Tip: Read Your Novel Out Loud

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Writing can be such a quiet activity. Other than the click of the keys or the scratch of the pen on paper, we’re often silent, allowing our thoughts to flow out onto the page. But I have a pro-tip for you today, one that I use quite often myself: read your novel out loud.

Reading out loud forces you to slow down.

If you’ve been reading your writing silently for months, if not years, then it might be time to view it differently. If we’re reading in our heads, it’s too easy to skip, skim, or change wording without realizing it. Our brains automatically fill things in, and so you might not catch the missing “the” after thirty read-throughs. If, on the thirty-first read-through, you read it aloud, you’re far more likely to slow down and read every single word. The act of slowing down means we see things so differently from all those fast-paced read-throughs that you’ve done before.

Reading out loud helps you find unnatural dialogue.

It might seem obvious, but the most natural way to double-check your dialogue is to speak it out loud. Our ears better assess whether dialogue sounds natural, like an actual person is saying it, than our brains do. If it feels awkward reading it aloud, chances are that your character wouldn’t have said that way—unless awkward is what you’re going for.

Reading out loud clearly shows you awkward wording.

In a similar vein, reading your work aloud is very helpful when it comes to finding awkward or stilted writing. If you find yourself stumbling over your words or having to go back and reread a sentence, you might need to make some adjustments. If you find that you struggle to follow along with a particular sentence, perhaps you need to break it down into smaller sentences, ones that are easier for your reader to digest.

Reading out loud puts you in the reader’s seat.

While you’re writing and editing, you’re likely hanging out in the writer’s seat, not the reader’s seat. While this is absolutely crucial at the beginning of your project, by the time you’re on your second or third draft, you should be considering the reader’s perspective, perhaps more than the author’s perspective. So in order to switch gears and put on your reader’s hat, try reading aloud. Put yourself in your reader’s seat and examine your story just as they would.

Reading out loud keepS your attention, even when your focus is elsewhere.

This is a huge reason I started reading aloud in the first place. As someone who reads for a living (my dream job), I can tell you that I’m just not into it every single day. Perhaps the story just isn’t grabbing me, or I didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or the dogs are driving me nuts, but some days, I just can’t focus. And when I still have to get my work done, reading aloud really helps me stay focused on the story in front of me. And for writers, this can be just the same. If you know you want to write or edit but it’s feeling too difficult to keep your mind on the story, try reading it aloud instead. You just might find it easier to get your work done.

BONUS! Reading out loud helps you see where commas should be added—or removed.

I won’t lie: this is my favorite reason to read your work aloud. I love a good comma. Commas are a bit controversial in the writing and editing worlds, as the rules are a bit hazy. There are plenty of situations when you absolutely have to have a comma, but plenty where it could go either way. And don’t even get me started on different rules for different types of books, different style guides, and different mediums of writing altogether. My philosophy with commas—in fiction, at least—is based on how it sounds to the reader, and reading the work aloud is super helpful in determining what the reader would hear. Commas belong in the same space that a reader would breathe because it helps them naturally find those pauses. Commas offer a gentle whitespace of sorts to control the cadence and rhythm of your story. So if you’re not sure whether to add a comma or not, read it aloud and see where you naturally pause. Put one there.

Your First Steps After Receiving Your Manuscript Back From Your Editor

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It’s scary enough to give your manuscript to an editor at the beginning of a project, but perhaps the scariest moment will be receiving those documents back. You’ve probably spent the entire project building it up in your head, guessing what your editor will think about this plot point or that character. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been having entire conversations with your editor in your head, where you defend your choices or argue about why you won’t be compromising on the suggested changes.

But really, it doesn’t have to be so scary. In fact, this is an exciting moment, the beginning of the next phase, wherein you get to revise and make your book so much better than it was before. And that’s not saying your book wasn’t great in the first place—but I truly do believe that every book gets better having been edited. Here’s how you can set yourself up for success after you receive those edits back:

Don’t freak out

Seriously. Calm down. It’ll be okay. Practice some deep breathing exercises, and do your best not to build it up in your head. Respond to your editor with a nice email letting them know you received their edits and you appreciate their work. Do a few more of those breathing exercises. You got this.

