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The Ten Day Edit: A Writer's Guide to Editing a Novel in Ten Days
You’ve written a novel. Now to perfect it.
Fortunately, it isn’t as hard as you think.
Through this step-by-step ten day challenge, The Ten Day Edit will help you face the overwhelm that comes with editing a novel. Along the way, it’ll teach you everything you need to know to master the editing process, create a page-turning story, and build a team of readers to support you.
You’ll learn to:
• Organize the editing process, stay focused, and maximize your time with a game plan built for your story.
• Strengthen your story through advanced skills like scene and chapter structure.
• Work with beta readers, critique partners, and editors to hone your skills.
• Perfect your prose, opening line, and title to create a professional-level manuscript.
• Bring it all together in a final novel ready to share with the world!
Each day of this editing challenge comes with easy to follow prompts and intuitive goals, helping you make sense of the editing process. By the end, The Ten Day Edit will have guided you from a first draft to a finished novel! What are you waiting for?
Fortunately, it isn’t as hard as you think.
Through this step-by-step ten day challenge, The Ten Day Edit will help you face the overwhelm that comes with editing a novel. Along the way, it’ll teach you everything you need to know to master the editing process, create a page-turning story, and build a team of readers to support you.
You’ll learn to:
• Organize the editing process, stay focused, and maximize your time with a game plan built for your story.
• Strengthen your story through advanced skills like scene and chapter structure.
• Work with beta readers, critique partners, and editors to hone your skills.
• Perfect your prose, opening line, and title to create a professional-level manuscript.
• Bring it all together in a final novel ready to share with the world!
Each day of this editing challenge comes with easy to follow prompts and intuitive goals, helping you make sense of the editing process. By the end, The Ten Day Edit will have guided you from a first draft to a finished novel! What are you waiting for?
- GenresWritingNonfiction
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2020
73 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 7, 2020
The Ten Day Edit keeps an upbeat, motivational, and understanding tone that really helped keep my mind off the incredible workload I have ahead of me; by the time I finished reading it, I had been given a through understanding of the editing process without worrying about how I’d ever learn it all.
I have one first draft that I completed a few years ago and abandoned due to having no clue where to stat revisions, and am currently around three quarters through the first draft of another novel that I plan on eventually publishing. Although I follow the author’s blog, I have not yet read either of his other books in this series; thankfully, you don’t have to in order to follow along with this one.
Although there’s plenty of wiggle room around the “ten day” part, it’s made very clear each first draft has its own needs and will require different amounts of time to edit. The real “ten day” part of this has to do with figuring our what kind of editing you need to do. It’s a nice, concrete, step-by-step plan that’s easy to follow and customize for your own draft.
The first few “days” walk you through finding your story structure, your characters, and your theme; it’s all about the analysis of your draft. Then comes scenes and chapter structure, feedback, and all the way down to prose and proofreading, before finishing with the first line (ironically, but well-placed help nevertheless) and title (if you don’t already have one).
Along with solid editing advice, there were some lines that managed to express ideas I’d come across before in an entirely new light—something I find extremely helpful whenever I read new writing advice. I even broke out the digital highlighter, which is a first for me.
I always approve of color coding in theory, but it rarely works for me when writing fiction. I really appreciated how it was used here, and I think it’ll now work much better for me than my previous attempts. The purposes and how-tos for everything were well-explained and left me feeling like I now have a plan. I’m excited to try it on my own drafts!
I do disagree with the “general rule” that endings post-climax should be wrapped up as quickly as possible; I love long endings, and I personally wish the Return of the King movie, to use the example this book did, had a longer ending like Tolkien’s book—but I know a lot of endings can easily drag on, so I see the point of the advice. It’s just something I tend to disagree with, because the type of ending you need really just depends on what kind of book you’re writing—but it’s one of the only pieces of advice in The Ten Day Edit that I see any reason to pick at, and it’s a small one.
I really like the list of completed goals offered at the end of each chapter; it’s a nice way to quickly summarize what happened each day so you don’t lose track. Even better, they’re all listed together at the end of the book for easy reference!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion or the integrity of my review.
I have one first draft that I completed a few years ago and abandoned due to having no clue where to stat revisions, and am currently around three quarters through the first draft of another novel that I plan on eventually publishing. Although I follow the author’s blog, I have not yet read either of his other books in this series; thankfully, you don’t have to in order to follow along with this one.
