I have cut my word count from 137,000 words to 94,000.
For me, the last part of the editing process is reducing the word count and tightening the dialogue. After I finish this thorough edit, I will do one more.
I have used a private literary editor, but it will then be time for my manuscript to be looked over by a professional literary service. I realis that ot all want-to-be novelists have the resources to pay for professioal help.
Included with manuscript will be pages listing the section headings and chapters, the blurb, cover design, synopsis, and covering letter.
I want to ensure my novel is ready to submit to agents/agencies.
Hi Adrian,
That's very useful checklist. I have copied and pasted it. Thanks for posting that!
Jen
Jonathon, my private literary editor is a long-standing friend. We would arrange to meet and I would pay him by the hour. When he looked over my earliest work, he said there were 5 or 6 novels, and that I should concentrate on one.
I am grateful that we agreed on total honesty from the start. His constructive critiques were not for the faint-hearted. His input has proved invaluable during the last two and half years, and I believe my writing has benefited enormously.
When I completed my manuscript I realised the editing process would be very time consuming. I needed to break the editing process into manageable chunks. I started by making a checklist. Then I would pick one or more items from the checklist to concentrate on. I would ignore obvious errors that I discovered that were not part of my present task. However I would make a note of them for future edits.
My checklist is as follows:
1) Plot - Linked Cause and Effect throughout my novel.
2) Storyine - Check for Weaknesses, Repetition and 'Shoes and Socks'
problems.
3) Characters - Their Function and Actions. Eg. Are they Always Acting in Character.
4) Sign-Posting - In my chapters have I Indicate to the reader where there next part of my story is leading.
5) Topic Sentences - Do my Paragraphs have a Topic Sentences to indicate to the reader what the next section is about.
6) Chapter Titles - Are my Chapter Titles suitable.
7) Chapters - Do my Chapters have a Dramatic Opening, A Landmark Signpost, and End with a Cliffhanger, or a Hook.
8) Dialogue - Does it make Sense when Spoken Aloud.
9) Streams of Thought - Does it make Sense when Spoken Aloud.
10) Descriptions - Are they Vivid and not to long.
11) Settings - Do my Settings have a Strong Purpose. Are they Generally Motivated.
12) Prose - Does my Prose Flow. Does it have Pace.
13) Cutting Superfluous Text - Every-Word-Must-Earn-Its-Keep.
You cannot hope to edit everything in one go. It has taken me numerous edits before the exhausting process began to reduce to a manageable level. I hope I am on the penultimate edit.
Readers are free to copy my checklist.
I found Jennifer's comment interesting because with my first book I cut 3k words in the final edit, whereas with the second I found I added far more than I cut.
Maybe the MS was tighter to start with (well - I hope it was because that means I learned something from my first effort, lol) but it felt really odd writing more rather than deleting. Though it might just be that because the second was more 'travelogue' I was concerned it would end up much longer than the first (113k) and unconsciously tried to limit the 'boring' bits between the action. So it ended up 1k shorter.
On the mechanics, I edit on-screen until I'm reasonably happy then print off a copy as a read-through and for my in-house Beta reader (ie. wife) to criticise - she's good at that ;)
A re-edited copy then goes to a second reader who usually points out any historical fact issues and glaring typos etc. I've missed. Then it'll get at least two more read-throughs because I'm never happy.
I'm keen to find out how Adrian gets on with his editor. I had a free 3-page critique of the first book's initial chapter from an editing firm touting for business, and while I agreed with some of their suggested changes I was unhappy with others. That, as well as the cost, put me off slightly.