Fiction Novel Editing Tips to Help You Revise Your Draft

Your first draft (or second, or eighty-second) is complete – a testament to your dedication and creativity. You poured your heart and soul into crafting your novel, creating a captivating story you’re very proud of. You can take a deep breath and a much-needed break.

Then the next challenge comes – editing the final draft.

Editing is the process of refining your draft to improve its overall quality. It involves tasks like identifying and addressing plot inconsistencies, strengthening character development, ensuring smooth pacing, and eliminating grammatical errors.

Think of editing as the final step in strengthening your novel before it gets published and in the hands of hundreds of readers.

In this post, I’ll cover the different types of editing, why you should consider hiring a professional editor, and fiction novel editing tips you can do yourself.

Different Types of Editing

It’s important to know the different types of editing and what each involves.

Developmental Editing: First comes developmental editing, also called structural editing or content editing. This type of editing involves looking at the story as a whole. It addresses organization and restructuring, which may involve moving content from one chapter to another or adding content.

It focuses on:

Plot: sequence of events from beginning to end
Structure: determines how the plot is organized
Characterization: how characters are represented
Pace: the speed or flow of the story
Viewpoint: who is telling the story at the time
Narrative style: first, second, or third person
Tense: present, past, future

Line Editing: The next step is line editing, sometimes called stylistic editing. It focuses on the flow, style, and readability of writing. A line editor works line-by-line, carefully paying attention to the writer’s style and looking for ways to improve the writing.

Line editors look for:

Sentence structure
Word usage
Overall readability
Flow of prose
Run-on sentences
Cliches
Improper words
Confusing scenes

Copy Editing: Copyediting is the technical side that focuses on eliminating grammatical and factual errors. It ensures consistency and improved readability.

Copyeditors address:

Formatting
Chapter sequencing
Dialogue punctuation and tagging
Consistency of proper noun spelling
Proper spacing between letters, words, lines, and paragraphs
Consistency of places and character names
Overuse of jargon
Repetition
Timeline discrepancies
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, capitalization, and hyphenation

Proofreading: Proofreading is the final stage of catching the last remaining errors before publication. Every novel requires one last quality-control check. Proofreaders look for any errors that may have slipped through the copyediting process.

Proofreaders look for:

Consistency of spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Issues with layout (indentation, line spacing, missing page numbers, font and heading styles, etc.)

*It’s important to note that editors all edit differently. If you plan to hire an editor to help strengthen your novel, make sure you know exactly how they work, what type of editing they do, and the level of editing involved. For example, some proofreaders may do basic fact-checking and others may not.

What Type of Editing Do You Need?

Honestly, the type of editing you need is up to you to decide how much (or how little) editing you need or want for your book. Maybe you want the format a certain way or you don’t want anyone trying to change your style.

Keep in mind that books should be taken through all the editing stages. That doesn’t mean you have to hire someone to do it all for you, though. You can self-edit the structural content, for example, and hire a proofreader to double-check for typos. There are writing groups, how-to books, self-publishing organizations, and self-study courses to help you as well.

However, if you do choose to work with a professional, make sure to invest in one who can help you in the area where you are the weakest. For example, if you are great at structural editing, but have trouble with spelling and grammar, let a professional help you in that area.

It’s important to pay attention to the order of the editing stages with it comes to revising your fiction novel. Fixing plot holes, for example, at the proofreading stage will damage previous editing rounds and cost you a lot of time and money.

Why You Should Consider Hiring a Professional Editor

Writers become intimately familiar with their stories, which makes it challenging to detach during the editing process. A professional editor can provide an invaluable external perspective. They can identify areas that can be improved and ensure your manuscript resonates with a wider audience. A fresh and unbiased view is crucial for elevating your work and ensuring your story’s true potential is realized.

Choosing an editor knowledgeable in your genre is also important. They can identify where your manuscript aligns with genre conventions (the expectations and unspoken rules readers associate with specific genres) and where strategic changes might be necessary to enhance your story’s appeal and authenticity within its genre.

Editors become proficient at recognizing common problems within a manuscript over time, allowing them to identify and address issues quickly. This saves you significant time compared to self-editing, where you might spend hours searching for and resolving the same issues. An editor can efficiently handle typos and inconsistencies, allowing you to focus on marketing, writing to agents, or even starting on your next writing project.

Some other reasons to hire a professional editor include:

You are self-publishing and want a professional product
To avoid negative reviews from your target audience
To learn and improve your writing
To build a long-lasting professional relationship

Fiction Novel Editing Tips for Self-Editing

If you choose to edit your work instead of hiring professionals, here are some great fiction novel editing tips to help guide you through the self-editing process:

Step Away and Come Back: After you finish your manuscript, take a break for a few weeks or even a few months. This will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes and catch errors you might have missed before.
Read Out loud: Reading your work out loud can help you identify awkward phrasing, pacing issues, and inconsistencies in dialogue.
Utilize Software and Tools: There are many grammar-checking software programs (such as Grammarly) and online resources available that can help you catch errors in your manuscript. However, it’s important not to rely on these programs alone.
Focus on Specific Areas: Break down the editing process into smaller tasks, such as focusing on character development in one session and grammar in another.
Seek Feedback from Beta Readers: Ask trusted friends, family members, or other writers to read your manuscript and provide feedback. You can also search online for beta readers. Independent Book Review has professional beta readers who will read your manuscript and give you feedback for a fee. Scribophile is an online writing community that focuses on getting you feedback through a points-based critique system.
Vary Sentence Length: Avoid using too many short or long sentences in a row. Varying your sentence length can help to create a more natural reading experience.
Use Strong Verbs: Strong verbs can help to make your writing more vivid and engaging.
Eliminate Unnecessary Words: Get rid of any words that don’t add meaning to your writing. This will help to make your story more concise and clear.
Read Your Work Backwards Reading your work backward can help you identify errors in grammar and sentence structure that you might otherwise miss!
Create a Style Guide: Create a style guide for your novel to ensure consistency in your writing. This can include things like how you handle punctuation, capitalization, and character names.
Fact-Check Your Work: If your novel includes any factual information, be sure to fact-check it carefully for accuracy.
Consider Your Target Audience. Keep your target audience in mind when editing your manuscript. This will help you ensure that your writing is appropriate for them and that they will be able to understand and connect with your story.
Don’t Be Afraid to Cut: Sometimes the best way to improve your novel is to cut sections that don’t work. This may only be a single sentence, but it could also mean cutting an entire chapter.

Grab your FREE printable PDF Fiction Novel Self-Editing Checklist here!

Conclusion

Editing is the process of refining your work, transforming it from unexciting to captivating for readers. It involves identifying and addressing inconsistencies, strengthening characters, ensuring smooth pacing, and eliminating grammatical errors. Think of it as the final step before sharing your masterpiece with the world.

This post explored different types of editing, the benefits of working with a professional, and numerous fiction novel editing tips to guide you through the self-editing process. Remember, the decision of how much (or little) editing you want is entirely up to you. With dedication and the right tools, you can bring your story to life.

Whether you choose self-editing or professional assistance, remember that patience and perseverance are key. Embrace the editing process as an opportunity to refine your writing skills, enhance your story, and ultimately, share your unique voice with the world.