Editing a book is the process of preparing a book for publication, whether traditional or out-of-pocket. The process to edit my book includes development editing, copy editing, and proofreading. It’s no wonder that once you write a book, you end up being told that you should consider editing it. So, here’s how to edit your book professionally.

Six Steps to Edit my book professionally 

1. Suspension

After typing the last Word of your masterpiece, save it for a few days. If you can stand it, keep it for at least a week.

Why did you let drafts rest for so long? Forget everything you wrote, and when you go back to edit the book, make it look like someone else wrote it. If you want fresh eyes, the best way to do that is to move your mind away from what it has been filled with for a long time.

2. Listen to the manuscript

Mistakes become apparent when you hear what you say. You can have a friend (of the patient’s) read it, or you can find a route to save the friendship. It helps me to edit my book. This has the advantage of being free. Use the computer’s built-in speech synthesis function. I use this function to edit my book.

For Mac users, click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the screen, then click System Preferences > Accessibility > Speech. Select an acceptable system voice and speaking speed, then select Speak selected text when a key is pressed. Click Change Key and follow the instructions. I like Option + Esc. This helps me greatly to edit my book.

After enabling the shortcut of your choice, highlight the text (in the program) you want to read. Then press the shortcut key and follow the computer to read the words on the screen.

If you’re a PC user, use Narrator, which is part of the Ease of Access Center on your system. I used Narrator to edit my book. Press Windows + U and click Start Narrator. The program is aimed at visually impaired users, so it automatically starts reading text that the mouse encounters. To turn it off, press Control. To have Narrator read a paragraph, place the cursor at the beginning and type Caps Lock + I. Press Caps Lock + U to have Narrator read the entire page. This way, I get to edit my book professionally. For further services, you can take help from a website content writing services.

3. Delete or replace words on crutches

Aside from the necessary articles and prepositions, you might be surprised by the words you use over and over again. One of my clients uses it “suddenly” a lot, and all the movements seem unnecessarily rushed. Personally, my crutch word tends to confront the old encouragement of all writers to “avoid confusion.”

Scrivener makes it easy to find crutch words, available for Mac, iOS, and Windows users. I use it to edit my book. In the Scrivener top menu, go to Project > Text Statistics and click the arrow next to Word Frequency. If necessary, click the Frequency heading twice to sort words by Frequency. Then you’ll see a list of words you may be overusing. (To include the entire manuscript in the frequency count, be sure to select the entire manuscript in Scrivener’s binder.)

No matter how you decide on crutch words, go back to the manuscript to see where they can be removed or replaced.

4. Perform a spell check or use an automatic editing program

Writers may be too accustomed to the colored curves below words and sentences on digital pages. I know. The syntax and usage of getting ideas on a page can be rampant.

But what do those curves mean? Before sending your manuscript to editors or beta readers, at least spell-check it. It’s a built-in editor, and I’m not sure if all writers can use it to their advantage. Not all suggestions are accepted, but at least you save time fixing basic bugs.

Also, consider trying an automated editing program. Write Life outlines the best grammar checkers. I haven’t tried everything, but I’m a Grammarly fan.

5. Format accordingly

Your preferred style may vary from editor to editor, but you can show your professionalism by formatting your manuscript to meet industry standards.

This format makes beta readers easier to use. Editors prefer the industry-standard format. This lets you spend more time editing the actual words rather than adjusting the formatting.

• Send your as a Word document (.doc or .docx).
• Use double spacing. If you’re already writing a book with different line spacing, select all the text in Word, click Format > Paragraph, and then select Double in the drop-down box under Line Spacing.
• Use a space after the period.
• Use 12-point black Times New Roman as the font.
• Do not press the Tab key to indent paragraphs. In Word, select all text and use Format > Paragraph to set the indent. Enter .5 below and to the left of the indent. Under Special, select First Row from the drop-down menu. [Note: Nonfiction authors may choose not to indent, but if they do, they must use full paragraph breaks between all paragraphs. ]
• Do not indent after the first paragraph, subheadings, or bulleted or numbered lists of chapters.
• Use page breaks in chapters. Place the cursor at the end of the chapter, and on the Word menu, click Insert > Split > Page Break.

6. Don’t over-edit

Allow 1-2 hours to review this list and your manuscript, but be careful of overediting. You may start seeing unwanted trees in the literal forest, but you don’t want to spoil the hardships growing underground.

If you’re creating a professional product, self-editing shouldn’t be the last line of defense against grammar mistakes. In other words, I am not offering this position to get away from work. Even if you follow the self-editing steps above, you still need an editor to make sure your manuscript is as complex as possible.

Also, by going through the editing process with a professional editor, you can become a better self-editor the next time you write a book.

Conclusion

Traditionally published books go through each of these stages. In fact, in order for a manuscript to be fully published, the development and copy editing steps are often repeated several times.