Category: Writing

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By Kiki Schirr, {grow} Contributing Columnist

What can famous rappers and pop stars like Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Lady Gaga, and Eminem teach us about marketing? More than you might think!

Today, influence and stardom go hand-in-hand.

• Publishing houses, movie casting directors, and record labels are looking for social influence to help judge a star’s future potential for success.
• Casting calls require an Instagram following count.
• Record labels want to know how many views a self-produced lyric video got before they call back.

When launching a career, digital marketing savvy can prove to be the second-greatest asset of an artist. Maybe the first!

And to stand out from the rest of the Instagram models, you have to innovate. So let’s see what techniques artists on the bleeding edge of notoriety are doing.

1. Zig when others zag

Lil Nas X is famous for last summer’s break out country-rap (AKA hick-hop) hit Old Town Road. Although Lil Nas X was likely a better rapper than country singer, he realized that the competition was less fierce on SoundCloud and iTune’s country music channels.

So he wrote a song that sounded a bit like it could be country, gave it a rustic title, and listed it on the country charts on both platforms.

Then he kicked into high gear on Twitter, Instagram, and especially Tik Tok. He would post short clips of the song tailored to the people he was trying to reach. A country star could get tagged in a twang-y verse and a rap artist might hear his most impressive rhymes.

As Mark Schaefer has written, winning the war for attention is about non-conformity, not conformity!

But this innovation came with a cost.

Lil Nas X was harshly criticized for co-opting another genre. Billboard Music even removed his song from the Country Music charts when it began a rapid ascent. But despite all the hate he gets–much of it racially charged–no one can deny that his system worked. Old Town Road was #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart shortly after, and it was there for five weeks.

But before anyone should criticize Lil Nas X, remember that this has been a proven strategy time and again in the business world. Many entrepreneurs and businesses achieve success by carefully looking at the rules and standards of their industry — and then finding a way around them.

2. Risk it all

This year, medical doctors completing their residency will have gone to school for fewer years than Eminem has been making rap albums. It’s possible that his CD was playing when their parents drove them to kindergarten. But Eminem’s most enduring lyric is from early in his career from the 2002 song “Lose Yourself.”

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti
He’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready

This scene has been parodied again and again with visuals from Eminem’s autobiographical movie, 8 Mile. But his decision to get on stage after throwing up from nerves was undoubtedly his career’s turning point. And being willing to risk it all — including potential humiliation in front of one’s greatest heroes — remains good advice.

While fighting embarrassment for the right opportunity is a theme throughout his work, Eminem also gives a surprising amount of additional advice to artists on his 2013 song, Rap God. I won’t link to this video because if it were bleeped to be work safe, it would sound like a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. But here are a few takeaways:

Eminem has always been self-deprecating. A common theme to insults directed at him is similar, but flipped, to insults levied at Lil Nas X: Eminem is a white guy in the rap world. So Eminem disarms those who would attack him by preemptively outwitting them.

The way I’m racin’ around the track, call me NASCAR, NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt of the trailer park, the White Trash God

Later in the song he also more directly says: “so that anything you say is ricochetin’ off of me and it’ll glue to you and…”

I’ll bring up more advice from Rap God as it becomes relevant to other star’s techniques.

3. Love your fans

Lady Gaga has a fiercely loyal group of fans she calls her “Little Monsters.” Part of this loyalty is undoubtedly because Lady Gaga preaches acceptance and appeals to LGBTQ+ youth during difficult years of self-discovery. But the love of her fans actually transcends that. Lady Gaga loves her Little Monsters back.

I won’t delve too much into this phenomenon because there’s an excellent book that outlines her strategies. Jackie Huba’s Monster Loyalty is a must-read for anyone considering building an online community. While this book is now seven years old, the message that the Golden Rule applies doubly in online communities will remain timeless.

Lyrics from Rap God that support the importance of fan validation:

It’s me, my honesty’s brutal
But it’s honestly futile if I don’t utilize what I do though
For good at least once in a while
So I wanna make sure somewhere in this chicken scratch I scribble and doodle enough rhymes
To maybe try to help get some people through tough times

I’m devastating, more than ever demonstrating
How to give a [BLEEP] audience a feeling like it’s levitating
Never fading, and I know the haters are forever waiting
For the day that they can say I fell off, they’ll be celebrating
‘Cause I know the way to get ’em motivated
I make elevating music

4. Be fearless

When I ran a video chat community, the now-famous singer Doja Cat ran in similar circles, trying to spread her music through online video. She wasn’t always well-received. One time I broke into a conversation to protest that insults regarding her attention-seeking behavior had gone too far. To prove his point, someone played a YouTube video called Mooo! (be warned: this music video features suggestive content)

Doja Cat put out Mooo! in 2018 when she was first gaining steam. It’s silly to the point of self-parody. Doja Cat sings about how she’s a cow. She wears Holstein-printed short shorts. She dances in front of a green screen playing indecent anime clips and even sticks french fries in her nose.

