Letting Your Book Sit - The After Process

 

LETTING YOUR BOOKS SIT

Last week I talked about the editing process as a whole (piece found here), and I mentioned that there's a period where it's better to let your book sit after writing that first draft. I don't think it's anything I've really discussed on the blog, but I have mentioned it along the way. Today I thought I would go more into detail as to why it's a really good idea to let your book sit rather than rushing through into revisions.

A caveat, I am a full time author, and have a large backlog of books that are in various stages of revision. Therefore, I generally always have the time to let a book sit for a longer period than most because I have that backlog. I publish two books a year, and I draft about four new ones in that time. My process works for me, but it might not for you, and that's okay.

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about what the idea is behind letting your first draft have some breathing room before you jump into revising it. The premise is simple enough, you're the author of that work and ergo, you know what's going to happen when, and you're not able to look at it with fresh eyes because you've just spent however long writing the story. You have the plan, if you're a planner, and if not, you still have a lot of knowledge about what happens from chapter to chapter. If you jump right back in, you maybe won't see glaring plot holes, or the like. You might just see your story as a whole because right after writing you are too close to be able to revise it.

Like I said above, a lot of people don't have the time to let their book sit before revising, and if that works for them, that's great. Personally, I'd advise at least a couple of weeks, or a month or two, if you're able. This is simply so that you have some distance and you're able to refill your well and maybe forget some parts of the story. That when when you go back to it with somewhat fresh eyes, you're able to see the story as a reader might.

The longer you're able to put between you finishing that draft and then picking it back up again the better. Like I said above, I do a good year between finishing and starting revisions, and sometimes it's longer than that. I'm aware that I'm in a very unique position and that's why it works for me. But I do have some tips if you're unable to put too much distance between the end of writing and the start of revisions.

#1 TRY A NEW FORMAT
Personally, I always like to have my books read to me at some stage in the revisions process. If I can have the document up and hear it read in a robotic voice, then it gives me a new perspective on the story as a whole. This can also be the case if you were to read it as an ebook, or print it out and read it on paper. Putting the story in a new format can let you get a different scope on it, and allow you to see things that you might have missed otherwise.

#2 CHANGE THE FONT
Similar to a new format, changing the font from what you usually use to something completely different is a great way to start looking at your project with fresh eyes. It's amazing how easy it is to spot mistakes when you're eyes are adjusting to a different style than you're used to. I've used this during revisions and it really does do wonders.

And finally #3 MAKE A NEW OUTLINE
This might sound like a lot of work for those who've already outlined during drafting, but this one is for the pantsers out there. I didn't use to do this, and then a couple of years ago I discovered that after I read the draft a few times, I started to connect the dots better if I made notes, and then made a detailed outline. I've done this for a good number of books now and it really does work. I know what's supposed to be happening in each chapter and I'm more able to see where there are plot holes I might have missed otherwise. It's better, for me, than simply reading it over and over again and trying to remember where things need to be added in. I keep doing this until I'm happy with the draft and then I move onto betas.

So there we go, why letting your book sit is a good idea, how I do it, and why you should try to do it too, and some tips if you can't get that same amount of space as you'd have liked to. If you have any tips, lemme know in the comments below!

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The Editing Process - The After Process

 

THE EDITING PROCESS

I've not talked about the whole editing process as a whole in a long while. I have discussed my editing process, which you can find here, and other bits and pieces about it, but I thought today I would dive into the editing process full stop. If you're a newbie writer and have just started or finished your first book, this is the piece for you because I'm gonna be going through all the steps you need to take when it comes to editing.

Just to get a few things out of the way, I see editing and revising as different things. Revising is when you're the only one making changes, or looking at the document. It's usually part of that after writing process, but usually happens after a bit of a break from the manuscript (piece coming next week!) For me editing is when you start to involve other people, like betas, critique partners, developmental editors and so on. This is what I'm going to be talking about today simply because everyone's revision journey has a different look and I don't think I have anything to add to the conversation there. But if you'd like me to, then lemme know in the comments!

STEP #1 BETAS/CRITIQUE PARTNERS
This is usually something you'll do after having gone through revisions yourself over a few drafts. The exact number doesn't exist because it depends on the book, on you, and so on. If you don't know, betas are readers from your target audience who read the book and give you feedback on what works, what doesn't, what they enjoyed, what they didn't, and characters, pacing and the like. This is generally a free service, though you can pay for betas, though I never have.

