Finding faults in other people's work is less difficult than doing so with your own. You may take a variety of steps to reduce mistakes and improve the quality of your writing, but it's always a good idea to have a second pair of eyes review it.
When it comes to professional book editing services, we've published a ton of guidance regarding the editing procedure, the necessity of editing, and the dangers of not editing your material. Some writers don't seem to be convinced yet. Having worked as an editor as well as a writer, I have seen the publication process from all angles. I've learned that there are some flaws and habits in my own writing that I find hard to spot but that would be obvious in the work of someone else that I was editing. So, enlisting the help of professional book editing services can be an invaluable step to ensure your work is polished to perfection.
1. Typos
This one should go without saying, but mistakes can sneak up on you and make it hard to see them in your own writing. Furthermore, mistakes are more complicated than simple misspellings, which are easily detected by word processing software.
Missing words, repeated words (which can be especially tricky to identify if they appear on a line break), and improper usage of homophones are examples of common mistakes.
"We walked into the urgent care, but their waiting room was so we turned and left," is missing a word.
Words that are repeated: "We entered the urgent care facility, but we turned around because the waiting area was so crowded."
Inappropriate homophone: "We entered the urgent care facility, but the waiting area was so crowded that we had to leave."
The aforementioned errors are all simple to make in your work, and once they are, they usually escape scrutiny in later readings. Additionally, there is the devious missing letter that changes a word into another, eluding spell-check's identification and possibly avoiding your notice.
I've received criticism for errors like this that I've placed on this blog (as I mentioned, it's more difficult to spot errors in your own work). I usually double check to make sure "you" isn't used in place of "your" (as in, "get you free PDF download"), as there was an incident where the term "exiting" was used instead of "exciting." I seem to keep making that mistake when typing; it could be related to my messy typing style. You probably have some words or letter combinations that are similar and easy to miss or misplace.
2. Adverbs
Many editors believe that adjectives and even adverbs are bad writing devices and should never be used. In a quiet scene, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), the new editor of The Boston Globe, wipes out a word on a printout of a piece as the Spotlight team is watching. Spotlight is a terrific movie about The Boston Globe's investigative journalism section. The journalists react to this in a notable way. Baron comments, "Another adjective," after perusing the document.
Although I don't agree that adverbs are always bad, I have edited certain pieces where it seemed like they were in every phrase. As a result, I understand why editors and readers detest them when they are used carelessly. It's comparable to use spices in food preparation. In the hands of a skilled chef, the proper amount can make all the difference in the dish. When you eat too much, you hardly taste anything else.
The removal of adverbs almost always improves the sentence's clarity and message transmission. Try eliminating as many adverbs (and even adjectives) as you can when self-editing, then go back and read the work. You'll probably discover that the writing by subtraction is crisper and more expressive.
3. Convoluted Descriptions
When written well, flowery prose or the usage of twenty-five-word passages can enhance the enjoyment of a section (or book) and increase information delivery. It has the opposite effect when used carelessly, excessively, or just plainly.
As an editor, there are moments when I have to go back and read a section or sentence since the first reading didn't make sense. Sometimes, when I read a passage more carefully, I realize that I missed some emphasis or reference, and the passage is accurate the second time around. More often than not, though, there's a problem that has to be fixed with the way words are constructed, used, or misused. If, while writing, you find yourself battling to define a word or phrase or having trouble coming up with the right words for a descriptive paragraph, mark that for revision.
Sometimes when I'm writing, I'll underline text in orange to let myself know that I might need to go back and edit it later rather than slaving over it right away. You have access to internet resources, so there's no excuse not to learn a word's subtle meaning correctly instead of using something you're "pretty sure" is accurate.
4. Get to the Point
When he learned of his father's passing, did your character "begin to cry" or did he already cry? Did something "finally start to realize" or did you already realize it? Was your heroine "tasked as caregiver" or was she "tasked with the job of being a caregiver"? Generally, the best course of action is to be clear and succinct.
Additionally, be bold in your statement-making. Even seasoned writers, in my experience, will qualify their statements to avoid putting themselves in a tight spot. However, such usually weakens the authority or impact of a claim or finding. While you shouldn't sensationalize or distort the facts, you also shouldn't minimize a crucial point in order to save your readers from offended feelings and to pass up the chance to present a thought-provoking idea or viewpoint.
5. Be Consistent
I've witnessed names be spelled differently for characters, even going from she to he during a narrative. These are inconsistencies that can damage your reputation or the reader's experience when you submit a final draft for review. There are various reasons why this can occur. I've written a book with numerous characters and locations with names that range from the common to the fantastic, and to keep track of those details, I have a bulletin board at my desk with the names' correct spellings and other pertinent information (eye color, relationships to other characters, etc.).
In addition, there are other specifics to monitor. Whenever you decide to give your chapters titles, be sure to do so for each one. Make sure the formatting and credit are the same in each chapter of the book if you plan to use epigraphs, which are quotes that open a chapter or section.
6. Serial or No?
My views on the serial comma have changed over time, just like those of any good politician. A long time ago, I thought that writing should not contain any extraneous punctuation, and that commas were arrogant and unneeded. I've grown to support the serial comma as I've written and edited more and more over the years. There would be far too many opportunities for misinterpretation and misunderstandings without it.
Notwithstanding, employing or not using the serial comma is a personal decision that should be adhered to consistently.
7. Strange idioms
Idiom usage has piqued my interest, mostly since I find myself using them frequently and realizing that sometimes I have no idea where they originate from. Once more, the Internet is an amazing tool for clarification.
For example, it might appear reasonable if you read that someone had "free reign" over something. Well, "free rein" is the proper usage of the term (many writers mix "reign" with "rein," even when it isn't used here). Find a reliable source, conduct some study to ensure that the idiom is used correctly, or come up with an alternative way to communicate your ideas if you're unsure of how to apply it.
8. Dialogue tags
This is another subject that can make an editor's blood pressure rise, along with the adverb police. It may appear monotonous to creative writers to use "he said" or "she said" after each dialogue line. It is essentially invisible to the reader and just communicates the information.
It's okay to include phrases like "she whispered" or "he retorted" in your writing because there are many instances in which they are a more emotive option. However, it usually ends up being distracting to use speech tags as a creative outlet.
Not to add, it might not always be required to use a dialogue tag. Once a dialogue between two characters has been established, you may not need to credit every line if it is obvious who is saying what at that time. Alternatively, if a character says to Mary, "What do you think?" Mary's answer might not need tagging.
There are many other things you may do to examine your writing through new eyes, such as reading it in several formats (print and screen, for example) or critically evaluating it the next day. I typically work in Word on this blog, then switch to a text document, and finally read it through online. However, I usually request that someone else review it to make sure I didn't overlook something that was absorbed into the prose. When you're considering publishing your work, it's a wise choice to engage with a book writing agency to ensure your writing is in its best form.
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