Although there’s plenty of wiggle room around the “ten day” part, it’s made very clear each first draft has its own needs and will require different amounts of time to edit. The real “ten day” part of this has to do with figuring our what kind of editing you need to do. It’s a nice, concrete, step-by-step plan that’s easy to follow and customize for your own draft.
The first few “days” walk you through finding your story structure, your characters, and your theme; it’s all about the analysis of your draft. Then comes scenes and chapter structure, feedback, and all the way down to prose and proofreading, before finishing with the first line (ironically, but well-placed help nevertheless) and title (if you don’t already have one).
Along with solid editing advice, there were some lines that managed to express ideas I’d come across before in an entirely new light—something I find extremely helpful whenever I read new writing advice. I even broke out the digital highlighter, which is a first for me.
I always approve of color coding in theory, but it rarely works for me when writing fiction. I really appreciated how it was used here, and I think it’ll now work much better for me than my previous attempts. The purposes and how-tos for everything were well-explained and left me feeling like I now have a plan. I’m excited to try it on my own drafts!
I do disagree with the “general rule” that endings post-climax should be wrapped up as quickly as possible; I love long endings, and I personally wish the Return of the King movie, to use the example this book did, had a longer ending like Tolkien’s book—but I know a lot of endings can easily drag on, so I see the point of the advice. It’s just something I tend to disagree with, because the type of ending you need really just depends on what kind of book you’re writing—but it’s one of the only pieces of advice in The Ten Day Edit that I see any reason to pick at, and it’s a small one.
I really like the list of completed goals offered at the end of each chapter; it’s a nice way to quickly summarize what happened each day so you don’t lose track. Even better, they’re all listed together at the end of the book for easy reference!
”At its core, this ten day challenge isn’t here to rush you, but to guide you.”
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion or the integrity of my review.
April 20, 2020
Before I read The Ten Day Edit, by Lewis Jorstad, I completed the first draft of my first novel and kind of analyzed it myself. I took out some extraneous scenes and put in some needed scenes. Now what do I do? I read four books on self-editing. They all gave good advice. Some of it was pretty granular (avoid adverbs, watch your dialogue tags, etc.) and some of it was pretty general (show rather than tell, write believable characters). Gaahh! Where and how do I start?
Then I read The Ten Day Edit. This book is “just the ticket,” as my grandfather used to say. Jorstad shows you how to attack self-editing in an organized fashion. He gets your materials set up. He gets you in the right mindset. Then he demonstrates in a very conversational manner where and how to begin and how to organize your manuscript analysis in a form you add to all the way through the process. You never ask, “Okay, where do I go from here?” He’s always there with the next step, which builds on the last, so you don’t have to go back and do things over.
Jorstad shows how to make sure your scenes and chapters “snap” for the reader. He gives you a process for “spiffing up” (he calls it “refining”) your characters, descriptions, and dialogue. He directs you at what points to go into your manuscript and make the revisions you have identified. He describes how to proofread your manuscript. And—for me, this is much needed bonus—He tells how to find beta readers, writing partners, and professional editors, and what kind of feedback to expect from them.
I have read Lewis Jorstad’s blog from time to time and found it quite helpful. I received an advanced copy of The Ten Day Edit for review. I am so impressed with it that now I’ll buy his other books—The Ten Day Outline and The Ten Day Draft. Maybe I’ll write my next novel in months rather than years!
Then I read The Ten Day Edit. This book is “just the ticket,” as my grandfather used to say. Jorstad shows you how to attack self-editing in an organized fashion. He gets your materials set up. He gets you in the right mindset. Then he demonstrates in a very conversational manner where and how to begin and how to organize your manuscript analysis in a form you add to all the way through the process. You never ask, “Okay, where do I go from here?” He’s always there with the next step, which builds on the last, so you don’t have to go back and do things over.
Jorstad shows how to make sure your scenes and chapters “snap” for the reader. He gives you a process for “spiffing up” (he calls it “refining”) your characters, descriptions, and dialogue. He directs you at what points to go into your manuscript and make the revisions you have identified. He describes how to proofread your manuscript. And—for me, this is much needed bonus—He tells how to find beta readers, writing partners, and professional editors, and what kind of feedback to expect from them.
