Are you finally at the self editing stage of your WIP? (Congrats!) Transitioning over to the editing phase of a project can bring a sense of relief after months of working to get content down on paper. While many writers are daunted by the idea of taking those late night writing sessions and turning them into a polished draft, it’s good to know that there are lots of great books on self editing out there.
Many writers find that they need to summon a different kind of energy to edit. Whereas writing is about finding creativity, inspiration, and thinking outside the box, self editing can feel like a much more structured activity. We’re happy to emphasize that it doesn’t need to be that way! Editing can also be creative and can draw on those same strengths.
Check out our carefully curated list of favorite books on self editing that touch on all types of writing styles and strengths. Let us know if there are other tried and true resources that we should add to the list!
1. Self Editing For Fiction Writers
Renni Browne and Dave King’s Self Editing for Fiction Writers is a book that ties together years of experience to present easily-digestible techniques. Browne and King are both professors with proven success writing and self-editing manuscripts and novels and getting them across the publishing finish line. If your goal is to bring your work to the next level (which might be a professional editor, copy editor, or agent), this book is a great resource to help you get there.
What We Like:
- Specific chapters focus on dialogue, exposition, point of view, and interior monolgue
- Teaches techniques that can be easily applied
- Easy to digest and relatable
2. The Emotional Thesaurus
The Emotional Thesuarus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman is hands down one of our favorite resources for writers in the first stages of self editing. In the first stage of writing, we often focus on getting words down on paper and know that we’ll come back and work on precise language later. This resource helps you to pull the “show” out of the first draft’s “tell”. For each emotion a character may feel, this resource helps you to pull your reader in by revealing aspects about the character’s expression or behavior. Once you’ve given this book a try, it’s hard to imagine editing without it close at hand.
What We Like:
- A go-to thesaurus to help “show” your character’s emotions
- Fantastic for character development
- A great tool to differentiate characters of similar ages, appearances, backgrounds
- Helpful for authors trying to diversify descriptive language
- The go-to resource for the “what is that word?!?” conundrum
- In a stroke of simple genius, this book is organized by emotion (angry, heartbroken, excited, etc.), which makes searching easy
3. Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing
Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practice Guide to Revising Your Writing by Tiffany Yates Martin is very user friendly and full of fantastic insights. Having spent over thirty years in the publishing industry, Yates Martin is a developmental editor and invites writers to draw on their own creative strengths as part of their editing journey. She encourages writers to find the “best version of their vision”. This book is full of tips and concepts to help writers transition into the editing phase of the project and to grow their skills as a self-editor.
What We Like:
- This book emphasizes finding a writer’s personal strengths over a rigid editing structure
- Great for creatives who rely on intuition and need a flexible approach
- Full of tips you would only get from an industry professional
- Draws on the author’s training as a developmental editor
4. Novel Revision Prompts: Make Your Good Book Great
Novel Revision Prompts: Make Your Good Book Great by Rainn Hall starts with your first draft manuscript and walks you through three phases of editing. With a specific focus on plot revision, scene revision, and line editing, this short book packs a lot of punch and is a great first-stop for self-editing. If this is your first attempt at editing, this guide breaks up the process clearly and helps you get your book ready for the second round of edits, or, can prep you for discussions with a professional editor.
What We Like:
- Very accessible to novice self-editors
- Packed with great tips and exercises
- Great for a first crack and revising NaNoWriMo drafts or sprints
5. Stein On Writing
No editor’s bookshelf could be complete without the timeless Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein. Many a writer has a dog-eared version of this book kicking around their office, and for good reason. This book has great and accessible advice for editing for new writers, accomplished writers, fiction writers, and non-fiction writers alike. If you are thinking that you are going to get a book of theory, think again! This book focuses on solutions that writers can implement to make their writing better. More than that, this can help writers to jump start the creativity they so crave, and port it over to the editing process.
What We Like:
- Offers solid solutions that any writer can implement
- For writers of all skill sets and resumes
- Very accessible
- Great for fiction and non-fiction drafts
6. The Copyeditor’s Handbook and Workbook: The Complete Set
We’d be remiss not to include a book that focuses strictly on copyediting, which will likely be the last step in your self-editing process. Copyediting is an art of its own, and even for the seasoned editor, can be a daunting challenge that requires exquisite and constant attention to detail. If you are one of those writers who just got heart palpitations dreading copyediting, the good news is that a pretty fantastic guide exists to help you through this stage. The Copyeditor’s Handbook and Workbook is great as a skills refresh or for those getting ready to roll up their sleeves and get out the red pen. It is an up-to-date authority on style, usage guides, and using new technologies in editing. If you are looking for more practical guidance, check out the workbook, which offers over 40 exercises with detailed answer guides to help hone your editorial judgment.
What We Like:
- This set provides both instruction and practice
- Helps to demystify copyediting
- Helps authors to identify areas for personal improvement in their writing
- Extensive workbook with answer key to help grow skills
7. The Linchpin Writer
While not strictly an editing resource, we wanted to include John Fox’s new book, The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel’s Key Moments. This book helps you to become a better editor (and better storywriter!). Whether you already have a draft in hand or are one of those people who edit as you go, this book is a great resource for creators who want to take their writing to the next level.
What We Like:
- An all-around resource to become a better storyteller
- Helps writers to better connect with audience
- Combines examples from literature with author’s own experience
8. Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts
This new book by Matt Bell presents a practical guide to tackling your WIP in three distinct drafts. This book works well for those who like to edit as they go, as it provides you with specific rewriting tasks, techniques and activities to complete along the way. The first section helps you get through the process of writing, but the final two sections get you through the stages of editing, including outlining, rewriting, and modeling and helping you to wrap your arms around a project to get it across the finish line.
What We Like:
- A great resource for authors who edit as they write
- Breaks projects into manageable tasks
- Emphasizes the practice of rewriting
9. Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book
Seven Drafts, by Allison K. Williams is a great new resource based on the author’s experience as a freelance editor and her successes editing hundred of manuscripts. This book walks writers through seven distinct drafts with different focuses for each step. The author has a great and funny voice throughout, making this an enjoyable read.
What We Like:
- We love her sense of humor 🙂
- Doesn’t shy away from rewrites, but instead gives them focus
- Book has the feel of getting your own personalized instruction
- Useful at all stages of writing process
- Great for writers who edit as they go
Wherever you are in your writing journey, we hope these resources give you some ideas where you can start to hone your skills. If you have any books on self editing to recommend, consider submitting a haiku review!