Editing Fever

Wow! Last week I posted early so that I wouldn't forget and then today, it just slipped my mind, not that the day is too far-gone, but I usually try to do this earlier. Anyway, I'm sure we all are busy, busy. Make your week great!


There are so many types of edits: proofreading, copy-editing and developmental editing.

Each one is a cog in the wheel that turns your manuscript into something publishable.

Tips

• Read aloud your stories. It is easier to find mistakes when you try reading the sentences aloud. 
• Start in different places when writing so that you're not correcting one section more than the others.
• Have others make critiques. Get some fresh eyes on those words.
• Set a goal. It can be exhausting and frustrating to edit your own work. Take breaks and give yourself time to think about it.
• Set it down for a while. If you're really struggling to look at it objectively then maybe you need a longer break like a month to sort out your feelings from what needs to be done.
• Print it out. This is if you normally type your stories. Sometimes a physical copy is what you need to make those marks, and you can always use colorful pens!

I try to be available for my friends, but thorough edits takes a lot of time.

Also, I'm wondering which do you think is better?

Reading all the way through a story without stopping and then editing - OR - editing as you go along so that all of your comments are from your first reactions.

I can't decide and while I usually edit with my first impressions, I'm afraid that I might be distancing myself from the story and not allowing myself to read it as a reader. Any suggestions or thoughts?