We all have to do it. I've even heard there are some out there who enjoy it. I don't. Enjoy it, that is. I do it. I try not to complain too much about it, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not all that good at it.
Most publishers however require that you self-edit to a certain degree before you submit. If you self-publish, then you have to self-edit even more rigorously. Yes, you can pay for editing services, and I do, but...
I'm always looking for ways to make it easier, or quick tips to improve what I'm sending to my editor. Hours upon hours of reading and rereading in the hopes of finding a flaw aren't effective for me. I find that if I search for specific errors, I do a lot better.
For instance, I always do a search for the word "form". I do that because I have some weird typing dyslexia thing and almost always type "form" when I mean "from". Then I do the same thing for the word by. Not because I misspell it perpetually, but because I use it a lot and I know its a key sign of passive voice. (Learned that one in high school. One of the few things I never forgot. lol)
Each weekend, after I've spent my week pouring forth words onto the page, I search Google for articles and advice on self editing. This week, I found a few articles, and yes, a lot of their advice is repeated, that were quite helpful.
In no particular order:
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| Promised Meme Download at http://thewritelife.com/25-editing-tips-checklist-form/ |
25 Steps to Edit the Unmerciful Suck Out of Your Story (If you only have time to read one article this week? Make it this one. It's a riot - but full of truth.)
Not all of these are by writers, for writers. Some of them aren't even geared for fiction. But I found something useful in each one, and hope you do too.
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