I thought she was a genius. Say what you want about taste, this is the kind of video that the Internet loves to hate but secretly adores as it gets watched over and over — has 72 million views.

Doja Cat leveraged Tik Tok to get her music heard. Like parody rapper Lil Dicky, who has his own TV show these days, she wasn’t afraid to be ridiculed. Doja Cat knew what her audience liked and realized that video was her medium before Tik Tok was a thing. Once her platform appeared, Doja’s fame skyrocketed.

Again, Doja Cat is not the only one to conclude that a lot of success is tied to losing one’s fear of embarrassment.

Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, has famously said, “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late” Steve Jobs cited his cancer diagnosis and subsequent forced-memento mori musings as the catalyst for giving up his fear of embarrassment.

Rap God’s weigh-in on the importance of being bold, innovating, and taking risks:

You’re stuck in a time warp from 2004 though
And I don’t know what the [BLEEP] that you rhyme for
You’re pointless as Rapunzel with [BLEEP] cornrows
You write normal? [BLEEP] being normal!
And I just bought a new raygun from the future
Just to come and shoot ya

Everybody wants the key and the secret to rap immortality like I have got
Well, to be truthful the blueprint’s
Simply rage and youthful exuberance
Everybody loves to root for a nuisance
Hit the Earth like an asteroid
Did nothing but shoot for the Moon since (Pew!)

So learn to take advantage of hidden opportunities. Quash your fear of external judgment. Ward off criticism by being wittier than those who would try to insult you. Embrace your supporters.

Maybe there’s a lot that marketers can learn from pop stars. Just remember, it’s okay to skip the meat dress.

Kiki Schirr is a freelance marketer who reads too much into rap lyrics. She is the former founder and CEO of a small video chat company that really should have hung around for the shelter-in-place era. Maybe Eminem would advised her differently. Kiki is most easily reached via Twitter.

The post Marketing lessons from four of the world’s savviest pop stars appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

https://econsultancy.com/marketers-on-the-new-normal-tony-marlow-cmo-integral-ad-science/

Please describe your job: What do you do?

I am the chief marketing officer at Integral Ad Science, the global leader in digital ad verification. Simply put, we validate the quality of digital ads.

My role at the company focuses on storytelling and ensuring our brand is front and center for verification within the advertising industry.

How has your typical day been impacted in the short term by the pandemic?

Working from my home in Brooklyn has been an interesting opportunity for me to understand the importance of balance between work and personal life. Balance for me is now about finding ways to be fully engaged with the task at hand for either work or personal life – especially regarding the time I spend with my young son. I wrap my work day and then I am fully engaged with him until bedtime. When needed, I switch back into work mode.

What are your favourite tools and techniques to help you get your work done at the moment?

There has been a lot of commentary about the rise of video conferencing as a means of social connection, but it has also become a means of professional networking. I’m surprised at how many new industry people that I’ve connected with via video call over the past month or so.

Secondly, ensuring I address the need to physically move. I’ll now sometimes do (masked) “walk and talk” meetings, walking the block solo while taking a work call or video meeting. It helps make sure I’m not seated all day and also provides some space to think.

Which companies have impressed you since the outbreak?

This is not a brand, but as a New York resident, I’ve been very impressed with Governor Cuomo and the way he has handled this situation so far. And I do not mean this from a political perspective, I’m impressed with how he has handled this from a communication perspective. The way he conveys complicated information in a digestible way for the average New Yorker is impressive.

What changes are you making to help your brand connect with how people are feeling and experiencing the pandemic?

We have leaned heavily into thought leadership about coronavirus and content adjacencies. In the same way the wider world is navigating the new normal, marketing and publishing professionals are also getting their bearings and we have invested in a suite of thought leadership research to help provide them with the most up-to-date information for the decisions they make. At the end of the day our brand is about trust and transparency in the digital media ecosystem and it’s critical, now more than ever, that we show up for our customers and meet their current and future needs. We have been in constant contact with our customers to offer them creative approaches to meet their goals.

