Editing and Revising Challenges Encountered by Scribes

Transitioning from Writer to Publisher: A Guide to Editing and Revising Your Manuscript

Making the transition from a writer to a publisher can be an exciting yet daunting journey. One crucial step in this process is editing and revising your manuscript to ensure it's polished and ready for publication. Here's a guide based on the editing plan of an author who has successfully made the transition.

1. Finalizing the Manuscript

Authors should complete their manuscript draft and perform initial self-edits, including a round of revisions to refine the content before submission. This is the first step in the author's editing plan.

2. Weaving in Critique Comments

The first step in the author's editing plan is to weave in critique comments, especially if they are from multiple critique partners for each chapter. This process can be mind-numbingly mundane and requires breaks, but it's essential for improving the manuscript's quality.

3. Removing Crutch and Newbie Words

The second step in the author's editing plan is to find and remove crutch and newbie words. These are words or phrases that an author often uses unconsciously, and while they may not significantly impact the story, they can detract from the overall polish of the manuscript.

4. Ensuring the Manuscript is the Best It Can Be

It's essential to ensure the manuscript is the best it can be before anyone else edits it. This self-editing process can help authors overcome the feeling of being stuck during the editing and revising process.

5. Submission and Preliminary Review

The manuscript is then submitted to the publisher or acquiring editor, who may send an editorial checklist identifying general or mechanical corrections needed before detailed copyediting begins.

6. Editorial Manuscript Appraisal

The publisher’s editorial team reviews the manuscript for overall structure, coherence, and formatting, guiding the author on necessary general corrections such as organization and compliance with house style.

7. Copyediting

A professional copyeditor makes detailed edits focusing on grammar, style, clarity, consistency, and factual accuracy. Authors typically receive queries or correction requests to respond to during this stage.

8. Proofreading

After typesetting, the manuscript undergoes proofreading to catch typographical errors, stylistic inconsistencies, and minor mistakes missed earlier. This is often a final quality control step before publication.

9. Final Author Approval

The author reviews the copyedited and proofread manuscript, including elements like the index if applicable, to approve final corrections before production begins.

10. Production Preparation

The manuscript is formatted, assigned ISBNs, and prepared for printing or digital distribution by the publisher.

These steps may be supplemented by peer review or external editorial feedback, especially in academic publishing. Overall, the process balances improving the manuscript’s quality while preparing it for the logistics of publishing and distribution.

The Importance of an Editing Plan

Adopting an editing plan can help writers overcome the feeling of being stuck during the editing and revising process. Lack of an editing plan is a common reason why writers get stuck in the editing stage. Therefore, writers should consider adopting an editing plan if they don't already have one.

Moreover, having an editing plan can help during the querying or publishing process. A clean manuscript increases the chances of a positive response. Even those going traditional might skip the editor stage, but feedback from CPs, betas, and a proofreader is still beneficial. Delaying querying or publishing due to a lack of suitable editing plan can be detrimental to a writer's career.

In conclusion, transitioning from a writer to a publisher involves a series of stages aimed at improving the manuscript's quality while preparing it for publication. Adopting an editing plan is crucial to avoid getting stuck in the editing stage and to increase the chances of a positive response during querying or publishing.