Writing

A Complete Self-Editing Guide for the Successful Writer

Learn the stages of professional editing that you can use to turn your draft into a completed book

I work as an editor and judge for several publications and international competitions.

But when I talk to other writers about editing their work, a lot of them don’t know where to start or how best to do it. No one ever showed them how to properly conduct a line edit, or even though they’ve read every article and book they can get ahold of about self-editing, it still doesn’t make sense.

Reading through slush shows me that self-editing is a skill greatly lacking in the writing community. But working as an editor with writers made me realize that many writers want to learn how to do what editors do.

That’s what this guide is for. I’ll go through the process as I do with my own writing and clients while providing you with prompts and instruction to help you spit shine your draft.

With this guide, you’ll be able to go through the stages of developmental editing, content editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading on your own work—or on someone else’s.

How I Develop a Story

Before diving into each stage, I want to start at the very beginning, the writing and idea stage. Since this is an article about editing, I’ll keep this brief and only as a way to help those who are within that stage now.

When a story idea hits me, I don’t write it down immediately. I usually kick it around in my brain, asking questions of it, and in general vetting it for:

• Strong themes
• Originality
• An actual storyline
• Characters to cling to

If it doesn’t have any of that, then it’s just a cool idea, but not a story. This is the first thing to keep in mind when thinking of stories. A lot of stories that I read coming into the publication, podcast, or competition aren’t actually stories. They are just cool worlds or ideas, but there’s nothing holding them together like characters, a storyline, or a theme.

Once I’ve gone through and made sure my story at least has those things above, I write it. I write pretty fast, so the drafting stage is the quickest stage that I move my stories through.

I don’t do any major edits while writing. Editing usually slows me down and sucker punches my creative muse. I don’t want to do that. I want my muse to run wild and rampant across the page—say sh*t that don’t make no sense. Sometimes it’s gold. Usually, it’s not, but I don’t want my muse to feel threatened or as though they are being scrutinized.

The page is a safe space for the muse. Consequently, I don’t feel fear or fright when I see an empty page. My muse becomes a kid seeing a new toy. It begs me to play.

After the story is out and I’ve done my story dance, I put it away for up to a month or more. This is an important step. Why? Because we, as writers, are far too close to our work. It’s a great thing during the writing process. But during the editing process, it keeps us from thinking and editing clearly.

“Write drunk, edit sober.” — Ernest Hemingway

When you dive into the editing stage, you need to be ruthless and analytical while keeping your creativity ever-churning. This is what is going to help you kill your darlings, as they say. It’ll help you see what is really serving the story vs. what is just something cool that you added. Keeping that distance between you and your draft will also help you catch spelling mistakes that are easily missed.

In other articles, I suggest writers do these things while taking time away from their draft:

1. Start a new story
2. Read/consume media or writing related to your story
3. Rest

Whatever you do away from your draft, take the time and use it to grow or to stroke your creative muse. That’s what’s really important and going to make it so that you keep writing and loving the process.

After my time away from my draft, I usually feel super excited about reading the story again. That excitement goes away pretty quickly when I realize how much work I need to do.

This is where writers get stuck. They thought their story was in great shape, but then after the time away, they realize that it’s not. In fact, tons of writers give up writing or on their story altogether at this stage. It’s as though they expected their story to come out like Athena, fully grown and ready for battle.

It takes a lot of writing, reading, and work to get to the point where first drafts come out like that. It’s not impossible—just not likely.

Instead of giving up on my story or getting lost in the weeds cleaning up everything and nothing without making any progress, I start with the big-picture editing.

Developmental Editing

Developmental editing takes into account the big picture and overall structure, story, and content of the work, including characters, dialogue, subplots, and the like.

This is the first stage of edits that a manuscript goes through because it addresses the elements of craft and story working together to pull off your story. Personally, I love this stage of editing. It’s like the vetting stage that I do in my head for ideas, but now it’s on the page.

It’s best to start here because you don’t want to spend time copy editing pages that you end up changing entirely when you realize there is a plot hole or other error.

I wish I knew this when I first started writing. At the beginning of my career, I always thought it was about grammar and making it readable that way.

So I ended up producing stories that were copy-edited well but not developmentally edited whatsoever. One writer that I just started working with realized that she was doing the same thing. She’d write her story, take time away from her draft, and then copy edit without addressing whether her characters were all necessary, or if her scenes were constructed well.

That stuff, she told me, was sorted out by critique partners and the like. With this method, though, she frequently found herself discouraged with drafts she thought were done. She abandoned several drafts because she knew that she’d have to rewrite or do major edits on the story—then have to copy edit again.

She learned that she was wasting time and losing momentum because she didn’t vet the story first through a developmental edit. That would have caught all the issues the critique partners were bringing up and made the story stronger overall.

