The more finished and tidy your manuscript is, the more your editor can spend their time on what only a professional can do. These steps take a few days at most, and they pay for themselves.
1. Finish your own revisions
Do not send a first draft you know needs another pass. Read it through at least once as a reader, and fix the things you can already see. An editor's time is best used on problems you cannot see for yourself.
2. Read it aloud, or have it read to you
Clumsy sentences, repeated words and missing words show up when you hear them. Most word processors can read text aloud, which is useful if you do not want to read it yourself.
3. Clean up the file
A tidy file is easier to edit, and avoids problems later when the book is laid out.
- Use one font and one size throughout.
- Use the paragraph styles in your word processor for headings, rather than making text bigger and bold by hand.
- Do not use the tab key or spaces to indent paragraphs. Use paragraph formatting.
- Use a single space after full stops.
- Use a page break to start a new chapter, not a row of blank lines.
- Remove old comments and tracked changes, unless you want the editor to see them.
4. Check for obvious consistency problems
Make a quick list of the names, places, spellings and facts that appear more than once, and check them. Decide on UK or US spelling and use it consistently.
5. Put it all in one file
Send the whole manuscript in a single document, including any front and back matter you want in the book (title page, dedication, acknowledgements, author bio), so that the editor sees the whole picture.
6. Write a short note
Tell your editor:
- who the book is for
- what you want it to do
- what you are worried about
- any parts you are particularly unsure of
A few honest lines help the editor to focus where you need them most.
7. Back it up
Keep a copy of your own file, and agree how versions will be named so nobody edits the wrong one.
8. Know what you want
Are you after a big-picture structural edit, a line-by-line polish, or a final check? Our guide to the kinds of edit will help you decide, and a free book review will tell you honestly where your manuscript stands.
A pre-flight checklist
Before you send your file, check that:
- you have read the manuscript through at least once as a reader
- the file uses styles for headings, and no manual indents
- names, places and spellings are consistent
- old comments and tracked changes are removed, or you have told the editor to expect them
- front and back matter are included
- you have a backup copy and a clear file name
- you have written a short note about the book and your worries
Not sure what to ask for? See which kind of edit does my book need? For the next stages, read developmental editing explained and copy-editing vs proofreading.
Sending your manuscript to us
If you are submitting your manuscript to Fable Studio for a free book review, send the whole book, or at least the first three chapters, as one Word or PDF file of up to 15 MB. If your file is larger, or your book has no chapters, use the enquiry form and we will tell you what to send. You can read how we handle what you send in our NDA and privacy notice.
Want to know where your book stands?
Submit your manuscript for a free book review: the whole book, or at least the first three chapters. We'll read it and send you our feedback. There's no obligation.