Critique partners are fellow writers with whom you swap chapters/books and such and give critique on them. This is usually someone who writes to your skill level, and writes the same kind of books, but it doesn't have to be. It's all down to how you click, and how you work out that partnership. Because it is a partnership, you are giving them critique, they are giving you the same.

This step is usually the first because you want to make sure that before you move onto step two, you have as clean as manuscript as possible. You will have to input those changes, as you see fit, but once you've done that and have gone through rounds of betas to know that you have as good a story as you're going to get, then you can move on.

STEP #2 DEVELOPMENTAL/CONTENT EDITOR
This is the editor that you want to go to first because they're going to be looking at big changes, on the story as a whole. They will be looking at the character arcs, the plot, seeing if there are any holes, offering suggestions if they have any, that kind of thing. They generally won't bother with grammar simply because it's possible that huge chunks are going to be rewritten or changed.

For me this is the step that takes the longest amount of time, and I get the impression that it can be for a lot of other writers. I work with my developmental editor over three months and we go through chapter by chapter. I know that other editors will do what's called an edit letter where they read the book, and make notes and give you a report at the end, and then you're free to make what changes you see fit. I prefer my way of working through it, as have the editors I've worked with. But nothing wrong with either.

Once all those changes are done to your satisfaction, then you can move onto the next step.

STEP #3 LINE/COPY EDITORS
I've grouped these two together because it depends on who you go to, and what kind of editing experience they have as to which one they do. I've heard from other editors that line and copy can be done at the same time. But first let me explain the different. Line is going line by line, making sure the words flow, that the pacing is right, that there aren't any awkward phrasings etc. Copy editors will be checking grammar, and making sure everything is ready to go to print.

Now I use a line editor who does both, so I get the best of both worlds. This is usually done through track changes and then letting you choose which ones to change and such. I do this in Google docs and we go through and change things as needed.

And finally, STEP #4 PROOF READER
This is the last step before your book is ready for publishing. A proof reader goes through, checks for any errors, everything in the formatting and such that should be there, and then corrects it if there's a problem. The idea being that once this step is complete, no more changes are made so that no errors sneak through.

And then you're done and the book is ready to be published! This whole process takes about five months for me, but it's worth it to know that my book is the best version it can be!

Any questions on the editing process? Lemme know in the comments below!

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How I Edit - The After Process

HOW I EDIT

I've made no secret of the fact that I find editing and revisions really hard. It's something that wears me down, pings my stress levels and just makes me want to stop writing. Of course I say that, but I know that it wouldn't actually do that, I also know that it's a very necessary part of the editing process and not something I have ever skipped. Whether it's my self-edit, betas, or the many steps of editors, I always make sure to go through every step and take a little cheer when each one is finished.

I've talked about my editing team (piece found here) but I thought I would touch on how I approach editing as a whole. I'm going to be talking about both the revision process and the editing process, which, for me at least, are a little different. When I'm talking about revision, I'm not thinking of it being a final draft, I'm reading through it, strengthening sentences, rewriting bits and pieces, and leaving some of it alone to think about how to better execute the impact I want that scene to have. When I talked about editing, I mean the professional process (bar the one final read through of my self-edit) and how I make changes to the document meaning for it to be one of the final steps.

REVISION PROCESS: STEP ONE
To begin with, I'll read through the manuscript and I'll both make notes in a journal, and also in the document about things that I want to fix. Either scenes that need strengthening, character arcs that are in place but not up to scratch, sub-plots that need to be weaved through, any foreshadowing and other such things that I know need work. I'll write in brackets in places where I know I'm not happy with the scene or chapter itself and plan to overhaul the whole thing.

REVISION PROCESS: STEP TWO
This is when I make the changes. Either I'm going through chapter by chapter, or note by note. I'll deal with the big plot things first, and leave the little stuff for the next stage. I made sure that I have time to both rewrite, and to read, without distractions. This usually takes me the longest because I am constantly coming back to the same scenes and rewording, rewriting them after some time away. I try to go through it in order first before going back over it again chapter by chapter, and then see about how the story reads.