Set the mood

If you’re already in a bad mood, if you didn’t get any sleep last night, if you’re stressed out about too many other things—now is not the time to start revisions. Revisions will feel vulnerable, and just like you shouldn’t have a tough conversation with your partner when you’re overly tired or emotional, you shouldn’t read through your editorial letter or edits while you’re overly tired or emotional. When you are ready, set the mood by sitting somewhere comfortable and with few distractions. Grab a notebook and pen so you can jot down questions that come up. Put the do-not-disturb sign on the door, and settle in.

Read the entire editorial letter

For me, at least, my editorial letter is basically an introduction to the things I think need to be changed. I review large plot issues, my thoughts about the characters, a list of some of the large-scale grammatical or spelling changes I made, and praise my favorite parts of the book. I also include some instructions on best practices for moving through your edits, as well as an overview of how I approach editing. Because so much is covered, I suggest that you start out by reading this editorial letter in full before you do anything else. Consider taking notes while you’re reading, or highlighting sections you want to come back to. Being that this letter might be anywhere from three to thirty pages long (depending on the length of your book, the editing services performed, and how many changes I found in total), this might take you a while, but at the end, you’ll have an idea of what revisions you’ll need to make, or at least consider. It’s like taking a look at the forest before you focus on individual trees.

Take a break if you need to

If the letter was particularly rough, or if it just took you a while to read through and comprehend, feel free to take a break here to get back into the right mindset. If the distractions are banging down your door again, attend to them, then come back when things are settled down. You don’t have to do all of this at once.

Read through all the comments and edits in the manuscript

When you’re ready to come back, your next step will be to read through all the changes in the manuscript, paying special attention to comments. You’ll probably find that a lot of these comments correspond to points in the editorial letter you just read, or are smaller suggestions overall. Changes you need to make toward the end of the manuscript may inform the way you make changes toward the beginning, so resist your urge to make changes now, and save it all for when you have a plan.

Ask for clarity

Once you’re done reviewing both the editorial letter and the manuscript edits, collect your thoughts. Review those notes. Let things settle into your brain. Think about your plot points and characters, about the insight that you now have. If there are any questions that came up for you, or areas that were addressed but perhaps not completely clear, feel free to reach back out to your editor! Most editors I know will be happy enough to clarify things for you.

Think about things, then make a plan

Once you’ve wrapped your mind around things, it’s time to make a plan. I generally suggest that authors begin with large-scale changes, like plot points and character development. Those are the elements that may affect things throughout your manuscript, not just in one particular area. Make a list of the things you need adjust, and keep getting smaller and smaller, until the final things you work on are the small tweaks that shouldn’t take long at all.

Now go revise

With all this new information, as well as a plan of attack, you should be able to jump into revisions when you’re ready!

Help! My Revisions are Taking Too Long!

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Whether you’re working on your own revisions on yet another draft, or you’re completing revisions after your editor has had their way with your manuscript, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing it in the right amount of time. If it’s taking longer than expected, you might think that you had too many changes, so you must be a bad writer, or perhaps that your editor was too heavy handed, so they must be a bad editor. You might think you’re too slow or even too dumb. If revisions are going too quickly, you might assume that you’re missing things, that you hired a crappy editor that didn’t catch enough, that your book is still gonna suck.

None of these thoughts are fact. The truth is, there are so many variables when it comes to completing your revisions (just like completing your first draft, or your second!), and none of them mean anything about your intelligence or your capabilities as a writer. So what CAN affect the time it takes to do revisions? Here are a few of those variables:

The length of your novel

This one might be the most obvious! The length of your novel can absolutely affect how long it takes to complete your revisions. If you wrote a 150,000-word epic fantasy, it will take you a whole lot longer to comb through it than if you wrote a 30,000-word novella. Even if you know your novel like the back of your hand, a revision that is thorough should be expected to take some time, so try not to rush yourself or become frustrated if it’s not done in whatever amount of time you expected.

