If your write, you must edit

[Hock]

The rough rule of thumb is to process one's manuscript four times. I don't know anyone who can afford that. So here's a blog post on DIY editing.

Fair warning - it takes work.

http://hockgtjoa.blogspot.com/2016/10...

[Trish]

My tip is to listen to your book. Not have someone read it out to you, but have your computer read it! I listen through the View - Read Out Loud option after saving my file as a PDF.

It picks up those missing 'a's, 'the's etc and extra ones too. Also helps you catch words/expressions that are repeated in a paragraph and those times when you changed your tense but missed switching -ing to -ed.

Thanks for this blog Hock!

Trish

[Effie]

Trish,
I record my book on voice memo after i've done several recites and edits. i do it before i send it to my editor. It's amazing how much i pick up just saying it out loud and then even more when I listen to it back. Aside from extra words, and grammatical errors, I find awkward sentences and dialogue that I know could sound better. After I get the MS back from the editor and make all her changes, I record it against to make sure it's exactly where it should be.

[Hock]

Thanks for the tip about PDF, Trish.

Effie, what voice recorder do you use - please send me a PM if you prefer to keep this thread "commercial free"! Thanks in advance.

[Effie]

Hock, I have an iPhone and I use my voice memo app. It's only for my purposes. it's not for anyone else to hear. Both of my books are on audible but they were recorded professionally.

[Trish]

Effie wrote: "Trish,
I record my book on voice memo after i've done several recites and edits. i do it before i send it to my editor. It's amazing how much i pick up just saying it out loud and then even more w..."

Effie, I hear that but are you reading it aloud onto your voice memo app? I think it's a great idea, but one of the things getting the computer to read it helps with is those things our eyes and brain 'fix' for us when we read. Just FYI.

Thanks for your tip - I'd love to get mine on audible!

Trish

[Hector]

Hi, I've recently published my debut novel and afterwards when I read it on my kindle I picked up on few errors.
I'm editing my 2nd novel and after I edited it on desktop (twice) I mailed it to my kindle.
My conclusion: For some reason (maybe because I am used to the kindle format) I pick up errors much easier when I use the kindle format.

Hector

[Tito]

Hector wrote: "Hi, I've recently published my debut novel and afterwards when I read it on my kindle I picked up on few errors.
I'm editing my 2nd novel and after I edited it on desktop (twice) I mailed it to my ..."

When I put out my 'Other Rome' series I must have read and re-read well over a dozen times. Now I have the hard copy in front of me and there are still typos, words transposed, etc., that the eye will always glide over. The only answer is a completely fresh set of eyes.