from “promising” to “polished.” And no, your mate who’s good at grammar doesn’t count. Get a pro, or risk sounding like a thesaurus exploded.

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3. Copyediting: All the Grammar Your English Teacher Cried Over

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Copyediting is less glam but utterly essential. This is the tidying-up phase: spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency (yes, even whether you hyphenate “re-read” matters).

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In traditional publishing, this will usually be provided for you—but knowing what it is and how it works is still important. You’d be surprised how often errors slip through even in Big Four books. (We see you, rogue semicolon.)

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4. Proofreading: The Last Chance Saloon

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The very final stage—post-layout and pre-print. It’s about squashing those last few typos that always, always survive.

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Traditionally, this is done after typesetting. It’s not meant for rewrites, just eagle-eyed spotting of blunders in font, layout, or that one paragraph that still insists on being in Comic Sans.

 

Part Two

The Indie Author’s Toolkit​: Do the Heavy Lifting Yourself Without Losing The Will to Live

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Self-publishing puts the editorial onus squarely on your shoulders—but don’t panic. You can handle this with the right process, a solid cup of tea (or gin), and a little know-how.

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1. The Self-Editing Gauntlet: Polish Before You Pay

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Let’s be clear: self-editing does not replace professional editing. It makes professional editing more effective. The better shape your manuscript is in when you hand it off, the more helpful and transformative your editor’s input can be.

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Use self-editing to:

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• Smooth out repetition and clunky phrasing

• Tighten pacing and scenes

• Identify plot inconsistencies

• Catch your most obvious grammar and spelling flubs

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You’ll still need a professional editor, but now they can focus on the harder stuff rather than fixing that one word you misspelled 97 times. Doing so will reduce the time an editor spends on your manuscript, saving your hard-earned money for a fancy book cover (or more gin).

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2. Beta Readers: Your Honest, Blunt Literary Mirrors

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A beta reader is not one of your friends (unless your friend is a seasoned thriller writer with a ruthless eye for character arcs).

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Choose beta readers who:

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• Read your genre

• Will give honest feedback (not just “I liked it”)

• Aren’t afraid to point out plot holes the size of a small island

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Most indie authors use beta readers in lieu of a pricey developmental edit, and this can work brilliantly—especially if you listen when multiple readers flag the same issue.

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Pro tip: give them clear guidance. “Does the twist land?” or “Is the romance believable?” is far more useful than “Tell me what you think.”

 

Use this handy Beta-Reader Questionnaire when querying beta readers.

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3. Manuscript Critique: Developmental Lite

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If you can’t afford a full story edit, a manuscript critique is a cracking alternative. An editor reads the whole book and provides a report on big-picture issues—character arcs, pacing, structure, tone—without diving line-by-line.

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Great for identifying story-level improvements before you move onto the polishing stages. Find out more about Elevate Editing's manuscript critique service here:

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4. Copyediting with Style

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Your self-edited, beta-blessed manuscript is now ready for professional polish.

 

A great copyeditor will:

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• Fix spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax

• Highlight awkward or unclear sentences

• Improve clarity, conciseness, and voice

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Most copyeditors in the self-pub world combine this with a bit of line editing, so you get more bang for your buck.

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Pay attention to this phase—it’s your reputation on the line. One typo in the first chapter and your Amazon reviews will become a public flogging.

 

Check out a sample-edit below. Use the example and apply it to your own work.

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5. Proofreading: The Final Countdown

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Proofing comes after formatting. (Click the Formatting Your Novel link for another helpful guide).

 

Errors can creep in during layout (especially with eBooks), so it’s essential you—or someone with fresh eyes—reviews the final file.

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Top tips for proofing:

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• Read it on a different device (Kindle, tablet, etc.)

• Change the font or format to trick your brain into spotting errors

• Read aloud (yes, even the spicy scenes)

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If you can’t afford a professional proofreader, do at least get a friend with eagle eyes to help. Typos are sneaky little beasts.

 

Final Thoughts: Your Manuscript Deserves a Makeover

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Editing isn’t optional. It’s essential. Whether you’re seeking a book deal or going it alone, your story will only shine once it’s been properly refined. Think of editing as taking your book out of its dressing gown and into its finest attire—pressed, styled, and ready to charm the masses.

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In summary:

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• Developmental edits sort out the story

• Line edits focus on voice and clarity

• Copyediting fixes the technical bits

• Proofreading catches sneaky leftovers

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For traditional publishing, you’ll often have help. For self-publishing, the work’s on you—but you’ve got this.

 

With a strong self-edit, thoughtful beta readers, and a few professional touches, your book will be in fighting shape.

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Now go forth, wield your red pen like Excalibur, and edit like a legend.

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