I have read Lewis Jorstad’s blog from time to time and found it quite helpful. I received an advanced copy of The Ten Day Edit for review. I am so impressed with it that now I’ll buy his other books—The Ten Day Outline and The Ten Day Draft. Maybe I’ll write my next novel in months rather than years!
July 26, 2020
Incredibly helpful book, but the ten days mentioned is misleading (by the way, Jorstad acknowledges this within the book, so it isn't like there is a lack of awareness there. That's just reality: you cannot edit an entire manuscript in 10 days).
One of the things I loved about this book was the way it broke down the editing process, going from wide-scale edits to tight, up-close edits. I also loved that it acknowledged what kinds of other readers you could have (beta readers, critique partners, professional editors) and how many of them you would need, and why each one serves a different, important role in the finished product of your book.
For me, this book has been extremely helpful in breaking down the different parts of editing and giving me a tangible to-do list. While it definitely takes longer than ten days (and there are built-in rests, like giving your beta readers, critique partners, etc, time to read it), you know where you're at during the whole process because Jorstad makes it clear.
I love that one recommendation is how to make a reverse outline. Essentially, you can adapt your previous outline, or create a new outline, that breaks down each scene into it's core, allowing you to see things like gaps in the story, places where nothing really happens, and places where a lot happens (and maybe needs to be more scenes than it is). That said, a lot of this book, once again, overlaps his other two books. It also makes sense that he'd call it the ten-day edit for consistency's sake with the other two ten-day writing books, but because this takes much longer, I wish he'd been more clear that it's a step-by-step process (and not a 10 day process).
This book is for:
-Writers who want a tangible day-by-day to-do list for the editing process
-Writers who aren't afraid to break down their manuscript and rip it to shreds using a reverse outline
-Writers who don't have an editing process, or who need one that works better, faster, and more effectively than what they've got
One of the things I loved about this book was the way it broke down the editing process, going from wide-scale edits to tight, up-close edits. I also loved that it acknowledged what kinds of other readers you could have (beta readers, critique partners, professional editors) and how many of them you would need, and why each one serves a different, important role in the finished product of your book.
For me, this book has been extremely helpful in breaking down the different parts of editing and giving me a tangible to-do list. While it definitely takes longer than ten days (and there are built-in rests, like giving your beta readers, critique partners, etc, time to read it), you know where you're at during the whole process because Jorstad makes it clear.
I love that one recommendation is how to make a reverse outline. Essentially, you can adapt your previous outline, or create a new outline, that breaks down each scene into it's core, allowing you to see things like gaps in the story, places where nothing really happens, and places where a lot happens (and maybe needs to be more scenes than it is). That said, a lot of this book, once again, overlaps his other two books. It also makes sense that he'd call it the ten-day edit for consistency's sake with the other two ten-day writing books, but because this takes much longer, I wish he'd been more clear that it's a step-by-step process (and not a 10 day process).
This book is for:
-Writers who want a tangible day-by-day to-do list for the editing process
-Writers who aren't afraid to break down their manuscript and rip it to shreds using a reverse outline
-Writers who don't have an editing process, or who need one that works better, faster, and more effectively than what they've got
May 2, 2020
I've been swimming in my various manuscripts for years; reliving favorite scenes, adding a new one if the muse visits, avoiding the "boring" parts, never tinkering with more than a line or two a time, basically enjoying the rush of creativity and imagination while postponing the harsh reality of having to look at these scenes and characters as a whole, afraid to cull and destroy what I've spent so long cultivating. But the point has been reached where I want to have a finished book, or twelve, in my hands before I get too old. I began to research which resources might be the most helpful.
Out of what I have collected, The Ten Day Outline and The Ten Day Draft have spoken to me the clearest. Both have been great for organizing my bits and pieces into a framework. The Ten Day Edit has arrived right in time, as I was wondering how can I set an objective eye on what is so familiar and get my drafts to their optimal form. Each step is introduced carefully and slowly, knowing the best route is to keep each element manageable, building off the previous, eyes forward, until he stops and tells you to turn around so you can see just far how you've made it up the mountain.
With this guide, I am actually feeling hopeful and looking forward to applying these steps to all of my works in progress. Thank you.
