12 Steps to Self-Edit Your Book

At PageMaster Publication Services we help you put the best foot forward. Below you will find a list of twelve common mistakes all writers make. Use this checklist to effectively self-edit your writing. I recommend you use the “Find” function within your word processor to locate particular errors that you might not catch with the naked eye. Use a Style Sheet for consistency.

  1. Use style sheet for editing consistently. Write down names of people and places as well as spellings of words that can be written more than one way. Make sure you’re consistent throughout your book.
  2. Remove unnecessary words such including that, very, just, so, and actually.
  3. Avoid the passive voice. Rewrite sentences that include am, is, was, were, be, being, and been so that the sentence reads in the active voice.
  4. Don’t end sentences with a preposition. For example, don’t end sentences with these words: in, for, at, with, by, and from.
  5. Is the content in past, present, or future tense? Do a scan to make sure you use the same tense from start to finish.
  6. Are you writing in first, second, or third person? Do a scan to make sure you use a consistent voice throughout.
  7. Do all of the headlines and subheads have consistent capitalization? i.e., all caps, only initial caps
  8. Have you used one space after each sentence or two spaces? Double check for consistency.
  9. Do you have any paragraphs that are longer than six lines? See if you can shorten the paragraph in any way. Do the same for sentences that are longer than three lines.
  10. Run spell check, but also check for commonly misspelled words that your spell check might not pick up. Here’s a quick list: To/ Too/ Two; Than/ Then; Trail/ Trial; Were/ Where/ We’re; It’s/ Its; Lose/ Loose; Complement/ Compliment; Filed/ Field; Their/ There/ They’re; Compliant/ Complaint
  11. Look for adjectives. Can any of those descriptions be replaced with a strong verb? i.e., German-style glass for beer versus pint
  12. What words do you commonly misspell?

The value of having another set of eyes look over your work is immeasurable. The editing services we provide at PageMaster Publication Services are well worth the price and time for you to consider. You want to put your best thoughts forward, so consider your options for editing. And no, you don’t need to publish through us to use our editing services.

Contact us today.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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