Editing is an important part of the writing process. But sometimes, it’s easy to get so excited about having a first draft, it’s hard to take things to the next level.
Publisher’s Weekly has a post about how every writer needs an editor, even if the writer is an editor. In brief, it takes a lot of courage and perseverance. These worries can go both ways. The Write Life also talks about fears, but fears that editors may have. According to the article, this includes angry reactions, being slow to make any changes, and asking for more work than what’s in the contract.
With that in mind, it’s important to find and pick an editor you work well with. Lisa Poisso has some information about the types of editing: developmental editing (includes structure and assessment), line editing (includes word choice and paragraph flow), and copyediting (grammar and spelling). Jami Gold has a post with tips on how to find an editor, which includes using sample edits for assessment, developing goals, and combining types of editing if possible.
When it comes to actual editing, there are many types of software that can help. BookWorks has a list of apps that can help with the easier, first round of edits (before hiring an editor, and therefore saving you money). The list compares five tools, and recommends using three out of five of them. Tools include AutoCrit, Grammarly, Fictionary, MasterWriter, and ProWritingAid.
And last, Christian Editing Services has a post about the length of stories. It gives guidelines about the number of words that have, depending on the type of story (short story, novella, novel). However, word count also depends on genre, reader target age, and what the publisher wants (if you want to be traditionally published).