What draft you’re on, or what level of editing you had completed

The amount of time it takes you to complete revisions will also largely be dictated by what draft you’re on. If you’re on your second draft, you’re likely to have more to clean up than if you’re on a third or fourth draft. Likewise, the level of editing you had completed can really affect how much work you have to do. A developmental edit might require heavy plot or character changes, which might take longer to plan out and weave throughout your full manuscript. Copy editing, even with a heavy hand, might take quite a bit less time because it’s more straight forward, and often doesn’t require a lot of preplanning on your part. And even more obvious, proofreading should really only be catching typos and small errors, so it should be the quickest of all the revisions.

Your writing experience level

Now, this doesn’t have anything to do with intelligence or how good of a writer you are. The truth of the matter is that if you’ve written and revised many times, you’re going to be faster at it than if this is the first time you’ve done so. When you revise multiple projects over time, you naturally develop a system that increases your efficiency. Likewise, as you keep writing and revising, over time, you start to understand your own voice and style, so you already know what your weaknesses might be, and what areas to focus on. It’s only natural that as you gain experience with writing, your revision process goes faster and faster each time.

What else is going on in your life right now

I can’t emphasize this one enough. When all is said and done, if your personal life is extremely busy, you likely just won’t have as much time to write or revise. This is true whether your writing is a hobby, a side hustle, or your full-time gig. Our personal lives can easily take over our writing life, not only time- and schedule-wise, but by hijacking our mood. If we’re having a bad day, it’s a lot harder to dive into a rom com that you’re trying to revise, so you can’t always predict how long revisions will take. There’s just too much life stuff that can interrupt.

So stop berating yourself for not revising fast enough, and give yourself a little grace. You’ll be done in due time.

How to Find the Right Editor for Your Project

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It can be nerve racking and anxiety inducing to hand your manuscript off to someone else, but it has to be done! Editing is such an important part of the process, and can bring so much clarity to your story. The best part? The more times you do it, the less scary it seems! To make yourself feel a little bit better, here are a few things to help you determine who your right-fit editor is.

Keep an eye out for quality

The first step to making sure an editor is legit is pretty simple: make sure their website looks the part. I’m not saying it needs to be a professionally designed website, but make sure it’s not riddled with errors. I like the look of a website that has been updated semi-recently (or at least shows that the editor is still in business), offers information about each of the services, and perhaps includes some testimonials or a portfolio. You should be able to get a general vibe about this editor from their website or social media accounts alone. If you’re not getting a good feeling from them overall, perhaps keep looking.

Expect a reasonable response time

When I contact someone I want to work with, I expect to hear from them in a day or two, or whatever’s reasonable (I always assume that they don’t work weekends or holidays, so I’m generally more forgiving during those times). If the editor lists a response time on their website, that should be your expectation going forward. If they don’t include an expected response time, you can assume it will be something reasonable, like a handful of days. If your response goes unanswered for a week, it might be time to inquire somewhere else.

Ask for a sample edit

I’m always surprised by how many editors don’t just offer this in the first place, as I’ve found that it’s incredibly helpful to me, and to my potential clients!

For me, the sample edit lets me “practice edit” the project, which gives me an idea of how long it will actually take to edit the full manuscript. My pricing is so much more accurate after this—far more accurate than an approximated guess might be.

For you, as the potential client, this sample edit allows you test drive what the edits and comments might look like. Does the editor come across as a little too blunt for your taste? Do they only offer short comments without explanations, or do they make sure that you understand their thought processes each time? There’s no one-size-fits-all for editors, and your preferences might be different than the next writer’s. Taking a peek at this sample edit will definitely help you determine if you and the editor will be a good fit or not.

I’d also like to point out that this sample edit provides a great opportunity for you to test out the technology. Make sure you understand how to accept a change, or reject one. Delete a few comments. Make sure that however the editor returns the manuscript is compatible with whatever program you plan to use. If you think there might be a compatibility issue, or if you need the editor to accommodate technological limitations, it should be discussed with your potential editor at this point, not later down the road when you’re finalizing plans.

