The Most Common Editing Mistake Authors Don’t Realize They’re Making

When it comes to editing your novel, chances are that like most authors, you fixate on the wrong aspects. Obsessing over comma placement, debating whether a character’s name should have one “n” or two, and losing hours polishing individual sentences isn’t progress. It’s another form of procrastination.

All too often, authors put themselves through this wringer, then send the manuscript to an editor and wonder why it comes back covered in red pencil.

Contra the common misconception, sentence-level polish is not the main aim of editing. That’s just the garnish on the meal. The real work; the effort that separates professionals from amateurs, happens long before your editor ever opens your Word doc. And the most common editing mistake writers make is thinking that editing means fixing errors when it really means clarifying intent.

Good editing begins with knowing what kind of story you’re trying to tell. Every scene, page, paragraph, sentence, and word should serve that intent. If you can’t articulat the driving idea and emotional throughline that carries your story, no amount of stylistic tweaking will save it.

In short, a professional editor can’t refine what doesn’t exist.

Related: Why New Authors Butcher Their Own Books in Revision and How to Stop

Before you send your book to the editor, make sure you have a finished manuscript that’s undergone at least one revision.

Then, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What is this story about in one sentence?

Not to be confused with the plot. You need to be clear on the theme.

“A man learns that courage means more than taking risks.”

“A woman discovers that world travel can’t erase the past.”

If you can’t answer clearly, your book’s skeleton isn’t firm enough to hang the story on.

2. Does every major scene push the story toward that point?

You’d be shocked how many manuscripts are saddled with scenes or even whole chapters of aimless drifting. Odds are, those chapters exist only because the author liked the dialogue or wanted to show off world building details. Those scenes are weeds choking your story’s growth. Prune them.

At this point, you will face a test of your character. Are you emotionally detached enough to trim excess fat that doesn’t serve the story?

Related: The Mistake That’s Killing Your First Draft and How to Avoid It

Thre’s no way around it: Editing requires detachment. You fall in love with the story while drafting. Editing is when you make the Sophie’s choice about which parts to keep. Writers who can’t make that decision stay stuck in endless first draft syndrome.

Not even the best editor can make you internalize this lesson. What he can do is amplify it.

When an author submits a manuscript that’s already been examined with a clear understanding of intent, the edit becomes illuminative instead of corrective.

So instead of asking, “What errors will my editor fix?” ask, “What story am I asking him to help me tell?”

The former is concerned with the nuts and bolts; the latter is all about vision. And when you get your vision in sharp focus, you’ll make your editor’s job easier. Because clarity of intent always translates to cleaner prose.

Remember: You’re not hiring an editor to make your book sound pretty. Instead, he’s there to make it as clear as possible.

Learning to see editing as refinement instead of damage control is the difference between dabbling and building a career. So concentrate on polishing your themes before your prose.

The highly anticipated crowdfunder for Book III in my record-breaking Arkwright Cycle goes live next week! Every follower now gets an exclusive bonus pdf of Chapter 1. So follow the campaign now!

Brian Niemeier is a best-selling novelist, editor, and Dragon Award winner with over a decade in newpub. For direct, in-person writing and editing insights, join his Patreon.