On March 23, 2024, Kasie and Rex welcomed professional editor, Heather Harris-Bergevin into the studio. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Editing isn’t for sissies

Agenda

• Quick Catch Up
• Special Guest Heather Harris-Bergevin
• Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading

Listen to the podcast

Segment 1

Today’s special guest is Heather Harris-Bergevin, an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she has an upcoming children’s picture book with Lucky Rabbit Press, based in Columbia, SC.

It’s been said that copy editors are the “first readers” as well as the “last line of defense” – they approach a text not from the point of view of the writer, but the reader. They are advocates for the readers; they are “quality control” for the publication.

• Agree, disagree, or both?
• Why should a new writer hire an editor?
• What misconceptions do most writers have about editors?
• How you define a draft? Many of our listeners think this means rewriting the entire manuscript from scratch.

Segment 2 & 3

When to hire an editor?

What kind of editor do you want at each stage of the process?

How many notes should we expect our editor to give?

What’s a good rate for editing a manuscript?

How long should we expect the developmental edit to take?

How long should we expect a copy edit to take?

How many times should we edit our own work before getting it in the hands of a professional?

What are some BIG sins of writers asking for editor help?

Say someone decided to self edit, how would you suggest they go about it?

Segment 4

The 9-Step Process to Self-Edit a Novel (from The Write Practice)

1. Take a break

This is essential. DO NOT skip this part.

2. Reread your novel with an eye for large problems

For now, ignore stylistic issues and typos. You’re looking for structure issues, characterization problems, plot holes, etc. 

3. Revisit your outline

If you didn’t make one, that’s fine. Make one now. A strategy for creating a chronological order for all your plot lines could be to write a synopsis for each of your subplots and then see where moment overlap or are lacking.

4. Start your second draft

Now you can edit. Keep in mind you are looking for large issues right now. Concentrate on structure, tone, characterization, and definitely your plot.

5. Reread again

Even better, read your manuscript out loud. Sometimes (meaning always) the ear picks up words and prose differently than reading in our heads.

6. Start draft 2.5

This is where you’re doing a lot of prose tweaking. Fix those telling spots and make them show. Make sure your dialogue is realistic. Add some description if needed.

7. Send your manuscript to beta readers

Yep, it’s time to let people in on this massive project of yours, typos and all. This is not a perfect, publishable draft. Any beta reader you choose needs to know that upfront so they’re not concentrating on commas and spelling. Make a list of questions for your beta readers to keep them concentrated on what they really need to look for. 

8. Start your third draft

Hopefully, your beta readers didn’t find any glaring problems with the major components of your book.

9. Celebrate!

Again, this part is essential and I don’t recommend you skip it! You’ve spent a long time on your story, and you’re about ready to share it with the world.