More on Editing Magic: Excerpt From My Book: A Friendly Guide to Writing and Ghostwriting

Don't throw away edited material. Save it in a file in case you want to use it later.

You just never know what will go and what will stay until you get into the rewrite and see what stands out to be shifted and changed, added or deleted. If it's a self-help book, did you describe your methods and exercises with clarity or do you need to add further explanation? Did you describe Step One in a clear enough way that someone will feel ready to move on to Step Two? Did you repeat your ideas as if your reader wasn’t smart enough to get it the first time? If it's a memoir, did you express your emotions well enough for a reader to feel them, too? Are you taking your readers on an interesting ride and making them care about you? Or are you leading them down a boring path to a dead end?

There are various steps to follow when you edit your work. I’ve discovered that a book sounds different when I read it on the computer screen, in a printout, and out loud so I try to do all three. It takes patience but repetitions and incomplete thoughts come to light in the various ways that I review the material, especially when I read it aloud.

Here are four steps in the editing process that I’ve learned throughout years of trial and error:

1. I read through the first draft on the computer.

When I get to the end of my first draft, I do a complete read-through, focusing on organization and flow. I correct obvious repetitions and bad wording.

2. I print it out and read though a hard copy of my first draft, start to finish, without making any changes.

I print out the manuscript, double spaced, and read it with an editing pencil in my hand. I make notes in the text and in the margins. I circle sections that don't sound right. I mark typos but I don't make any changes until I’ve read it through from beginning to end.

3. I take my notes to the computer and enter the small edits first.

After my initial read-through, I go to the computer and enter fast fixes for typos and confusing sentences. I watch for repetitive words like “really,” “just,” “but” and “very.” Using the phrase “in other words” means that I didn't say it clearly the first time. If I’ve described the same idea in several different ways in my first draft, I choose the one that feels the best and delete the others. Or I may combine the versions. Finally, I scan my material for clichés that have a way of worming themselves into the writing. If you think that a particular cliché is the only way to describe something, you haven’t given it enough thought.

3. I start my in-depth edit with my notes beside me.

This takes time and concentration as I review my notes and decide whether or not they’re valid. Sometimes when you change something, it requires changing in other parts of the manuscript. After the initial read through of my first non-fiction book, I saw that one of my chapters was underdeveloped. I wasn’t eager to rewrite it, it seemed like a lot of work, but I knew it had to be done. I start by evaluating what was missing and what was mucking up the material. Then I rewrote that entire chapter, keeping in mind what needed changing as I tried to fix it with finesse. It must have worked because readers told me it was the best chapter in the book.

4. I evaluate what is filler and what is crucial to the story.

When you write to fill up space, you’re not a wordsmith, you’re a word counter. If you’re trying to produce a large amount of material in a limited period of time, it’s easy to stretch your sentences beyond their function. I call that “Hamburger Helper” since it takes up space but offers no nutritional value. Most people agree that each word in a poem is necessary to the whole or it shouldn't be there. I believe it’s the same with prose.

One of the trickiest parts of editing is trying to determine when your manuscript is finished. If you want an outside opinion, don’t consult someone who knows less than you do. Avoid taking bad advice, changing things to please someone who is uninformed, and then going back to them for approval. It can be a debilitating never ending cycle. If they give you an opinion, that’s all it is – an opinion.

If you’re having trouble deciding if your book is over, take stock of what you wanted to say when you started. No one else can do this for you. If you’ve said it all, if you have no new ideas to add, chances are it’s finished. Just remember that neatly tying up the ending is unrealistic and if you try repeating what you already said, it can easily come off as arrogant.

Nothing makes me reject a book faster than an arrogant author. A know-it-all. Even if you’re an expert on your topic, there are ways to address readers that include them, not exclude them. I hate being told what I “should” do rather than getting a good-spirited suggestion. When you’re stating your point of view in your book, try using expressions like, “I feel,” “I think,” “it seems to me,” or “in my opinion.” You're giving your reader a chance to agree or disagree with you without implying that you know better than they do.

If you want to know how your work is coming along, consult with a professional editor or a published author who can give you an educated opinion. Some people have designated readers that they trust and if several of them come up with the same critiques, they bear checking out. If someone is putting you or your book down in an overly critical and abasing way, don't listen. In my opinion, tough love is inappropriate here. What you need is good advice, compassion and inspiration.

It's comforting to keep in mind that when you’re editing, nothing is set in stone. Everything is fluid. That’s what editing is all about and knowing this can relieve a lot of pressure. You are free to keep on changing things around, substituting phrases and then deciding to go back to what you wrote earlier. The idea is to give yourself permission to read and edit, to try and fail, and keep on trying, because good writing is rewriting.