Thrifty writers, this one's for you! Before sending off your manuscript to an editor, make sure you've done these five easy steps first. It could save you a great deal of money.

1. Bottoms Up

The challenge with proofreading your own writing is that your brain is already familiar with what was meant to be written and will not see missed words that can change the meaning. For example, there is a big difference between "his writing skills are above average" and "his writing skills are little above average." To counteract this phenomenon, read what you've written backwards from the last sentence to the first. 

2. Get Vocal

And if you read it from start to finish, do so aloud. This helps in a number of ways. First, it makes you read each word so you're more likely to catch typos or missing words. Second, it may highlight any flow issues where the sentence structure is just off. Perhaps it's too wordy if you find yourself stumbling over it while reading aloud. This may save you some copyediting or line editing dollars.

3. Swap Format or Font

Another way to combat the tendency to read what isn't there is to change the way you edit. If you write online, print it out to edit. If you already read it once online, change the font or text size so the words appear on different lines.

4. Reduce Repetition

Copyeditors not only correct spelling, grammar, usage, capitalization and punctuation, but we also ensure that your work is free of error, omission, inconsistency, and repetition. Find the words you overuse and fix it before handing over your manuscript to an editor. It is natural to have a certain style to your writing that clearly comes from you. That's why the identification and resolution to repetition is all the better coming from an author.

5. Mean What You Write

Beware of the common errors that tools like Spell Check won't pick up: Homophones.

Homophones are two words pronounced the same but with very different meanings, e.g., weather and whether. If incorrect grammar or bad punctuation distracts your reader from the story, like if you use the word “accept” when you mean “except,” readers will question your writing skills.

Conclusion

I'd like to conclude with wise words from Author Ashley Mackler-Paternostro. "I'm my own first line of defense. I used to believe that my only job was to write best manuscript I could and then 'editors' could clean up my mess. Not true. In actuality, I'm responsible for my product start to finish. Every line, every comma, every period, and every mistake belong only to me. So, while an editor is supremely important to the process, self-editing is a major part of the craft and as important as anything else."

You're the brilliant author with the talent to tell a story in a captivating manner. Let us be the grammar trained assistants who will make sure errors don't distract from your work of genius. It won't cost as much if you follow the 5 easy ways to self-edit first! 

Kimberly Hunt is a freelance developmental editor with Revision Division, specializing in fiction for self-publishing authors. She’s happy to answer questions about writing and editing but beware as she can go on at length about her passions: reading, running, and volunteering. 

What is developmental editing? It's the first step in the editing process, before looking at grammar or spelling. It's the big picture feedback about structure, plot, pacing, and character development. I provide solutions to the problems I identify.

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