Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Among the most negative comments I see on social media from other authors is how they dread editing. I’ve never truly understood why that is, to be honest. Is it repetitious? Is it monotonous? Do other authors stress about perfection? For me, it’s a chance to relive the story and make it better.
The book you’re writing right now is not the one you’ll publish. What I mean by that is you’ll have a series of edits that will ultimately change the story. From fine-tuning plots and filling in holes to revamping an entire character, the book you publish will be different from your first draft.
Now, I don’t expect everyone to love editing. But if you’re not completely enthralled with your story enough to want to relive it, why write it?
5 Reasons I Love Editing My Stories
Editing is part of publishing. If you want to be a decent author, or get recognized for your works, a lot of the magic happens during the edits. When someone bakes a wedding cake, do they hand over just the cake part? Or do they spend time decorating it into a magnificent piece that becomes memorable for decades?
The editing phase is similar to decorating the wedding cake. And the more thought and effort you put in, the more glorious the outcome.
So, what are some of the things that keep me excited to work on my book?
1. Reliving the Tale
I love every story I write. Whether it’s a 300-word flash fiction for class or an 80,000-word dark fantasy, I thoroughly enjoy reading my work. The editing phase lets me relive that story and appreciate the entire thing all over again.
This is especially true after taking a break for roughly four to six weeks after the first draft is done. It kind of gives you a fresh perspective, enabling you to find both nuggets of awesomeness and problematic parts.
In fact, you might be amazed by how many mistakes you can find after taking a month-long break from your writing. There are times when I publish a blog post and re-read it a week later only to find a couple of grammatical errors here and there.
2. Polishing it Up for the Audience
Another aspect that gets me excited about editing is the fact that it gives me a chance to make the story even better. Sure, you can love the first draft and think it’s amazing. However, coming back to it a few weeks later gives you that fresh perspective to see plot holes or forgotten plot points.
Revamping scenes, including side characters, exposition, and sprucing up dialogue, can make all the difference in a book. And the editing process gives you a chance to do all of it.
In fact, some of my favorite scenes and pieces of speech happened while I edited Shadows of Atlantic City. I even changed the species of a specific character to better fit the narrative of the story.
3. New Ideas to Implement
When you give yourself time away from the book, your brain will mull over all kinds of things you might want to add to the story. Perhaps you thought of a quick one-off character that can ultimately boost a specific scene. Maybe there is a funny line of dialogue that would enhance an interaction with characters.
You don’t want to think of these things after you hit the publish button on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Yes, the eBook should update with those changes. But printed copies can not.
I’ve added all kinds of things to all of the books I’ve published over the years that originated during edits. And no, I didn’t add all of my ideas. But that’s because some of them wouldn’t have been right for the story.
It’s a good idea to brainstorm those ideas before implementing them before you start making changes to your manuscript. Some ideas may just suck, and that’s OK. Not all of them will.
4. Motivation to Write
Editing a book, believe it or not, motivates me to write even more. As I go through the manuscript, there are times when I’ll jot something down that I want to embellish on for upcoming books, or perhaps set aside a character that may work great for his or her own side story.
For instance, I have a lot of ideas to expand on from the Witcham series that involve other areas of the Denaris world. From swamps to frozen tundra, editing Kingmaker makes me want to branch beyond those characters and introduce all-new ones with their own landscape.
While editing Shadows of Atlantic City (a dark western), I came up with a few ideas for some sci-fi stories and Fallout fan fiction.
My point here is that inspiration can come while editing, especially when you’re enjoying the process. The trick is to jot those ideas down in a notebook and finish your edits of one book before starting a new project, which is somewhat of a struggle for many authors.
5. Continued Learning and Practice
Perhaps one of the best reasons why I love editing is because it’s a way to continue learning and practicing writing. When you edit, especially for grammar and sentence structure, it helps you retain knowledge of what not to do next time. That includes any changes suggested by an actual editor.
When you start implementing those changes, there is a greater chance that you’ll remember why those changes were necessary the next time you write a book. It’s like that saying, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” Editing is just an extension of that practice as a writer.
What author doesn’t relish the idea of becoming better with each paragraph written? Well, aside from AI bros who would rather churn out soulless slop than actual art. But that’s an argument for another day.
Anyway, editing keeps you on your toes while learning more about yourself as a writer and ways to deliver a great story.
Your Editor Will Make Changes Afterward
If you’re going beyond self-editing (which you should do, by the way), keep in mind that an actual editor will cut a lot of things you thought of as awesome. It’s the job of every editor to help you polish the book into a magnificent piece of literature. And they are going to suggest a lot of changes.
I know a lot of you might feel intimidated about this process. But you need to set aside ego and realize that most of these professionals want you to succeed and get the most out of your book. After all, if your book performs well, you’ll come back in the future, which means more money for them.
The reason I bring this up is that a lot of folks view the editing process from editor suggestions as heartbreaking and dreaded. No author wants to cut out characters or scenes they love. The truth is that some sections of text may be meaningless to a plot or not all that impactful for the storyline.
At the end of the day, however, you have the final say in what stays or goes. Well, that is unless you are going the traditional-publishing route, in which you make those changes or the publisher won’t help you.
To be honest, that’s one of the biggest reasons why I self-publish my stories. I will tell the story I want to tell. Yes, there are times when I listen to beta readers regarding something that needs to be changed or cut. But in the end, I have the final word regarding the story.
Regardless, don’t fear your editors. Your successes are their successes.
Editing Is What Drives Ratings
At the root of publishing, editing is where the ratings for your book come from. A poorly written and edited book can easily hit one-star reviews, while something polished may keep four or five stars for the long haul.
Yes, your overall plot and character development matter deeply in reviews. However, editing is how you fix a lot of those problems before someone buys your book. If you want great ratings, it’s going to take some great editing.
Sure, you’ll have a handful of people who will read and like anything you put out, regardless of whether it’s edited or not. But if you’re looking to hit Stephen King levels of success, you gotta put your best out there. And a chunk of that comes from proper edits in addition to a gripping tale and likable characters.
Enjoy the editing process and love your book. Taking your time to iron out the details can help you plan out that majestic, beautifully decorated, and tasty cake that creates a dedicated audience.
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