6 Book Editing Secrets to Successful Publishing

Learn 6 Book Editing Secrets to Successful Publishing as discussed in our live online interview with Alexa Bigwarfe of Write Publish Sell.

Professional editors and publishers are essential to your book’s success. Watch this video to learn how to plan your manuscript strategically. Make sure you write professionally and edit effectively before you approach a publisher or agent.

Get valuable insight from Alexa, a publisher and author. Plus, learn how to create a firm foundation for your manuscript by editing from professional editor, JoEllen.

Discover the essential stages of writing creatively with a developmental edit. Follow this with a logical edit so your publisher can assess, approve, and successfully publish your book.

6 Secrets from a Publisher

We asked a series of questions to reveal some publishing secrets. Read along to learn more.

Question one for Alexa: How does an author transition from the editing stage to the publishing path?

Secret #1 – Plan editing as part of your publishing schedule

Seek developmental editing prior to approaching an agent/publisher. Afterwards, allot time for revisions. After your first round of editing, you will make extensive changes and improvements to your manuscript. Your goal is to create an impressive presentation which engages your intended readers.

Developmental Editing answers your question, “Is it any good?”
After strengthening the key elements according to your developmental editor’s recommendations, be prepared to follow this with a content or line edit of your document before approaching your publisher.

Remember, while editing, you can simultaneously work on building your audience and platform for marketing. Publishers expect you to assist with this and your book launch.

Question two for Alexa: As a publisher, what editing do you need an author to complete prior to submitting for publishing?

Secret #2 – Make sure the manuscript is strong before you approach a publisher.

Get a professional assessment of your message first during the outlining and develpmental stage. Next, correct the grammar, spelling, and punctuation so you can present a polished document without errors.

Remember you need to be ready to print because publishers don’t have time or energy to spare.

Question three for Alexa: From your experience, what are some of the top mistakes authors make when editing that affects their publishing success?

Secret #3 – Editing will require much time and energy from you.

Don’t underestimate the value of investing in editing and marketing, if you want to sell books.

Many authors underestimate the time needed to prepare their manuscript. The time required for self-editing, professional editing, revising, and re-editing can be extensive.

Never skip the professional assessment and developmental edit of your manuscript. Many authors often focus on editing the syntax when the story isn’t any good. Make sure your message is engaging first. Once you have a powerful story and a defined audience, make sure you edit to eliminate any errors before you submit or share.

Question four for Alexa: What is an average publishing timeline and how should an author plan for editing within that schedule?

Secret #4 – Plan to invest time and money for publishing.

Be prepared to spend at least 3-6 months or more preparing your book before approaching your agent/publisher. You can work simultaneously on building your platform while making your editorial revisions.

Budget a minimum of $5,000 or more for publishing. Be prepared to spend up to a year or more prepping your finished manuscript for launch. Plan for editing, building your platform, designing your cover, marketing, launching, and more. Once you have an agent or publisher, they will need at least 6 months to prepare for launch.

Question five for Alexa: How do you recommend an author approach editorial revisions?

Secret #5: Make all revisions and corrections BEFORE you seek a publisher.

Revisions take time and energy. It is often an essential phase of self-editing that is overlooked by authors because they think the editor will “finish” the book. Truthfully, editors will ask you to make a lot of changes, corrections, deletions, and improvements in the first round of editing. Once you have completed those, you will need to re-edit the new manuscript to ensure it is polished and ready to submit.

Question six for Alexa: What are your top tips for publishing prep?

Secret #6: Know the different possible publishing paths and prepare accordingly.

Plan to be involved in each step of publishing. Regardless if you are an indie self-publishing author, a traditionally published author, or an author following the hybrid path, you need to know all the steps and be prepared to assist in each stage so your book can succeed.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us. We would love to assist you with your editing and publishing needs.

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