The Burning Embers theme for April is Editing.
So, let’s talk about editing.
Editing.
I can think of few words that have to power to strike as much fear and dread into the hearts of several of my author friends than Marketing, Promotions, and Editing.
But I don’t get it myself. I have never had a problem with editing. Actually, to me, self-editing is my favorite part of the writing process. What I can’t stand is creating original content to a story. The way I write, I do not have an outline for the story beyond what ideas I have floating in my heads, and the dreams I have had about the individual story. So I create my story, then I go back and edit the whole thing so the end make sense from the beginning.
There are many different types of editing.
There is copy editing which means to “edit (text to be printed) by checking its consistency and accuracy.”
Proofreading, or simply put Grammar Checking and Spell Checking.
Content editing, which is basically a huge overhaul of a story to make sure it is consistent with the series and world-building. Making sure your characters are consistent, making sure your story flows well, etc. I personally have never used a content editor, mainly because I cannot afford such a service at present, but I would like to just to learn how to content edit my own work in the future, and how I can be a better content editor when I offer to BETA read for a fellow author.
My personal favorite is BETA Reading. That is basically sending your pre-publication story to a trusted friend or fellow author. The BETA reader looks over your story for anything that may be amiss. A plot hole here, bad grammar there, someone saying or doing something out of character without the anomaly being described. When I BETA read a story, I have three main types of comments. 1st, and least common, is proofreading comments. 2nd, and second most common, anything I see amiss that disrupts the flow of a story. And 3rd, and most common comment I make is my immediate response to a story as a reader.
I know I am not speaking in the most technical of terms. And I am aware that there exists other forms of editing that I did not highlight. But for me as an author, the four described types of editing are the most common I use.
I am not be the best resource for editing knowledge, but I have a few friends who I will gladly recommend to you. If you require such services.