Many steps are involved in getting your finished manuscript ready for publishing (or submission to a publisher). In my interview, I discuss my own experience and how I work with self-published authors. I initially recommend new authors have a few other readers, sometimes called beta readers, offer their feedback. Then I recommend the author do another self-edit. After the beta readers, I suggest interviewing copy editors (or if needed a developmental editor). Then back to new edits based on the editor's suggestions. I next ask authors to find some ARCs, or advanced readers, from whom they'll get final feedback and often book reviews. Next the author needs formatting, and finally, if desired, a proofreading. And I have other tips to help ensure an author has a clean, clear, highly professional book ready for publishing. Want a bestseller? Write a great book--and polish it to perfection!

Join Angela Yuriko Smith as she shares how your goal archetypes factor into everything you do to bring your book out, including your formatting choices.

In The Art of Self Editing, Kate Allyson will show you how to edit your own work before you send it to your editor. Self-editing is the key to becoming a better writer…and it can save you time and money! Kate has worked with dozens of authors and knows the mistakes that most authors make, and how to fix them!

Key takeaways include:
1. The ONE thing that most authors miss when self-editing
2. Why spelling and grammar does NOT matter as much as you think it does
3. How to identify the “missing pieces” of your book

The session will include time for Q+A at the end.
 

The Art of Editing: Crafting a Manuscript That Shines is a deep dive into the essential role of editing in transforming a manuscript from good to exceptional. In this presentation, I will guide authors through the editing process, explaining how structural and detailed editing can enhance clarity, coherence, and narrative flow while maintaining their unique voice. You'll learn practical tips on self-editing, how to collaborate with editors, and what to avoid when preparing your manuscript. By the end, you'll understand how thoughtful editing shapes a polished, engaging manuscript that captivates readers and stands out to publishers.

When writers begin taking a serious look at self-publishing their book, they're often shocked to learn the stages of editing. Developmental edit, copyedit, proofreading…and sometimes multiple rounds are required within each stage, depending on the state of the writing. This can run the author thousands of dollars. Yes, that's right. And it is worth every penny. Here's why.

Working inhouse at one of the Big 5, I worked on books with enormous marketing budgets. Authors who got six-figure advances and walked with teams bustling around them. I grinded for years. I got mentored by two highly respected members of leadership. I read books. I studied my colleagues editorial letters. I watched those editors with many more years of experience mark-up chapters, rearrange sections, reword, cut, cut, and cut. Slowly, I took over my own book projects. I asked a lot more questions. I worked on forming authentic relationships with my authors. The books I edited began winning awards. I was promoted, then promoted again. 

Those years, and many more since striking out on my own, provided me the skills that I now apply to editing self-published books. When I bring on a new client, I offer my professional opinion on titles, cover designs, back cover copy, BISAC category, and whether to print on white or creme paper. Why? Because those details, along with multiple rounds of editing, will make the book competitive in the marketplace. Your book becomes competitive with New York Times' Bestsellers. 

When an author wants to work with me, I ask them to send me their first two chapters. Here's what I'm looking for:

Originality, thoughtfulness, heart.

If in these two chapters, I find any of the following, I know we probably won't be a good fit:

Sloppy punctuation, typos, missing words. 

You won't be ready for the work I'll be asking you to do if that's what you send me to review. 

In the presentation, I'll explain how the stages of editing are like the stages of building a house. I'll talk through do's and don't of the editorial process, and share stories of clients ranging from heart-warming to jaw-dropping. 

The overall theme of the presentation will circulate around “details" because it is in the details that a house can be considered safe or deadly. In editing, the details determine whether or book is ready for the marketplace, or dead upon entry.