How the Editing Process Works in Self-Publishing

Grab a coffee… this is a long one!⁣

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Someone asked me the other day what my editing process was like, so I thought I’d share it here if anyone else was curious.⁣

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DRAFT 1: I try to NEVER edit until I’m done with draft 1. ⁣I want to. So bad. I think of things halfway through and want to go back and add them, but I don't. I just make separate notes about how I'd like to change things when draft 2 comes about.

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DRAFT 2: During draft 2 I’ll add in anything I think needs to be added in order to move the story along. I'll change locations of paragraphs to keep the flow and fix any grammar errors I come across. I usually add A LOT of context here. ⁣More details about the characters and their backstories.

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DRAFT 3: By draft three, I'm usually focusing mostly on grammar and fixing anything I may have missed in draft 2. Things like- Sometimes I change a character’s name halfway thru draft 2 and forget to fix it in the first half. ⁣For example, in Break-In & Eggs, I accidentally called Declan by his last name a few times throughout and noticed this in Draft 3, so I had change it.

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DRAFT 4: After draft 3, I send the manuscript off to my beta readers and they provide feedback which I compile and use when working on draft 4. Did they feel a chapter needed more? Did they not get to know a character well enough? Things like that. ⁣

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DRAFT 5: I’ll read my manuscript one more time before it goes off to my editor! ⁣

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Draft 6 and sometimes 7 or 8: Depending on the comments from my editor we may go back and forth for more than 1 round to polish it off and make sure it's good to go!

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Then, it’s ready to be formatted and uploaded for publishing!!! ⁣

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Phew, I know that was a lot! Questions?!? Ask away and I'll answer some question in my Instagram stories this coming week!

Want to read more from Courtney? Check out her novels!