REVISION PROCESS: STEP THREE
The small changes come now, this is when I'll look at word choices, adverbs and all that, I'll look at repeated phrases, crutch words that I know from previous edits, I lean on. Like for Dying Thoughts, I would cut down on the tea Tara drank, and with other books it's been things like 'just' and 'a little' and such like that. I go through each instance and make sure that I can justify every one if need be.

REVISION/EDITING PROCESS: STEP FOUR
The final read through of the book. I will usually be on draft five or six by this point, having gone over and over it several times. Sometimes I'll let an app read it out to me since I feel subconscious reading to myself, and this is a great way to pick up anything that doesn't sound right, or is an outright mistake. I have the app on my tablet, and will usually do a couple of chapter a day, more if I have time.

MOVING ON TO EDITS!

EDITING PROCESS: STEP ONE
This is after the revisions, after reading through it, which would be my self-edit, the first of many. Once I'm sure that the book is as good as I can make it, then I go to beta readers. I usually have around ten in a round, and I send out the book in chunks. This is usually when I go through another couple or more drafts, making changes here and there and making sure that everything is still as clean as I can make it. Once I'm done with betas, when their feedback is mostly positive, or things that I can't or won't change, I call it finished.

EDITING PROCESS: STEP TWO
The developmental edit is the next step. You all know I work with Kim, and she and I go over the book chapter by chapter most days for the next three months, and hone everything to the point where I'm happy with it.

EDITING PROCESS: STEP THREE
I'm gonna combine the line edits (done by B) and the proof-reading (done by Natalie) because at this point, there really aren't many changes to the book. It's been worked on over and over, I know the story backwards and forwards, and I know the weak areas if any remain. Generally speaking, by the time it gets to this stage, I'm very happy with it, and am ready to move on to the final stage.

EDITING PROCESS: STEP FOUR
The final read through. This is something I do, making no changes because the proof-reader has come in at this point, and make sure there's nothing missed. If something does need changing (which is super super rare) then I'll be careful how I go about it. That done, and the book is ready to be published.

So there we have it, the way I approach revision and editing and all the steps I go through in the process. It's something that's worked for me for a long time, and I find that I've honed my skills enough to be happy with how things work. I have recently started doing the revision stages earlier but that's simply a personal choice to give myself, and my team more time to work.

How do you approach editing and revision? Lemme know in the comments!

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The Trials Of An Indie Author: My Editing Team

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: MY EDITING TEAM

This was a topic requested by a number of my followers, who wanted to know more about my editing team and what it's been liked working with the same people over and over, with various different releases. I do have a video planned on my authortube channel and by the time this piece goes live, it will also be live! (Video here) But I didn't want to just do it on the channel, and thought that I would give you a different take specifically on my editing team and what it's been like working with them over the years.

KIM - DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR
I've been friends with Kim for almost ten years now, and she's been my editor for a number of books, but for a time we didn't work together and I used someone else for both Developmental and Line edits. However, since she's done the majority of my books, and is the person I use now, and plan to continue using, it made more sense to focus on what it's been like working with her.

So for those who don't know, a developmental editor goes into the manuscript looking at the book as a whole, and pointing out plot issues, as well as spelling, grammar and the like. They can, sometimes, be similar to beta readers, and some people will say that if you use betas and go through several rounds then you can skip this stage. Personally I don't agree, not just because Kim has found issues that betas have missed, but because it's the biggest edit you will do.

Kim's been working as an editor for a number of years, and we work exclusively in Google Docs. That way we can go chapter by chapter, and can also make comments rather than have to have two documents open while editing. She'll go through and make the grammar changes that are needed, as well as commenting on any issues with the plot. I'll then go through afterwards and make the changes needed, and usually we then discuss them over Skype so that we're both on the same page as to what edits work and which ones don't.

This process usually takes just over three months. This is for a number of reasons, mostly down to me because I can't always go through the edits the same day they're done. As well as that, it gives me time to work through plot holes without having to worry too much about a deadline. Same goes for Kim, she doesn't have to work on my book every single night of those three months and it works well for us both.

