Neil Turner asked Neil Turner:

How many rounds of editing do you complete for each novel?

Neil Turner This is a timely question, as I’m in the midst of editing my eighth Tony Valenti Thriller, A Law Unto Itself. There isn’t a set number of rounds I adhere to, but the process is generally as follows: After completing the first draft, I go through the manuscript a couple of times, paring it down, cutting scenes that aren’t necessary, adding scenes as needed, and generally shaping the story into something readable. I’ll do some editorial and copy-editing-type work at this stage. Next step is sending it to beta readers, who provide me with a good sense of what’s right, what’s wrong, and what’s missing. I have also sent manuscripts out for a professional editorial or structural edit at this stage, which supplements the insights from my beta readers. After reworking the manuscript to incorporate those thoughts, I’ll do another pass that starts drilling down to something much closer to the finished product in term of structure, characterization, and pacing. I also run the story through an online tool called AutoCrit, which inevitably tells me that I’ve overdone my dialogue tags and also shines a light on one or two of my other persistent bad habits. Then it’s off to copy-editing. Now that I’m growing really tired of editing, it’s time for proofreading, proofreading, and more proofreading. When I think I’m done, I reluctantly push myself to complete a final pass through the manuscript using the software’s read aloud feature, which inevitably picks up yet another few things we’ve all somehow missed. At this point, I hate the story with a passion and never want to see it again. Ever!

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