Writing to be published
Having completed four novels in the course of ten years (one of which I am now expanding into a trilogy) I am currently deeply involved in the process of learning how to edit and polish up my work, with the aim to seek publication. This page contains some of the advice I have gathered along the way from other professionals. It is by no means a ‘complete guide’ or ‘ultimate pathway to publication’ or anything like that (which I have seen many times on other writer’s blogs) but a simple summary, intended to help other writers consider the steps they may encounter on their own road to publication.
The Manuscript
Oh the magical moment when you type those last few words of your novel. That feeling of ‘what next?’ Well the good and the bad news it that your work is far over – in fact, in truth, it has only just begun. Writing a body of text is by far the most enjoyable part of the process of creating a publishable novel for some and indeed finishing a manuscript can be very rewarding. But really the writing is just the first step of a long and necessary journey the book and its author must travel before it is ready to be published.
Re-drafting
Often, on finishing their first draft, the first thing an author will do is re-read and redraft parts of their manuscript. For some – namely the ‘plotter’ style of writers (see this page for an explanation of the three styles of novel writers) – this step may not be as necessary. Plotters usually will have carefully planned out and constructed each section of their novel well in advance of writing, so their finished manuscript will have less need for revision. For the ‘plansters’ and ‘pansters’ out there, a re-draft is really important, as this is the initial instance where the plot can be viewed from start to finish, and major plot holes or pacing issues can be identified early on. It is also a good idea at this stage to run a simple grammar and spelling sweep as it will save time later on.
Beta Reading & Developmental Edit
Editing is a crucial stage of writing a novel for publication and this is where Beta Readers come into the picture. This is where you put the draft of your novel in front of fresh eyes (namely a Beta Reader or Editor) and receive feedback on your novel. Usually the Beta Reader will give feedback in a simple form EG what they liked, didn’t like, things that didn’t make sense or things that worked particularly well. A professional editor will usually give you a more in depth report on your novel focusing on many different aspects including plot, character development, timelines, pacing, structure, style and marketability. Whereas Beta Readers can either be found as volunteers or paid a small fee, Professional Editors often come with a much higher price. Doing a self-conducted developmental edit is possible for a writer who doesn’t have the means to employ a professional editor. In this case it is highly important to employ Beta Readers, for feedback on your work. Although you may feel your skills in editing are top notch, your novel is most likely not ready to be considered by agencies or publishers if fresh eyes have not been laid on it at least once.
N.B. Beta Readers ideally should not be friends or family, but independent people who can give you an unbiased view on your work. Good examples of this are other authors, people in the writing or publishing profession, or literature enthusiasts. Often authors will do a Beta Read swap, exchanging manuscripts to do each other a favour.
I am currently seeking Beta Readers for my novel Wherefore Sings the Blackbird. If would like to be a Beta Reader for this project please click here to register your interest.
Line Editing
Some writers choose to undertake a line edit at the same time as the developmental edit, by employing an Editor who will do both. Line editing is a skill that can be learned – if an author does not have the money to pay an Editor – but it takes time and a patience, and the need to be resourceful. A line edit is equally as important as a developmental. Instead of focusing on the plot, the line edit is pretty much as its name suggests – a close up and detailed edit of each line of the manuscript. This is not necessarily a process that focuses on simple spelling and grammar mistakes, as that is something which is often detected and rectified earlier on in the re-read and re-drafting stages, or picked up during a developmental edit.
A line edit can be a lengthy process and tedious to some, as it involves a lot of repetitive action and a fine eye for nuances of language. Although it may include a spelling/grammar check it is also likely to focus more heavily on some or all of the following areas:
- Overused or “crutch” words check – A comb through of the text for words an author may overuse or rely on too often in their prose. For example – during the line edit of my first May the Opposite Befall me I discovered I had used the word ‘that’ over 1000 times in a 90,000 word manuscript! A few other overused words I weeded out were ‘had’, ‘was’, ‘then’, ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘again’. These are some of the most commonly overused words by amateur or semi-professional, unpublished novelists. I am assured however, often with experience of the editing, comes a greater awareness of crutch words to a writer, and in future work you may find fewer incidents of overused words.
