You’ve written the final sentence, typed that last full stop, and exhaled with satisfaction. Your manuscript—116,458 words of hard work, late nights, and countless cups of coffee—is finally complete….
Or is it?
Writing a book is a monumental achievement. But finishing the first draft is just the beginning.
If you’re serious about getting published, your manuscript must go through a rigorous editing process. This isn’t just about spotting typos—it’s about refining, reshaping, and, sometimes, ruthlessly cutting up and re-assembling parts of that very piece of work you have invested innumerable hours of toil into.
It can hurt. I am only too well aware of that feeling myself.
But remember one vital thing: at this stage of proceedings, it is still just an idea that you’ve committed to paper.
It’s not a book.
Not yet anyway.
Because it now needs the expert eyes (and keyboard) of an editor.
Even the best writers in the world need editors. A first draft is just that—a draft.
No matter how meticulous you’ve been, errors will have crept in. But beyond any and all grammatical missteps, there will also be narrative inconsistencies, structural weaknesses, or parts that simply don’t work.
A well-edited book isn’t just buffed up-it’s highly polished-sharper, clearer, and more engaging.
For authors who want to publish, particularly those bringing their work to me at Couzens-Lake Publishing, editing is absolutely non-negotiable.
Readers (and critics) are unforgiving of sloppy writing, and a poorly edited book won’t just harm sales—it can damage your credibility as an author.
So what does the editing process involve?
Firstly, and lets dispel the illusion that it’s a quick skim through what you’ve written, editing isn’t a one-step process. It requires multiple rounds of scrutiny, each serving a different purpose.
Before diving into those 116,458 words, I’ll take a step back and assess the manuscript as a whole.
Let’s say you’ve written a novel. I’ll be looking at the structure, pacing, character development, themes, and overall readability. Does the plot flow logically? Are the characters believable? Are there unnecessary subplots dragging the story down?
Sometimes, this process involves significant rewriting or reordering of chapters—but it’s essential in creating a compelling narrative, the sort that grips you from half way down the very first page.
Or even the very first lines.
Take, for example, Charles Dickens’ immortal opening lines to A Tale Of Two Cities.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…
He’s immediately set up a rhythmic contrast that acts as an enticing overture to a grand, sweeping narrative full of conflict and duality.
But what if he’d been careless with his opening lines? Would the book have had the same iconic status it retains to this day if he’d have opened it with these words?
Things were sometimes good, but also sometimes bad. People were smart at times, but other times they weren’t. Some stuff was happening, and other stuff was happening too.
Be honest. You’ve put it back on the bookshelf already, haven’t you? This version has removed the rhythm, contrast, and drama that made the original so compelling, leaving it flat and uninspiring.
The rejection letter is on its way.
How about Orwell’s dark and unforgettable opening to 1984?
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
That subtle yet unsettling detail of a ‘thirteenth’ hour hints at a world where normality has been distorted.
You immediately want to know more.
Would you have been so keen had 1984 opened with
It was an average day in April, and the clocks were showing the time.
Gone is the eerie contradiction, the unsettling atmosphere, and the intrigue—replaced with pure monotony.
That’s a story no publisher is going to be interested in.
Every word, every phrase, every sentence, paragraph and piece of dialogue in a novel is crucial. As an art form, it genuinely is the sum of all its parts.
If your work is non-fiction, then I will be looking at how well the content flows, its logical structure, and its effectiveness in delivering key messages which involves ensuring the content is logically structured (eg) are arguments presented in a coherent sequence. I’ll also be checking for gaps in information or places where additional explanation is needed; strengthening clarity and persuasiveness (this is especially relevant in works such as business books, self-help, or academic writing); ensuring the tone and style are appropriate for the target audience and fact-checking to maintain credibility and accuracy.
Once the manuscript’s structure is solid, I move on to line editing. Refining language, tightening sentences, enhancing clarity, and ensuring consistency in tone and style. It’s not just about fixing mistakes; it’s about making the writing sing-and that’s no lazy phrase as truly believe the best writing does just that, elevating the reader, heart and soul, to a higher place. As an editor, I look to reach the heart of the reader by tidying up or even cutting away what isn’t needed-removing excess words, eliminating awkward phrasing and literary clichés and, throughout the process, every sentence earns its place.
Now it’s time for the snagging, the nitty-gritty, the literary places where many fear to tread.
Grammar, punctuation, syntax, and consistency. A misplaced comma, a wrongly used homophone (for example, using ‘knew’ instead of ‘new’) or a sudden shift in tense can disrupt your reader’s experience. These are the little jobs that might only take a second or two to put right, yet, collectively, over the course of a manuscript, there can be a lot of them and this sort of attention to detail, the sort that isn’t, let’s be honest, the most glamorous side of a writers job, isn’t the favourite task of many writers. But it has to be done to ensure that your rapidly progressing manuscript is polished to the very best of professional standards.
Nearly there now. There’s just that final level of polish to add and that’s the proofreading*. This is all about catching any last second factual or grammatical errors, mistypes or formatting mistakes that may have slipped through the cracks, the final safety net before the manuscript goes to print or digital publication.
When it comes to proofreading a document myself, I prefer to do so after having ‘put it to bed’ for around a week to ten days. That means not looking at, or working on it for at least that time at all-which ensures, when I return to proofread the manuscript, it’s with a fresh pair of eyes which means, of course, I’m far more likely to pick up on any errors I might have missed previously.
I’ll do this the old fashioned way-with a bound hard copy of the manuscript, a pencil, eraser and orange highlighter-and, more often than not in the peace and quiet of my local library.
It’s about giving you and your work the very best of professional attention possible from beginning to end.
You (and it) deserve nothing less. Because the final result will be a book worth reading and one that you will be proud to see is accompanied by your name on the cover.
A well-edited book isn’t just easier to read—it’s more impactful, more professional, and far more likely to succeed. When an author entrusts their manuscript to me, they’re not just handing over a story; they’re offering something deeply personal, something they’ve poured their soul into.
I respect that. I’ve sat with clients who have openly wept as they’ve shared their stories with me. That is how personal this work is.
So my role is to ensure that their, maybe your work is treated with that respect throughout, personal and professional respect from beginning to end and emerges not just as a book, but as the best possible version of itself.
Editing isn’t about changing a writer’s voice—it’s about amplifying it.
When it’s done right, it transforms a manuscript from a rough draft into a masterpiece.
Your masterpiece.
So, before you send your manuscript out into the world, ask yourself this question.
Is it really finished?
Or does it just need that second (or third) look to become the book it was always meant to be?
If you decide that it does then you are hereby invited to get in touch with me.
So we can talk about creating your masterpiece together.
*See also blog on couzenslake.co.uk from October 21st 2024, ‘Why Proof Reading Matters’.
