How to edit large projects efficiently

A process that works for both fiction and non-fiction projects.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

I have just finished the first draft of my next novel and am about to start editing.

I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to explain my strategy for editing large projects as efficiently as possible.

The method below works for both fiction and non-fiction projects.

Step 1: Read through the entire first draft

Once you’ve completed a first draft, start by reading through the entire manuscript. Identify and make a note of any major problems like:

• Plot holes

• Inconsistent character development

• Unsupported arguments

• Gaps in research

• Chapters/scenes that should be rearranged

Step 2: Create a new draft

Once you have identified the major problems in your manuscript, create a copy of it, call it “Draft 2 of [Book Title]” and start tackling those issued you identified.

It’s really important to keep the original draft of your book. There’s nothing worse than editing a manuscript and then realising that something was actually better the way you first wrote it and being unable to find the original version.

Step 3: Repeat steps 1-2 as many times as you need to

Keep creating new drafts as you address the major issues layer by layer.

Resist the temptation to fix minor things like grammar and typing mistakes, but focus on main content of your piece.

For novels, it usually takes me 3-5 drafts to reach a point where I’m confident that the story is as good as I can make it.

Step 4: Start “Line editing”

Once you’re satisfied that your overall manuscript is coherent and communicates your message or story completely, it’s time to focus on smaller details like sentence structure etc.

This is known as line editing because you’re editing your manuscript line by line.

Note: Even at this stage, resist the temptation to focus too much on fixing typos, punctuation etc. I’ll explain why in a moment.

During the line editing stage, I usually start sharing my book with beta readers and also sometimes get a professional line editor to come on board and help me with it.

Something that also helps me a lot during this process is to listen to my book using a text-to-speech app.

This helps me figure out if the rhythm of the prose is right, if my sentence length is doing what it should do, etc.

Step 5: Proofreading

Once you’re satisfied that your prose is clear and that it doesn’t inhibit your readers’ enjoyment of your book in any way, it’s time for the last step: proofreading.

Proofreading is all about focusing on the tiny details, the typing mistakes, the missing commas, etc.

The reason why I recommend leaving this to step to last is because otherwise you will probably end up wasting time.

There’s no point in making sure a paragraph is flawless only to realise that it doesn’t work in your book and that you’ll have to delete the entire thing.

That’s why I take a “macro to micro” editing approach.

Proofreading can be challenging as you’ve gone through your book so many times by this stage that it’s easy to miss mistakes.

A method I learned when I was doing my English degree that solves this problem is to read the entire draft backwards. Starting with the last sentence, read through your manuscript sentence by sentence, finishing with the first sentence.

Yes, this is tedious, but it forces your brain to isolate each sentence.

It helps you to not to assume that a comma is there even if it isn't actually there.

It helps you to spot those subtle mistakes that might otherwise escape you.

Once proofreading is done, your manuscript is ready for formatting and publishing!

Do you have a strategy for editing large manuscripts? I’d love to hear about your process!

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A few days ago, I released a guide to help you write prose that expresses your message clearly and holds your readers’ attention.

Read a sample here!