Self-editing for Self-publishers: Incorporating—A Style Guide for Fiction

by Richard Bradburn

A comprehensive modern manual on how to self-edit your book.Written by a professional editor, this book gives you a clear and easy-to-follow process that mirrors the editing that a traditionally published book undergoes.Broken down into structural, sentence-level and proofreading stages, each section is copiously illustrated with before-and-after edited examples.In it, you will find answers to all the commonly asked questions, "Should I have a prologue?""How do I punctuate dialogue properly?""How many characters are too many characters?""How do I write thoughts?""Is passive voice always wrong?"Included in the appendices are useful guides to other problematic How to use beta readersHow to write a synopsisWhat to look for when hiring an editorPros and cons of editing softwareThis book will make you a better writer, and save you money on professional editing fees. It is your complete, easy-to-read, bang-up-to-date self-editing solution!Read what other authors and editors have said about "I have read articles, watched videos etc about writing, but I have learned more from your book than from all of those other sources together. It is also very well-written, precise and with specific examples and makes an enjoyable as well as educational read." "This is an invaluable resource for a growing subset of writers ... everything I’ve ever wanted to say to self-publishing authors, presented clearly and respectfully.""An invaluable guide for aspiring indie authors. I will cherish this book."" I have read it twice now and am reading the first part, the part about developmental editing, for a third time. I expect to read the whole book several more times in the next couple of years."As recommended by professional editors worldwide. Self-editing is not a substitute for employing a professional editor. For your book to be the very best it can be, you will still need another set of eyes on it. Diligently following the advice in this book, however, means that your editor will have far less work to do, and therefore charge a fraction of what they would have needed to charge to edit a rough first draft.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts

682 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2020

Reviews

[David MacNamera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for discussion of editing and its sundry aspects.

[Lynda Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-editing for Self-publishers is the best new resource out there for not only self-publishers, but writers of all levels who want to make sure their manuscripts are as polished as possible before taking the next step in the publishing process.

For those who are newer to the writing game, author Richard Bradburn covers all the basics, based on what he’s seen as a book editor. He examines the most common errors all writers make, and then provides clear instruction and easy-to-implement advice.

The book is split into three basic parts: the first part explains exactly what’s involved in self-editing, which is a little different than simple revisions. Bradburn encourages writers to put themselves in the place of an agent, a publisher, or a reader to distance themselves enough to work effectively. The second part focuses on the big-picture items like plot, character, and pacing, giving examples in abundance. The third part takes the writer to the sentence level and shows how to find, analyze, and fix what’s wrong or what’s weak.

This book explores differences in the many varieties of English used all over the world, and gives examples across the board. There are six appendices to help with everything from point of view issues to the use of editing software.

Whether you plan to self-publish or get your manuscript in tip-top shape to query an agent, this resource can help from every angle. Consider it the updated, even-more-thorough version of Browne & King’s Self-editing for Fiction Writers—a terrific book on its own, but now sixteen years past its release date, leaving writers in need of something more current and applicable in today’s market.

Self-editing for Self-publishers is a book I’m not only happy to recommend, but glad to have on my own resource shelf.

[Levi Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick review (11/12/22)
5 stars

A solid and comprehensive book that I will be referring to multiple times in the future.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and thorough. I like his emphasis on self-publishing. He also emphasizes the need for authors to turn off their creative minds when they start to edit and becoming readers. As Zadie Smith says, “You need to become its reader instead of its writer.”

[Kat Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-editing for Self-publishers is a premium resource for authors who want to self-edit their work. While Bradburn makes it clear that self-editing is best followed by a professional edit (and I agree), this book helps narrow the writer's focus so they can attend to one thing at a time (at least until they're more confident in their editing prowess).

I would recommend Self-editing for Self-publishers to authors who want to make their work the best they can make it while flying solo. Naturally, publishing a book is a team effort, but either you end up with a better manuscript to send off to your editor, or you end up with a better solo self-published book. Whichever way you look at it, it's a win.

[Jonathan J Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're a novice writer or a successful author, this book is a great reference for every work in progress. It touches on all the aspects of editing and guides the reader (writer) through a process of how to make your book easier on the next professional set of eyes. Extremely helpful.

[Sarah Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a helpful guide, and easy to read. I hope to put the advice into practice shortly

[Linda Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book Knowing what an editor will be looking for has improved my writing.

[Lynn-Alexandria McKendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and helpful book that everyone who is editing a novel should read. This book is crammed with information that every writer should know. It's easy to understand and goes into so many aspects of editing that a first time novelist may not know.

This is an absolute must-have for anyone writing a book be it fiction or non-fiction.