Engage with them about your project

I love to talk with potential clients about their projects! Knowing what their publication plans are, how confident they are about editing, what they’re most worried about, and where they see their writing career going can help me tailor the project to them. It’s helpful to see what the author thinks their strengths and weaknesses are, because often, I see different ones, and can call attention to them appropriately. I might tweak different sections in my editorial letter or style guide based on what the author wants, or even shift how much I explain in my comments. The services I offer for this particular project might change as well. Knowing this information also helps us set expectations on both sides before we even begin collaborating. If we can get on the same page, the project is sure to go off without a hitch.

Review their portfolio, testimonials, etc.

Most editors have these things readily available on their websites, and they can be treasure troves of information. While perusing their portfolio, take notice of what genres come up the most, and if you’ve read any of the books. While reading through testimonials, take note of patterns you see, the same praise being given over and over. If any of this clicks for you, that might be a sign that this is the right editor for you and your project!

Ask your writing friends for suggestions

Of course, a surefire way to find an editor you trust might be to ask for recommendations. You can ask your writing friends, or even post on writing-related Facebook groups or forums. Knowing that other people have worked with the editor and can vouch for them can really make a difference. Make sure to ask lots of specific questions to the person doing the recommending. It’s nice to get a good idea of what the editing process was like for them with more specifics than “I loved working with so-and-so.”

The lesson here? Don’t be afraid to talk to your editor about your project, about how they work, and about how you can have a successful collaboration. If the editor is worth their salt, they’ll be happy to get on the same page with you too.

What to Do if You Receive a Heavy-Handed Edit

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. If you buy something through one of those links, there is no additional cost to you, but I may receive a small commission, which helps pay for my continued work. Read my affiliate disclosures here.

Picture this: you receive your manuscript back from your editor, and it’s been so heavily edited that you can’t find your voice anymore.

That’s the stuff of nightmares, right?

I’m pretty sure every writer has thought of this before, and maybe even stressed out about it. So what do you do if it actually happens? Here are some tips to finding the bright side if you receive an edit that’s just too heavy handed:

Don’t run out and post about it online.

I’ve seen authors do this in writing-related Facebook groups time after time. You get upset, you take it personally, and you find other writers to commiserate with. I’m not saying you can’t go vent to other writers, but you should first slow down and investigate. Approach it professionally first. Do your due diligence before you grab a pitchfork.

Take a closer look.

A heavy-handed edit alters an author’s voice, but what is voice, really? To me, voice is how you tell the story, including (but obviously not limited to) how much or how little dialogue or narrative writing you use, how formal or informal your tone is, and the way you craft your descriptions. So look closely. Did the editor really change these things, or does it just seem like there are a lot of edits? If they actually changed grammatical errors, pointed out repetition or redundancy, and suggested places where you can add more dialogue or description, they might not have eliminated your voice at all. Look for comments that explain their reasonings behind the changes they made. A good editor will protect an author’s voice as much as possible, so at least give them the benefit of the doubt and take a long, hard look at what they actually changed.

Reach out to the editor.

If your editor really did mess with your voice to an inappropriate degree, it might be time to reach out to them. Keep your head about you, though. Don’t come in with guns blazing. Instead, ask specific questions, do not assume ill intent, and allow them a chance to explain things. Have enough respect for your editor to have a conversation with them.

Take it with a grain of salt, and decide what YOU want to edit.

At the end of the day, take your edits exactly for what they are—suggestions. By no means do you have to make all the changes that the editor offered you, but you should at least consider them. This is your book, and you control it, so take the time to understand the suggestions, then make a decision and move to the next.

BONUS! Set your expectations up front.

This scenario really highlights why it’s important to vet your editor up front. This includes getting on the same page about what they’re offering you, making sure they know what you need from them, and understanding how they edit. The best way to do this is to request a sample edit. It doesn’t have to be long (in fact, my sample edits might range from one to five pages, depending on how quickly I find something to suggest), but seeing a sample of their editing style up front will tell you almost immediately if their work will resonate with you.

Breaking Down the Different Types of Editing

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. If you buy something through one of those links, there is no additional cost to you, but I may receive a small commission, which helps pay for my continued work. Read my affiliate disclosures here.

One thing I hear from new and seasoned writers alike is that they’re not sure which levels of editing they need, or what type of editor to look for. The publishing world is confusing enough without having multiple names for the same thing. But luckily, that’s what I’m here for! Below, I’ll describe the different types of editors you may encounter, as well as the different levels of editing. Please keep in mind that these descriptions are my own, and other editors and publishers may have different definitions entirely, or different types of editors.

DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

What it is: Developmental editing typically focuses on story-level elements, like plot, theme, characters, pacing, setting, world-building, etc. As the developmental editor, my main concern is the reader’s perception of the story as a whole. It’s here that I’m most likely to catch timeline errors, plot points that aren’t believable, pacing that is too fast or too slow, and boring characters.

Who needs it? Everyone! Authors tend to be a bit too close to their stories, so it helps to get another set of eyes on the nitty-gritty details. As your career grows and you publish more and more books, you may choose to have an Editorial Assessment done instead, which is similar, but less in depth.

When do you need it? Developmental Editing is typically the first level of editing to be done after you’ve completed your own drafts. As I mentioned above, some authors may opt for an Editorial Assessment instead, which is similar, but less in depth.

Do I offer this service? Yes! In fact, my most popular editing package includes both Developmental Editing and Copy Editing. Developmental Editing is actually my favorite level of editing to do, because I love diving in to a good story and figuring out why it works or not. Click here to read more about my Developmental Editing services.

COPY EDITING

What it is: Copy Editing focuses on sentence-level elements, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, tenses, POV, and overall readability. The focus is on the clarity of your words, and less so on the quality of your story. Many US editors (like me!) combine Copy Editing with Line Editing. This is the stage in which I’m most likely going to catch misspelled words, missing commas, repeating phrases, character details that change halfway through the manuscript, and incorrect facts.

Who needs it? Everyone! Every author can use some extra eyes to make sure that everything makes sense, and is clear and consistent.

When do you need it? Copy Editing is typically done after Developmental Editing, or at the same time, when done by the same editor.

Do I offer this service? Yes! I offer Copy Editing by itself, or in a package with Developmental Editing. Click here to read more about my Copy Editing services.

PROOFREADING

What it is: Proofreading is the final typo and error check before publication. During this stage, I look for consistency, formatting issues, and any remaining errors throughout your manuscript. During this stage, I’m likely going to catch typos that were either missed all along, or introduced during your revisions. The goal is actually to have as few errors as possible by this stage in the game so that the final published manuscript is as clean as it can be.

Who needs it? Everyone! No manuscript is perfect, but having one final set of eyes can help it get as close as possible.

When do you need it? Proofreading should always be the final step in the editing process, to be done after you’ve completely finished revising the manuscript. Proofreading can typically be done before or after the final formatting, but the benefit to doing it after is the chance to catch errors introduced during the formatting phase.

Do I offer this service? Yes! Click here to read more about my Proofreading services.

EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT

What it is: An Editorial Assessment, sometimes called a Manuscript Evaluation or a Manuscript Critique, takes a look at story-level elements, including plot, theme, characters, pacing, setting, world-building, etc. This is a trimmed-down version of Developmental Editing.

Who needs it? Seasoned authors who are confident in their ability to craft a story. I do not suggest Editorial Assessments for new authors, as they require confidence and the ability to take the editor’s written thoughts and suggestions and figure out how to turn them into revisions.

When do you need it? Editorial Assessments should be done early in the editing process, generally as your first step. This is typically a replacement for Developmental Editing.

Do I offer this service? Yes! My Editorial Assessment service includes a full-length editorial letter from me, but no in-line manuscript edits, like you’d see in a Developmental Edit. Click here to read more about my Editorial Assessment services.

BONUS: LINE EDITING

What it is: Line Editing is a common term outside of the US, where it typically refers to a level of editing similar to Copy Editing, however this level focuses less on grammar and spelling, and more on the author’s own style and voice. During this stage, a line editor looks for repetition, consistency, passive voice, tense issues, awkward or unnatural phrasing, and more. Copy editing would be considered a separate service in which the editor reviews grammar and spelling.

Who needs it? Everyone! Every author can benefit from having someone review what their words sound like to the reader.

When do you need it? This would typically be done after Developmental Editing, but before Copy Editing. In many cases, it can be combined with either service.

