Editing is generally believed to be one of the bugbears of writing, painstakingly picking through your work, checking and fine-tuning. Personally I love the process, but I know a lot of people don't. So when it comes to the editing process we basically have two options, either we package up our little bundle of words and send it on to someone else to edit, or we do it ourselves, and there are of course pros and cons for both.
Sending your work to someone else has the obvious benefit of fresh eyes; they are seeing the text for the first time and so are more inclined to read what is actually there and not what you think is there. Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are going to stand out more and usually it will be someone who is a professional editor reading your work so they will know what to look for and how to do the job properly.
The obvious down side to this is cost. These people are not going to work for free! So, if cash flow is a bit of a problem this may not be the best option for you.
Self editing is easier and cheaper and possibly also quicker. This is the option I prefer. Funds are not so readily available and most of the available spare cash goes on marketing and advertising my work. I also find it quite relaxing and satisfying to go through my work 'polishing' and honing the story. The hard work is done, the story itself is finished and it is quite rewarding to go through your work and know that, hey, I did this! it makes all the stress, all the late nights and early mornings worth it!
My usual process is to go through the text and make sure I'm absolutely 100% happy with it, then put it aside and leave it for a week or so before going through it again. It's not exactly fresh eyes, but it's the next best thing.
Of course, ideally a combination of the two choices would be best. Go through your work, polish, fine tune, hone, make it the best draft that you can and then let someone else look at it even if it is just a friend or family member. Getting those fresh eyes to go over the text, professional or not will always help.
So, here I am at 5.44 on a Sunday morning about to start the editing of the final volume of the Prudence trilogy. It's been a long time coming, but finally I'm almost there with the trilogy.
Hope you enjoy your Sunday - and remember at some point to relax with a good book!
Kim