So, once you’ve finished your draft and taken some time away, go back and read through it. Don’t focus on making edits in the first read-through — just read and make notes or comments on the draft about things that stick out to you whether negative or positive.

At this stage, I usually chart out the story. Even if I’ve already made an outline, I’ll make another one based on what actually happens in the story. This helps me see whether or not I’ve stuck to my original idea or veered off. It also helps me target any scenes or characters that are only serving one purpose or function.

Writing Pro Tip: Make everything in your story do more than one thing.

If you find yourself with a section, phrase, line of dialogue, character, or any sort of story element only there to serve a purpose (like to tell information or push the character to do something), then it needs to be cut or reworked so that it isn’t just a storytelling function but an element of the overall story.

While I’m reading, I think about how the characters are interacting, how they come across to the reader, and if their motivations are clear. Do all the scenes build off of and develop each other to the conclusion? If it’s a book, are the chapters structured in a way that enhances the reader experience? Is the POV character the right one?

Questions like that are what I ask of my draft. Some writers suggest doing this stage of editing on a different device than the one you wrote on. So if you wrote in a notebook, type it up and read it on the screen. If you wrote it on a computer, print it out or send it to your phone or tablet to read. Changing the way the text looks will help add more distance and space between you and your draft.

When you find places that don’t add up or work out, mark them and move on. With the notes you have, determine whether or not you need to do a rewrite or develop things more. A lot of times, this is the stage where writers spend time deepening and developing their characters along with other storytelling elements.

Address your comments and make changes upon your second read. The time between the two developmental readings can vary. Sometimes the things that I notice during the first read are quick fixes. Other times, I realize that there are major plot holes and discrepancies that don’t add up to a good story.

When this happens, allow your analytical side and your creative side to work together for solutions. In a novel that I am working on, the first draft had a character that I thought was great. During the developmental edit, however, I noticed that he was the exact same character as another. He was only there to serve as a function, a second love interest for my main character.

I wrestled with ways to make him more important to the story and how to make him stand out. In the end, it made more sense creatively and structurally to take him out and use the space that he occupied as a way to deepen the friendship of the original love interest. By doing that, I added more space for the two characters to grow and build a relationship that originally felt rushed and didn’t make sense.

It was a major overhaul, for sure. I’m glad I did it, though, because now I have a much stronger draft on my hands. And that’s the point of editing, to strengthen your piece.

Questions to ask during a developmental edit

1. What is the plot of my story?
2. Are all of my characters serving the overall progression of the plot?
3. Does the story begin and end in logical places and ways?
4. Are there too many or too few characters in the story?
5. Which characters change throughout the story and how?
6. Does my main character change? If not, why?
7. What is the overall emotional journey I want the reader to have while reading? Is each scene or beat serving that function?
8. Are there any sections that I can take out without hurting or taking away from the story?
9. Do the story and scenes take place in settings that enrich and develop the story?
10. Are there moments throughout the story where I fall into info-dumping and stop the momentum of the story?

For longer works, I spend most of my time in this stage to make sure everything is working well together and flowing according to how I want it to. I don’t rush this stage and wouldn’t recommend it. This is the place where the story becomes what it is meant to be.

Before moving onto the next stage, read through your story again to make sure it flows in the correct order — which doesn’t have to be the three-act structure! If everything is falling in its place, move on to the next stage.

Content Editing

Content editing takes a closer look at the contents of the story pertaining to the things that make up your characters, themes, etc.

This type of editing is often used in relation to developmental editing but has one big marked difference for me. While in developmental edits, I’ll spend time assessing the whole structure and appearance as well as the content. During a content edit, I focus solely on the parts that make up the storytelling elements.

For instance, in the example I used above from my current novel, the content portion of editing out a second love interest was the process of creating the new scenes that build the friendship. The second love interest was a structure and content issue, so it got dealt with during the developmental stage. The scenes that need to be written or reworked to develop the romance is part of the content edit.

In nonfiction, this is where you also do your fact-checking. (Though you can also do that in fiction when it comes to making sure certain special items or moments happen correctly.) A lot of fiction writers skip this step, but it’s an important one when it comes to doing scene work and framing in any genre.

For example, let’s say in one of your scenes there’s an argument happening where someone throws a vase across a bedroom. That’s the framing of the scene that you need to keep in sync so that later in the scene or even story you’re not bringing up the vase that was previously broken. Pay attention to those smaller details during a content edit.

Trim down more of the prose here. What words or moments really don’t need to be there? How can you sharpen or tighten up the prose to make it more immediate? Even though you trimmed in the developmental stage, trim more here.

Like with developmental editing, this stage can be intensive and long. Sometimes lasting months if you hit a snag. Take your time and don’t rush. Sometimes, if I feel like I’m hitting a wall with my draft and answering some of the questions below, I take my story to my critique group or a trusted second party.