Out of what I have collected, The Ten Day Outline and The Ten Day Draft have spoken to me the clearest. Both have been great for organizing my bits and pieces into a framework. The Ten Day Edit has arrived right in time, as I was wondering how can I set an objective eye on what is so familiar and get my drafts to their optimal form. Each step is introduced carefully and slowly, knowing the best route is to keep each element manageable, building off the previous, eyes forward, until he stops and tells you to turn around so you can see just far how you've made it up the mountain.
With this guide, I am actually feeling hopeful and looking forward to applying these steps to all of my works in progress. Thank you.
April 25, 2020
I appreciate the work done in this book; it's obvious that a lot of thought, time, and effort went into writing it. It was understandable and easily one of the best editing guides on the market right now.
One of my favorite parts was that Lewis Jorstad used popular movies as references and examples throughout the book. This addition adds a more relatable and helps the reader/ writer gain a better understanding of the goal. It also helped me learn to love the editing process.
This editing book was very helpful to me, being a first time writer right now, to know the proper, thorough way of editing a novel. I received an ARC online and while I read it, I took notes of the simple processes used to compile and clean up your novel. It helped me weed out my plot holes, develop my characters to their fullest potential, and make my novel better.
I will be sure to buy and use Lewis Jorstad's other two books ("The Ten Day Outline" and "The Ten Day Draft") to write the sequels (if I can get a publisher and original editor for the first one AND it brings in good reviews).
Thank you so much for your detailed editing guide, Mr. Jorstad!
One of my favorite parts was that Lewis Jorstad used popular movies as references and examples throughout the book. This addition adds a more relatable and helps the reader/ writer gain a better understanding of the goal. It also helped me learn to love the editing process.
This editing book was very helpful to me, being a first time writer right now, to know the proper, thorough way of editing a novel. I received an ARC online and while I read it, I took notes of the simple processes used to compile and clean up your novel. It helped me weed out my plot holes, develop my characters to their fullest potential, and make my novel better.
I will be sure to buy and use Lewis Jorstad's other two books ("The Ten Day Outline" and "The Ten Day Draft") to write the sequels (if I can get a publisher and original editor for the first one AND it brings in good reviews).
Thank you so much for your detailed editing guide, Mr. Jorstad!
April 22, 2020
What makes The Ten Day Edit different from other self-editing books I've read is the practical exercises included in each chapter. As implied by the title, Lewis has broken down the editing process into a manageable ten days, providing action items to be completed each day. While this is the third book in the series, you certainly don't need to have read the other two books to follow this one. Where a chapter draws on the writing craft covered in book one or two, such as the key elements of a scene, Lewis has provided a thorough review. As a bonus, all the steps covered each day are summarized at the end of the book for easy reference.
August 6, 2022
Once you get past the fact that the title is a misnomer- the author doesn’t actually advise you edit your novel in ten days - and that there is a certain amount of repetition from the first book in the series, this is a solid guide to editing.
Beginners and more experienced writers will find something of interest in this concise guide to editing your novel. I think the guide outlined in this book could be adapted to any length of work.
An interesting and helpful resource.
Beginners and more experienced writers will find something of interest in this concise guide to editing your novel. I think the guide outlined in this book could be adapted to any length of work.
An interesting and helpful resource.
September 19, 2020
Excellent editing book
This book is very good. Has many useful information.
I've edited several of my novels and find that all he postulates here is absolutely valid.
Of course, it's more like ten milestones rather than days, but still a very useful guide of how to approach editing.
Highly recommended.
This book is very good. Has many useful information.
I've edited several of my novels and find that all he postulates here is absolutely valid.
Of course, it's more like ten milestones rather than days, but still a very useful guide of how to approach editing.
Highly recommended.
May 4, 2020
This book does exactly what the title promises. You are walked through the process of turning your manuscript into a final product, ready to go into professional hands. It is by far the best book on the subject that I’ve read.
I received a free copy of this book for review.
I received a free copy of this book for review.
March 16, 2021
Goodness, this is full of helpful information. I feel much more ready to tackle my first draft after reading this book & look forward to implementing the tips within.
April 23, 2021
Love this so much I brought the other two in the series.
May 20, 2021
Thought this book had some great information, I feel that it was too cluttered. I gained some insight but I thought it would be a little more concise. Also, it is not a ten day editing process, the plan lays out weeks, or months, of editing processes, depending on how quickly you mentally can take on the projects. I did not anticipate being able to fully edit a novel in ten short days; however, I believe it could be deceiving to the new author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews