Guest blog by Beth Miller (Swoboda) of Wordbender Editing

Okay, the title is a little gory, isn’t it? Well, that’s just what happens when the “real feel” outside is three degrees, there’s snow on the ground, and I’m asked to write a blog on editing.
Red on white. Blood on snow. I mean, in reality, editing is very gory (ask any serious writer), so . . . roll with me? I’ve recently been asked a few times, “What does it take to get a book published?” The publishing part is easy, if you go the self-published route. All you have to do is upload a document into Kindle Direct and, barring any glitches, follow the prompts. Boom. Done.
However, what writers should be asking is, “What does it take to get my manuscript ready for publication?” Now, that, my friends, is a big can of worms that I’m going to try to work through with you right now.
Plan, Prewrite, Write, Rewrite, Edit
Remember learning that in school? This, though, is only the tip of the iceberg. So, assuming you’ve already planned let’s start with the prewrite. You need to write, write, write enough to know the world thoroughly and deeply to its most inner parts. And guess what. Very little of that should be used in your novel. While prewriting might seem like a waste of time, this is when you get to explore your world and your characters. You need to know them so much
better than any reader—and probably better than you realize.
Your goal is to be able to sit down to write the book knowing your characters and world so well that the imagery just flows through you onto the pages without the need to “build your world” for your readers. Your story, your characters, and your plot should build it for you.
Once you can do that, you’re ready to write—not to say you haven’t already spent time on chapters or scenes, but now it’s time to flesh them out within your story. Now is story time!
Enjoy! Get it all down on paper.
Then you rewrite. Take what was spewed and organize it. Do you think you wrote it well as you were initially writing? I can tell you from loads of experience that you’re most likely wrong.
Critique your writing. Does the imagery make sense? Does dialogue use a lot of tags or do the characters exude what’s happening around them without the need for “he said”? Will readers want to read about your characters? Is your plot motivating?
After your rewrite, edit it the manuscript to the best of your ability.
We’ll get to professional editing in a moment.
Drafts
How long have you spent writing your book? Have you put it away for a few months, or even years? Time is perspective. Sometimes it’s incredibly helpful to put a piece away for a while and come back to it fresh. Don’t be afraid to tear it apart and build it back up after letting it rest for a while. Sometimes, this is the difference between 2D and 3D characters.
At this point, you might have worked through several drafts. Good. Now, here’s where it gets a little tricky.
You really, really need to have it peer edited. Hopefully you’re already a part of a writing group. If not, please try to get into one or start one. There’s nothing like peer editing to set you straight. However, I, as well as people I’ve known, have gotten stuck in writing groups that don’t critique well enough. Therefore, be clear about your goals. You want someone to really tear your writing apart so you can learn.
I know. Tricky, right? And painful. But it’s worth it. I promise.
You can find writing groups online or even at your local library. If you have writing friends, gather them all together and make one yourself. Set a goal for a certain number of pages per week or month to be peer edited. Trade your work. Then really spend time on other members’ work. You want them to spend quality time on yours, so make sure you make it worth it for
them as well. Be prepared to learn. I’ve edited for years, and I still enjoy seeing others’ writing techniques!
Once you’ve worked with a writing group for a significant amount of time and have taken their advice and reworked your book chapter by chapter, go ahead and polish this draft. Then ask friends and family or even coworkers and your writing group to read the manuscript as a whole and give you feedback. Please do yourself a favor and humbly take their feedback to heart.
There are literally millions upon millions of books in print. Why should someone pick up yours?
If you haven’t taken the time to gather opinions and learn from them, why should anyone want to buy your book?
Professional Editing
The first thing I normally tell writers is, when you send your manuscript to me thinking it’s about finished, that’s when your work actually begins. Do not hang your coat up just because you sent your book to your editor. In all likelihood, the real work for you is about to get started.
Writing is not for the faint of heart.
Please also understand that receiving your book back will hurt. A lot. Especially the first time you send one to your editor. You might need a day, week, or month to recover from the shock, get over denial, or let your anger peter out, but, if you’re truly up to the task of writing your book, you’ll take the bull by the horns and get the job done.
Learn, learn, learn. Take what I and others say to heart. Grow from it.
On my part, I bleed all over these manuscripts. I write detailed comments to help coach you through sticky spots or areas with holes or that I can see you’ve struggled with. I’m a teacher at heart, and I never just want to send a manuscript back with red all over it and no explanation. I try to guide writers and give examples of what might be needed. The most rewarding thing to me is sending a manuscript to a writer riddled with comments and edits and getting it back a few months later beautifully fleshed out with lovely prose.
This and That
There are a few things that usually surprise clients at first. For instance, editing takes time—not just for me to work on it. It can take several drafts once you start working with your editor to come out with a polished product.
Something else that can really throw people is that they’re not paying me to rewrite for them. My job is to point out problems, and it’s the writer’s job to fix it. I usually give examples, and I thoroughly explain the issues, and I’m happy to walk through difficult spots with the writer, but it’s important for the writing voice to stay the same and for you to rework your book as you see fit after gaining a professional opinion.
Speaking of which, you’re paying me for my professional opinion, and I will not hold back. Take heart, though. If you’ve learned through all of this, your next book will be a breeze. I always get excited when an author I’ve previously worked with sends me another book. It’s usually so much more polished, so much better developed, so much cleaner in general. What a pleasure to read!
As you work, consider the levels of editing your book will go through:
 Developmental – you and peers do this during the development of the manuscript
 Content – this covers format, style, content
 Copyediting – your typical mechanics, prose, and style
 Line editing – line by line for conciseness and clarity of language
 Proofreading – spelling, punctuation, grammar
If you’re dismayed by the layers of effort it takes to make your manuscript publishable, ponder why you are writing. Writing doesn’t have to be as dramatic as blood on snow, but I’ve noticed good writing always rends the heart a little—but that’s what gives books their souls.
An old professor of mine used to say, “All writers are preachers—we have something we need to say.”
What do you need to say?
Are you up to the challenge?
If you’re interested in further reading on this topic, I wrote a funny post several years ago.