IAS has been helping clients, partners and the industry with a steady cadence of relevant research and guidance about the current situation and strategies for the long term moving forward. We’re producing educational content and tools for both our clients and the industry at large. We’ve released our industry-standard Media Quality Report, which is always very closely followed by the industry, worldwide. We also launched the IAS Challenge, our own bot technology to show how marketers could be at risk for bot fraud.

As a data-driven organization, we’ve been looking closely at how people’s behaviors have changed over the past few months, in particular since we have all been working from home. What we have found is that people are spending more time on news sites and actively seeking out information about the coronavirus. What we’ve also seen is that ad adjacency near content related to or about coronavirus is viewed more or less favorably dependent on the brand – for example, travel advertising near an article about coronavirus is deemed unsuitable, while health and government advertising would be more accepted.

What trends have you seen in the last few weeks in your sector?

One of the biggest trends we are seeing is the need for support and education around brand safety and suitability strategies. Understandably, many brands have been (and still are) assessing where they do and do not want to appear online right now. We have been providing advice and guidance to our clients, both buy and sell side, to explain to them what brand safety best practice looks like right now.

What advice would you give a marketer right now?

Be agile and be empathetic in your messaging and strategy. Adapt your plans to the new situations you and your customers find yourselves in. Ask yourself: are your partners providing enough transparency? Do they have the right people, precision technology and insights to help you right now and in the future?

Also, understand the market, understand your customer and what they need right now – and what they will need down the road. We have been working full-steam to deliver technology solutions that serve our customers’ current needs and set them up for success in the future. And we are digging deep, with our insights and data science, to give them guidance and expertise to navigate through this unique moment in time. I’d advise any marketer to look at their partnerships and get a full understanding of the guidance, support and solutions they provide. I have been very encouraged by the response we’ve gotten from the market for the leadership IAS has taken at this time. We have provided the thought leadership and needed counsel that our customers have been seeking out in this situation.

The world has changed, it will keep changing. Be agile, empathetic in your strategy and messaging, and make sure you are working with partners you trust to help see you through.

What does long term planning and strategy look like now at your brand?

As a marketing team, there are obvious changes we’ve made such as a short-term divestment from physical events. What is interesting is the broader situation is accelerating changes that may remain long after the current events are in the rearview mirror. I think any solid long term planning considers what the new normal is now and will be in the future.

The post Marketers on the new normal: Tony Marlow, CMO, Integral Ad Science appeared first on Econsultancy.

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You’ve completed a first draft. Congratulations! Seriously, you deserve a pat on the back, and I really suggest you take the time to give yourself one.

Now comes the hard part: editing.

Seriously, how do you edit a novel? In this article, I’ll teach you the process I’ve learned after years of struggling to edit. But first, there’s one thing we have to get out of the way:

Editing is essential and you have to do it.

A lot of writers loathe editing. I’ve known some novices who refuse to edit their work at all. (Eventually, those folks have learned that’s not really a great idea.) I used to hate editing as well, but over the years, I’ve come to . . . not necessarily enjoy it, but tolerate it. I know it’s an essential part of the writing (and publishing!) process and respect if for that purpose.

It’s still a pain. And it can definitely be overwhelming. Eventually, in my many years of rebelling against the editing process, I realized I didn’t want to edit because I had no earthly idea how to begin!

The 9-Step Process to Self-Edit a Novel

I want you to skip the years of trial and error I went through to find a good way to self-edit a book. So here’s my step-by-step guide to tackle the editing process. This works for novels, books, short stories, and everything in between. (I seriously use this.)

1. Take a break.

This is essential. DO NOT skip this part.

Your first instinct is going to be to reread your story immediately. You absolutely know there are parts you wanted to revisit while you were rushing through a first draft. (First drafts should be written quickly. To see why check out this post.)

No matter how much you want to, don’t reread your book right away. Set it aside. I recommend leaving it sit for two months. For shorter works, I recommend a couple weeks.

This break is vital so you can come back with fresh, editor’s eyes.

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2. Reread your novel with an eye for large problems.

For now, ignore stylistic issues and typos. You’re looking for structure issues, characterization problems, plot holes, etc. You’re not looking to improve your use of language at this point. You’re looking to improve the story.

Notice I did not say start editing. You’re just reading right now. You have to take a macro view of your entire book before you can really dive in and start revising.