It’s OK to ask for help. You can find someone you pay to take a look at your story, or you can do what I did and find someone you trust. I think the second option is the best, but there are also great paid options out there for writers.

Questions to ask during a content edit

1. What reoccurring images, themes, or statements are happening throughout my story? Can I heighten them or do they detract from the plot?
2. Is the language and tone consistent throughout the story?
3. Are there lines and sentences that I can trim to make the story flow smoother and more direct?
4. Any use of passive voice or language?
5. Do my characters sound unique to themselves or are they all monotone?
6. Are all the scenes happening in the right settings?
7. Are my scenes all complete or are there some that are left open or too small?
8. Have I kept track of all important items and characters?
9. Is my story all tell or do I describe the world and incidents in a way that moves the story forward?
10. What moments do I find myself growing bored with the text?

Once I know that my story is sound inside, outside, and all around, I move into the next round of edits that will help me make sure my sentences are doing everything they can to make the story come alive in the reader’s mind.

Line Editing

Line editing is when you assess each line and sentence for what it is doing for the overall story and scene.

Line edits can be done with content edits, but I prefer to keep them separate because each is so intensive. Unlike the two types of edits preceding this one, line edits are focused less on the overall story and more on the groundwork of the story.

If your story is stuck in the content or developmental stage, don’t move into the line editing or copy editing stage.

Once your story is down and to your liking, it’s time for the nitty-gritty editing that takes your story from good to great. Why? Because the final three rounds of edits are less about the gears of your story (characters, setting, plot, literary devices, etc.) and more about the bolts that are holding it all together: the sentences and words.

The first stop on the close edits is line editing, which is exactly what it sounds like. Line editing is when the writer or editor addresses each line separately and judges, edits, and refines it to help the overall story. I know in the previous edits, there was already a lot of trimming, so this stage helps catch the final words or sentences that aren’t serving the story's purpose. It also helps with keeping the tone consistent throughout.

Line editing is my other favorite editing stage. I get a lot of compliments on my work about how I’m able to keep the story moving and develop character on a line by line basis because of this step. When I begin doing line edits, I will sometimes print out the piece and use a ruler or two pieces of paper to focus on one sentence at a time. For me, this works to make each sentence strong and keep the momentum of the story flowing.

When doing a line edit, don’t focus on the story itself but on how the sentences and lines build the story. Is everything clear and consistent? Do you have repetitive lines that should be rewritten? This is the stage where you address all of those issues.

I’ll read lines out loud during this phase or even rewrite them entirely, messing with the word pairings to see which creates the impact I want. I do this because I want my fiction to resonate, touch, or intrigue readers. I don’t want to just write cool stories, I want to craft an experience. If that is not your intent, this is still an important stage to take your writing through.

Questions to ask each sentence during a line edit

1. Is this clear and concise?
2. Does it build off of the last sentence and lead to the next?
3. Is it consistent with the tone and atmosphere that I want to set with this story?
4. Are there any dull or non-descriptive words?
5. Am I showing the reader or telling the reader?

Questions to ask during line edits

1. Are all my sentences and paragraphs of varying lengths?
2. Do my sentences and paragraphs flow well or are they choppy and hard to follow?
3. How accessible is my language?
4. Is everything formatted according to the preferred style guide or manuscript format?
5. Are there any sentences or paragraphs that take up too much space?

Once my sentences, story, and content are all in order, that’s when I know it’s time to hit the bricks of…

Copy Editing

Copy editing addresses the grammatical and syntax parts of your piece to make sure there aren’t comma splices, too many exclamation points, etc.

Like I’ve been saying throughout this guide, this comes at the very end before the final stage. At this point, your story should be where you want it to be with everything working in proper order. If it isn’t or you’re waiting on more feedback, wait on starting this stage.

I’ve sunken hours of time into a piece doing copy edits for something that wasn’t ready. And to be honest, sometimes you don’t always know when a piece is ready. Funny thing, when it comes to traditional publishing, the draft you send to agents and publishers—the draft that’s taken months or years to perfect—is going to go through another round of these edits.

Yeah, even after copy editing your “final draft,” there might still be some more copy editing in your future. Over time, I’ve gotten better at moving through these stages, so I don’t get a lot of requests to edit or rewrite. That’s because of the steps I’ve gone through here. Working in this order has made me better at assessing the issues of my draft and addressing them. So, by the time my pieces hit an editor’s or client’s desk, they are already in their final form.

But the main reason I keep saying to wait until the story is in its final stage to do a copy edit is that copy editing focuses on grammar and syntax. You can’t really do that until you know that everything above is working right. That’s not saying don’t make your draft readable with the right use of commas, periods, and spacing, though, especially if you plan on sharing it with people while you’re moving through these stages.

Copy editing is all about adhering to whatever language or system you are writing in so that your readers can understand your work.