Do I offer this service? Yes! My Copy Editing service includes Line Editing, so click here to read more about my Copy Editing services.

BONUS: What is an ACQUISITION EDITOR?

You may hear the term “acquisition editor” used, or perhaps just “editor” when referring to publishing houses. An acquisition editor is the person who decides whether or not a book should be acquired by the publisher for publication. They often do some of the big-picture editing as listed above, but not always. Their role can vary based on what publishing house they work for, but they’re nearly always the one you work with when pursuing traditional publication.

So what does the full editing process look like?

Here’s what I suggest most authors follow:

1. Developmental Editing

2. Copy Editing

3. Proofreading

Some editors prefer to combine Developmental Editing and Copy Editing (I’m a fan, myself!), but that tactic is not always for everyone. If you prefer to do those two levels at separate times, that’s okay too!

Editing in this order allows you to start with the big-picture elements and work your way smaller and smaller until every detail has been polished.

Not sure which level of editing you’re ready for? Click here to submit a quote request, and I can take a look and let you know what I think will fit best for you and your manuscript!

Checklist: 4 Things to Do Before Sending Your Manuscript Off to an Editor

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. If you buy something through one of those links, there is no additional cost to you, but I may receive a small commission, which helps pay for my continued work. Read my affiliate disclosures here.

I’m convinced that writing the book itself is not the scary part. The scary part is what comes next: that moment when you have to show your writing to other people, be it alpha or beta readers, friends, or family. The urge to make it perfect is real. But the stakes feel so much higher when you pass it off to your editor for the first time. So to make things a little easier on you, here’s a short checklist of things to do to your manuscript before you hand it off to your editor:

Do One Final Pass of Self-Editing

There are very few scenarios in which one’s first draft is so perfect and polished that it’s ready to go to an editor. Perhaps some writers have self-edited their way through, and by the time they type “The End,” it’s perfect, but those writers are few and far between. For the majority of you, don’t give your editor your first draft—you probably need to do a little more revising first. Only after you’ve finished up that second draft and made sure that everything is just as you want it, are you be ready for editing. And more realistically, that might be a third, fourth, or even fifth draft—there’s no magical number of drafts required.

Run Spellcheck

Nothing tells me that an author probably isn’t taking their novel seriously more than not running spellcheck. If I open up your final document—or even your sample—and see tons of errors, I’m going to assume that you’re lazy, just don’t care, or expect the editor to do all the mundane work for you. And I’m not talking about finding a small handful of what are clearly typos. I’m talking about dozens of words with those annoying little red squiggly lines. That squiggly line tells me that spellcheck would have forced your attention to these typos and you could have cleaned them up quickly. So before you hit send, run spellcheck and make sure your manuscript is ready to present.

Start a List of Questions

I know you probably have dozens of questions you’d like to ask your editor, so keep a list of them! I love when an author is so focused, so determined to learn from my edit, that they come to me knowing exactly what they want me to tell them. Not only does this help me know what information you’re looking for, but it ensures that you get what you want in the first place. Most editors won’t shy away from your inquiries, so utilize this opportunity while you can.

Decide What to Work on Next

You might find yourself working on any given writing project for months if not years, so when it comes time to pass the manuscript off to your editor, it can be difficult to leave it alone for the duration of your project together. Inevitably, you’ll be thinking about your story, maybe even getting ideas for scenes that are already done, and it’ll be so tempting to open up that manuscript and just make a few changes.

But don’t do it.

For the entire length of the editing project, your job is to not touch the manuscript. The last thing you want to do is change the manuscript that’s already in your editor’s hands. So instead, come up with a list of things you can work on next. If you still want to stay immersed in this particular writing project, I typically encourage my clients to spend the next month or so preparing for publication—writing a query letter and synopsis if traditional publishing, or finding formatters and designers if self-publishing. Keep yourself busy doing the things you’ll need to work on later anyway. Alternatively, this might be a great time to schedule a vacation, focus on other creative projects, or take a break from writing altogether. If you prepare for this up front, it’ll be much easier to keep yourself busy later.

Did you like this checklist? Curious what else you do before handing your manuscript off to your editor? If you want more on the subject, check out my free resource, available below.