Being a Good Self-Editor

I've said it a thousand times. Self-publishing is something that takes up so much time that it isn't funny. It isn't just about the writing part either. You have to factor in the publicity stuff that you have to do as well as all the other planning and blogging. (I never realized how much time blogging would take.)

One of the things that takes up the most time is editing. You have to read your own story with an eye that is so critical that it's like ripping your story apart. Editing isn't just about looking for grammar mistakes and punctuation. It's about fixing sentences, continuity, and making sure that your story is the best that it can possibly be.

I'm working on editing two different novels at the moment as well as working on writing a new novel as well. It's difficult to keep everything straight, but it's something that has to be done. And editing is an important part of being a writer. And it's important to remember that fixing the problems with a story doesn't mean that it makes the story amazing. It just makes it grammatically correct.

I love to write, and editing is something that sometimes takes away the joy of writing. But it has to be done.

So there are a few things that have to be done as you're editing your own work.

1. Read with a critical eye. 
2. Keep notes about what characters look like or behave. Those will come in handy later when you start doing continuity read throughs.
3. Read your work out loud to see if sentences sound right. Sometimes what sounds good in your head doesn't sound so hot on paper. 

It takes a long time to self-edit, and if you can afford a professional editor it's something to think about. But the only one who can fix the problems with your story is you.