If you’re not well versed in grammar and syntax, get some workbooks and begin building your skills. Hell, even if you are well versed, become better. Work on understanding all the rules of the language you’re working in. Being able to command language allows you to break more rules and be more daring with your text. You can also hire a copy editor if you feel like you won’t be able to learn the necessary skills in time.

Unlike line edits, copy edits require you to read and examine the whole text for grammatical and syntax errors. Line edits are more about trimming and pounding your prose into shape.

Questions to ask during a copy edit

1. Is there a style manual that I can refer to?
2. What are my known grammatical weaknesses?
3. Is this a close to finished draft?
4. Do I know the grammar and syntax rules that I need to edit the document?
5. Are there commas splices that make incomplete or run-on sentences?
6. How many exclamation points am I using throughout the story?
7. Are my sentences complete with all their functioning parts?
8. Have I read my piece aloud to make sure I catch any wrongfully placed words or other errors?
9. Are there any words that use spellings I’m unsure of?
10. Is my dialogue punctuated so that characters are vocalizing things and not acting things?

• “I hate you,” she says. (vocalizing — correct punctuation)
• “I hate you,” she stomps her foot. (acting--incorrect punctuation)
• “I hate you.” She stomps her foot. (correct punctuation of action dialogue)

I used to be really bad at this stage because I didn’t really understand the rules of grammar, style, and syntax. Even though I went to college and studied writing, all the texts and lectures felt out of reach or touch for me. A lot of the time, writers, teachers, and editors suggested I read a copy of Shrunk and White’s “Elements of Style.”

Personally, I found the text to be inaccessible and written for the likes of academia and literary writers who fit within the traditional framework. That wasn’t me, though. As a queer Black writer that learns on the fringe, Strunk and White did not speak to me in a way that was easily understandable. I understood what they were trying to say and could list the lessons here, but to actually read the text was a struggle. The text didn’t teach me anything but told me what I should know.

What worked for me and what I always suggest to writers looking to up their skills and master the rules of style are children’s and teen’s grammar books. I know, I know what a joke. But honestly, if you think about it, what better place to learn a skill than from a book aimed at teaching it to kids?

The language is accessible, there are often examples and quizzes to help make sure the lessons landed, and there are step-by-step guides to help understand all the rules and why they matter. Unlike the Dummy guides, though, they are often better designed and more durable to make for taking your learning anywhere.

My favorite grammar and style guides and workbooks for people trying to master the English language

1. Painless Grammar
2. The Only Grammar and Style Workbook You’ll Ever Need
3. The Perfect English Grammar Workbook
4. The Know Nonsense Guide to Grammar
5. Grammar Girl The Ultimate Writing Guide for Students
6. Spellbinding Sentences
7. How to Write a Sentence

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of edits meant to assess the draft for any remaining issues.

Proofreading is the final stage in your edits. You’ll, of course, have been reading and proofing this whole time while editing, but this final stage is all about the reading. You’re reading to make sure everything is just right. Make sure you’ve caught all your errors and fixed any major plot issues. Make comments or notes on the draft if you find stuff that you want to fix or examine further.

When going through and reading during this stage, I make sure to read my draft out loud at least once. This allows me to hear how the story sounds and if there are any flow issues that need to be addressed. It also helps me figure out my characters’ voices and if everyone sounds the same.

Every writer I work with skips this stage. They complete a round of the other edits and think they are done. More often than not, they end up finding errors in their draft they never caught. Even though you’ve read through your draft several times, there is still a huge chance that there are still errors in it.

Read your draft over out loud to make sure you’ve caught everything. If you can’t bear doing it, then hire or ask someone else to read it out loud for you.

Questions to ask during a proofread

1. Are there moments that read clunky or choppy?
2. Have I missed any repetitive words that make the text sound redundant?
3. Is the story consistently moving forward?
4. Does my characters’ dialogue flow naturally?
5. Is this story longer than it needs to be?
6. How does the story make me feel reading it out loud?
7. Do the tone and atmosphere resonate throughout?
8. How is the pacing of the story?
9. Where does the story seem to lag or steer away from the main plot?
10. What things stood out to me that didn’t while doing my other edits?

Final Words

By taking my own writing through these stages, I’ve moved past the stage of struggling to finish a draft and into a state when I know the draft is done. These steps and lessons helped me write cleaner first drafts as well. That came through repetition of these steps on other drafts and learning what I needed to look out for at every stage.

None of these stages are meant to be done back-to-back. Each should be done with time away from the draft. Depending on how long the project is, I will often take at least a day between edits and sometimes up to a month.

Don’t rush through these edits, because it will show on the page. No one will want to continue reading an unedited and unfocused story that the author also doesn’t really understand. In my articles, I always talk about examining yourself as a writer and your stories. Editing is a form of examination: a form that will set you apart from the other writers out there who aren’t editing.