- Wordsmithing – This is where an editor may look at the way in which you frame your sentences and where the use of vocabulary could be tightened or expanded.
- Adverb usage – a rule which is common amongst Editors, Agents and Publishers is that the overuse of adverbs make for poor writing. For a simple but good explanation of what adverbs are please see this link to the Free Dictionary.
- Action check – this might sound funny but the action check can be quite important in a line edit. You’ll be surprised how many times you might overlook simple errors in the action within your writing. For example: in Wherefore Sings the Blackbird I had one of the main characters jump up from his chair, knocking it to the ground only to moments later rise slowly, his fork clattering on the tabletop. The action check is also good for making sure you do not have too many glances, smiles, stares, overblown descriptions of where hands and eyes are placed.
- Repetition check – we all like to make a point but sometimes it is easy to underestimate the intelligence of the reader by repetitively explaining situations, motivations or action. We’ve heard why/how/where something took place, we don’t need it to be hammered home again. Weeding out repetition makes for better, more enjoyable readability.
These are a few examples of what happens during a Line Edit. For more in depth information please see some of the resources listed at the bottom of the page.
Next steps
Once your book has been edited and read and polished to a high shine, you may be ready to seek publication. There are a few ways in which you can go about doing this.
- Find an Agent – an Agent is there to represent your work and you as the Author. Agent’s often run very busy operations with limited spaces on their books for new writers. When submitting your work to Agencies it is crucial to remember that they will receive enormous volumes of submissions each week. If your work is rejected, often they won’t contact you to decline representation – your emails will simply go unanswered. Don’t be disheartened by this, it doesn’t mean your work is no good, just that it is not right for them at that time. If it’s not right for them, it’s not right for you either. If you are lucky enough to find an Agent to represent you, great! They will do the leg work, getting your book out to publishing houses but will also take a fee from whatever money you make from publication. It’s also worth remembering that being represented by an Agent does not necessarily guarantee your work will be published – but there is also every chance it might be.
- Submit to Publishers – Some publishing houses accept direct submissions. When I was studying for my Master’s Degree my tutor (a published writer and illustrator) told me he always goes directly to Publishers because Publishers love discovering fresh talent and cut out the middle-men.
- Self-Publish: E-Books, print on demand & independently publishing – There are many options out there for self-publishing E-books and print on demand, the top choice being Amazon Publishing for Kindle. With any form of self-publishing it is crucial not to skip any of the editing stages. Poorly edited work is very unlikely to sell. Whereas many agencies and publishers may provide some editorial services to a book contracted for publication, self-publishing does not come with this option.
Having copies printed (sometimes known as “Vanity Publishing”) to sell books online or in independent bookstores especially can be very expensive. E-books such as Kindle or print on demand options cost far less to produce and can earn you royalties, but don’t be fooled by this dazzling prospect, for the book to sell and make money it still needs to be well edited, marketed and complimented by a professional cover design. All these things can come at a high price – if one does not have the skills to do these things themselves – but may be worth the investment in the long run if your book sells enough copies.
Resources for writers
Jericho Writers
an excellent online resource and organisation for writers, offering Creative Writing Courses for writers looking to learn how to self-publish, self-edit your manuscript or boost your writing skills. They also offer full Manuscript Editing Services as well as forums where you can meet other writers and find Beta Readers.
I found their resources on editing particularly useful. Here is a link to an article with a great in depth discussion on the editorial process.
Louise Harnby
Crime Fiction & Thriller Editor – I found this blog very helpful when learning more about editing. She has a really great resource library and some really great advice on her blog for writers who want to learn how to self-edit. This post on adverbs I thought was particularly useful when editing my own work.
Writers & Artists Yearbook
Every year an updated book is published, and what a marvellous book it is. Always packed full of up-to-date industry advice, lists of Publishers and Agents open for submissions, articles and insights by published authors.
There are also loads of additional articles, free advice, events information and editorial services on their website: www.writersandartists.co.uk