I adore working with her, she's made sure that I've got books that stand up and are telling the exact story that I want to tell. She offers amazing insights and she works on helping me make the book better. In the years I've worked with her, I've seen the quality of my final book increase, along with the quality of my drafts because I'm learning from what she's saying. Editing, as you know, is not something I find easy, but at the same time, having someone who can go through it with you whose opinion you trust and who you know is not going to steer you wrong is a big relief.

So once the developmental edits are done, off it goes to the next step.

B - LINE EDITOR
I've known B since we were at school together. She also designs my book covers, but when I had to switch from Toni who did both, to other people, I knew B was the right person for the job. She's actually been one of my final readers before the book goes to ARC readers for a lot longer than she's been my line editor. And so I know she can do the work.

A line editor is someone who goes through the document line by line. They'll correct any grammar but also tell you about sentences that don't work, or need to be changed. Again, B and I use Google Docs, and she'll make the grammar changes directly, and make comments on any of the lines that need changing. She'll also make comments if she catches a plot hole that needs to be filled.

This process usually only takes about a month, and I make the corrections as we go through it chapter by chapter. Again, we'll discuss the changes to make sure that it's all working better.

Once the line edits are done, it goes off to the final step!

NATALIE - PROOF READER
I've been working with Natalie for a number of years. She's a friend, a fellow writer, and someone with the training for proof reading, same as all my other editors. Natalie's job is pretty simple. She's reading through the final draft and pointing out any issues with it. Either things missing, or things in the document that shouldn't be there.

I love working with Natalie as well because she's always been someone to leave comments along with reading, when she likes a certain aspect of the book or things like that. We also use Google Docs and again, I make the changes in the document while she's going through it.

And once the proof reading is done, that's it, the book is ready for ARC readers!

So those are the people that make up my editing team. I love working with them, and they make the process of editing, a hell of a lot easier and less stressful for me. Have you worked with a team? Or are you wondering about who to choose for your editor? Lemme know in the comments below!

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Publishing: Editors [CC]

Giving you all the details on editing and my process! #Authortube

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Balancing Editing & Writing - The After Process

BALANCING EDITING AND WRITING

As I'm reaching the end of my editing year of hell, I thought I would do a post about how to balance both editing a project, and writing a different one. As I'm into the beginning of edits for 2020, I'm also writing two new projects as I usually do. This time last year I was working with a completely different editing team, but that's a topic for another day. My point here is that when editing, if you want to continue drafting, you need to find a balance between the two since they can both be a heavy work load and also kinda draining on that creative well.

So how do I do it? Simple really, I plan! You know this by now, I've talked about it a lot in my advice pieces, and my videos on Authortube (channel here). I won't go into details of the software and such that I used, but I will give you some tips on how to go about finding that balance!

#1 SEPARATE THE TWO
I say this simply because trying to do both tasks at once is only going to frustrate you. I generally will have completely different days for each task. If I'm drafting, I am not going to be delving into edits. If I'm editing, I won't be picking up my projects either. It's to make sure of two things. One, that my concentration isn't pulled in two different directions. And two, so that I'm not draining my creative well. The last thing I want to do is burn out and end up missing deadlines because of that.

#2 BREAK THEM INTO CHUNKS
I know how long it takes me to write a chapter, and I know, generally, how much editing I can get done in any one day. I don't, therefore, tell myself to do more than I'm capable of. Otherwise it's going to stress me out. I make sure that I have adequate time, but also have breathing room should something change, or a chapter need more extensive edits and such. Breaking it into chunks makes the whole thing seem less overwhelming and allows me to breathe a little easier.

#3 TAKING BREAKS IS NOT OPTIONAL
This allows for things like talking to friends, or reading a book, whatever works for you as either self-care, or giving you breathing room. It means that my daily life isn't always work, and that's a good thing. It's healthy to have time off, and to take breaks even when you're in the midst of writing and editing. Even when you have a deadline, whether that's self-imposed or otherwise, you need to make sure you have the time you need, and also the time to ease off the work load.

#4 START WITH THE BIG BITS AND WORK DOWN
This applies more to editing than balancing, but it bears mention in this piece. When you're approaching a mammoth task of editing your book ready for an editor, or going through the edits from the editor, you need to be starting with the big pieces that will effect the project overall. This can mean breaking those into manageable chunks, but the overall process should mean that you don't end up focusing on small changes that might have to be changed again when you're corrected some of the bigger projects. It pays to not get too overwhelmed and burnt out because you've made more work for yourself than necessary.

#5 MAKING YOUR DEADLINES SLIGHTLY FLEXIBLE
I go through three rounds of professional edit after my own self-edit. I make sure that the deadlines I have in place are a little bit more flexible than what they first appear to be. This means that if me, or my editor, has an issue and needs to take time off, or take longer on a portion of the book, we don't end up burning the candle at both ends to meet the deadline.

This applies to that balance too. If you have told yourself that you want to finish a draft by a certain date, make sure it's not written in stone so that it allows you some breathing room. This can apply to anything from NaNo to the camps, to just wanting to finish that draft before the end of the year. Goals and deadlines can help spur you on, but if they're too strict, you might end up in a puddle on the floor having pushed yourself to breaking point, and no one wants that.

So there we have it, it's how I've balanced writing and editing this past year, and it's how I'd advise you to do the same. If you have any tips, leave them in the comments below!

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Why I Hate Editing - The After Process

WHY I HATE EDITING

This is something I've been asked a lot, both here and in my other social media platforms. I'm an author of sixteen books published and another ten finished, or more, I keep losing count. But anyway, I'm an author, and I obviously go through an extensive editing process, so why do I always say that I hate editing? It's not that I don't do it, I have betas and then onto my editing team which comprises of a developmental editor, a line editor and a proof-reader, so I do go through the process, but what makes me hate it so much?

Glad you asked, because I'm going to go into a little bit more detail today about why I dislike that side of the writing process and basically, what I've done about it since I first realised. I'll try and break it into points, but I'm not one hundred percent sure that'll work, so we'll see how it goes!

#1 - I LOVE DISCOVERING NEW PARTS TO MY STORY
This can be linked back to me being a planster or a hybrid, though I tend to lean more to the panster side than anything else. Alexa Donne calls this 'discovery writing' and I adore it! I love drafting, I love sitting down at the keyboard and banging out the words and learning the story as I go. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and that's okay, but my process is one that thrives without too much confinement. And when it comes to editing that project, I realise just how much I dislike having to pull it apart.

I know that it's for the best, I know that it's a necessary part of writing and publishing, but I loathe it. It makes me anxious and unsure. Imposter syndrome comes in and sits on my shoulder while I read, and while I do edit as I go, I find that leaving that drafting stage where literally anything can happen, just doesn't appeal to me. I still go through it, but I don't enjoy it the same way that I do drafting.

#2 - STRESS AND ANXIETY DON'T DO WELL
As I said above, I find that imposter syndrome pops up a lot when I'm editing. Either as a voice saying that even though I thought that chapter/scene/whatever was good, my editors won't. It's an internal battle and I actually really struggle with it. I know that I will get through it and I have some tricks of my own to make sure that I don't get lost in the pit of despair, but it's something that I really find hard to do. And that's another reason to hate the process that puts me in that place.

#3 - DEADLINES ARE HARD FOR ME
I've mentioned this before, but as someone who's chronically ill and has limited energy, meeting deadlines is hard. I am also highly anxious about them. I love the release process, but that first step, the editing of my work, sometimes knocks me for six. Especially when things go wrong along the way. Like this year, my editing team kinda fell apart. I had one editor who was both developmental and line, and then a proofreader. Due to health issues, my editor had to bow out. The problem was, this was in the middle of edits. I had to scramble to find someone who could both help, and meet those deadlines. It didn't help that I was already stressed out because of three books in one year, but it just made life extremely hard for me.

Now you could argue that since I have a whole new team in place, it's likely that I'll have a smoother release year in 2020, and I'd agree with you, but that doesn't change the fact that deadlines, especially when they're hard deadlines that can't be changed, adds to my work load and makes it hard for me to focus. I've always been like that, always been unable to manage to meet deadlines. If it's just myself I'm relying on, I have the control about what happens when, but when I hand my book over to someone else, I have to rely on them and I know the possibility of outside factors having an impact on them.

Overall, it's basically just a high stress time for me.

And finally, #4 - EDITS REQUIRE A LOT OF ENERGY
I've touched on this with points two and three, but editing is a hard process. I know a lot of writers who hate the drafting stage, but love edits and revisions. I also know people like me who struggle with them. It's not a case of not wanting to do them, or thinking they're unnecessary, it's just the way we work. And that's okay. I don't always have the energy to go through edits, but that's when the deadlines come into play and I find myself pushing to meet them, even when I should probably rest up.

So there we have it, my reasoning for why I hate editing. It's very much a necessary part of the process, but having learned from my mistakes, I won't ever be releasing more than two books a year again. I am simply not built for doing rapid release or anything above the two. And even then, they take a lot out of me. I know that releases themselves take a lot out of most authors, but that's a piece for another day!

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Bonus Video: A Day In The Life Of A Writer: June 18th 2019 [CC]

I'm taking you along on a day in my life! #Authortube

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Revisiting Editing [CC]

Revisting the topic of editing today! #Authortube

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Killing Your Darlings [CC]

And it's time to discuss killing your darlings! #Authortube

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Tips & Tricks: Editing [CC]

Talking about tips and tricks with editing. #Authortube

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That's The Tea With Joey: Editing [CC]

Approaching a topic that we need to talk about more on #AuthorTube

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Editing As You Go - The After Process

EDITING AS YOU GO

I've not done a piece on this before and I thought that it might be a good one to do because I get a lot of questions about it and I know other authors and writers who do the same and also get asked about it a lot. I, personally, will edit as I write. I do not recommend this for a newbie writer because it's something that can lead to you getting stuck in this never-ending cycle of chasing the perfect first chapter, which FYI, isn't gonna happen.

However, I do know that some writers find that they want to produce as clean as first draft as possible, and part of that is learning how to edit as you go. Personally, I've always needed to look back at the last chapter (or two) to remember where I am in the story and the general feeling of the plot, pacing and all the rest. I know a lot of people will say to just open up a document and write, and if you're doing it regularly, then yeah that works, but for a long time in my early career, I was writing on the odd day here and there and I needed to familiarise myself with everything before I dove back in.

This won't work for everyone and that's more than okay, but when I got to a point where I felt like I knew what I was looking for, I started to edit as I went. Some writers can do this from their first manuscript, but it's rare and it's okay to not be one of those. When I read through the previous chapter now to get ready to start writing, I check for this like awkward sentences, that the pacing is okay, whether there's some grammar issues and plot issues and all the like. It means that when I finish the first draft, it's had a bit more drafting to it than one of my earlier works.

So how do you know if you're able to do this? I thought of a few pointers to look for and decided to share them. As I said above, not everyone can do it, and that's cool and completely fine. I wasn't able to for a huge chunk of my career and it's not a bad thing to need to draft completely before going back to start your second draft and such. So keep that in mind and here we go!

#1 - ARE YOU ABLE TO READ BACK THROUGH YOUR WORK WHILE DRAFTING?
If this is something you find yourself able to do, then it might be possible that you're able to edit as you go. If you're someone who can't do this, then it's probably better to keep moving forward and leave the edits to when everything is wrapped up.

#2 - ARE YOU A PLANSTER/PLANNER?
I ask this because if you have a better idea of where the ending is going to land, then editing as you go is something you might be able to do. I added planster because I'm that and I don't always know what the end scene is going to be like. Because of that I can't always predict where things will go and what might need to be taken out. Now if you plan and have a major outline, then you can see further ahead and with that knowledge you'll be able to tell which scenes work and which don't. I always advise that you don't edit the work the same day you wrote it. Sleep on it, and then come back to it the next day or next time to write to see how it looks.

#3 - IF NOT A PLANSTER/PLANNER, DO YOU HAVE AN ENDING IN MIND?
I know this sounds like it's very similar to question two, and in a way it is, but I know that with some books, even if I don't have a big idea of where I'm going, I *do* know the ending. In all of my crime books, bar one, I always knew where I was leading to, who the killer was and how to get there. I say bar one because there was one where a new suspect popped up and I didn't have the first clue they'd be there, which made editing as I went impossible. But if you are someone who knows where the ending will be, then maybe you can try editing as you go and decide which clues to drop where and when.

Now as I've said, it's not for everyone and it's also not something I recommend a completely new writer do, but if you think it's something you can do without getting stuck in that circle of perfect hell, then give it a go. You might find it does work for you or you might not, and both of those are completely okay. If you have any tips you want to add, lemme know in the comments!

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