Make notes on the larger issues. Create a list of things you’d like to change. But do not start editing.

3. Revisit your outline.

If you didn’t make one, that’s fine. Make one now.

Trust me, even if you’re a pantser, you’re going to want a map of your entire story laid out in front of you. It’s easier to see your book’s structure that way, which makes it easier to move scenes around, or cut/add scenes or chapters.

If you did make an outline, revise it to reflect the current state of your book. (We all know inspiration sometimes strikes and you probably added a scene here and there that wasn’t in the original outline.)

Now look at that outline and identify any major issues with structure, etc. and brainstorm ways to fix those issues. Make a new outline based on your fixes.

Now you have a plan for your next draft!

4. Start your second draft.

Now you can edit. Keep in mind you are looking for large issues right now. Concentrate on structure, tone, characterization, and definitely your plot. You’re not worrying so much about making your sentences sing and finding the perfect metaphor or simile.

Make sure your outline is nearby so you can stay on track. (Side note: I “outline” by writing each scene on an index card and taping them to my wall. They’re always staring at me that way. And it’s a great guilt trip if you’re prone to procrastination to see them all up there judging you for not writing.)

This part is the hardest to do and is definitely the most frustrating and overwhelming. Keep at it and don’t give up.

5. Reread again.

This time you’re making sure you’ve fixed all your major problems, but you can also start looking for prose issues. I always print this version out so I can write notes in the margins and correct sentences right on the manuscript.

6. Start draft 2.5.

I don’t consider this round of edits to be a third draft, but if you want to call it that, fine.

This is where you’re doing a lot of prose tweaking. Fix those telling spots and make them show. Make sure your dialogue is realistic. Add some description if needed.

For me, this is the fun part of editing, where I’m really filling out my book and making sure my style is consistent.

7. Send your manuscript to beta readers.

Yep, it’s time to let people in on this massive project of yours, typos and all.

This is not a perfect, publishable draft. Any beta reader you choose needs to know that upfront so they’re not concentrating on commas and spelling. They may mark a typo if they see one, but they should be aware they are helping you the most by focusing on the major components above all else: plot, characterization, etc.

(A note on beta readers: Please don’t send it to your mother. She will love it and not give you good feedback. Ditto for close friends and other family members. Find some other writers or people you are positive will not worry about offending you when giving you feedback.)

Make a list of questions for your beta readers to keep them concentrated on what they really need to look for. Here are some example questions to keep your beta readers on track:

Are my characters flat?

Does my dialogue sound realistic?

Does anything not make sense (with plot, with world rules, with choices characters make, etc.)?

Were there any places you got bored and didn’t want to continue the book?

Is the climax exciting enough?

Avoid the urge to edit more while your beta readers have your book. DO NOT send them a new copy because you changed something. This will lead to a downward spiral of you tweaking a sentence, sending them a new copy, them starting over, repeat. They will get frustrated and most likely will not finish reading your book at all.

The added bonus to taking another break is you will have plenty of space from your story when you come back to it, which means you’ll be able to look at it through editors’ eyes again.

If your beta readers bring up multiple issues, take time to consider them before revising again. Here’s how to process feedback from beta readers. Always consider everything your beta readers say. Do not get defensive. Do not argue with them.

They represent your readers and were kind enough to help you out.

8. Start your third draft.

Hopefully, your beta readers didn’t find any glaring problems with the major components of your book.

If they did find some pretty major problems, you’re going to work through the second draft steps again:

1. Don’t panic. I know it’s frustrating, but you CAN fix this book. Don’t give up now!
2. Revise for major problems.
3. Send the book back out to beta readers. Consider a few new people this time, but make sure you send it to a handful of the original group so they can tell you if you’ve fixed the issues. (If they’re not willing to read the book again, that’s fine. Understand that this is your baby, not theirs, and they might not have the time or the urge to keep helping you with this particular project. Don’t make enemies over something so trivial.)

If they didn’t find any major errors, hooray! For this draft, you’ll focus on the micro view of your book: typos, grammar, and all the tiny little tweaks.

I highly recommend reading your work aloud at this stage. You’ll catch so many more weirdly worded sentences and typos if it’s vocalized than if you’re reading it. Eyes tend to skip things, especially if they’ve run over the same ground a million times.

Use editing software if you like (ProWritingAid or Grammarly are good choices).

9. Celebrate!

Again, this part is essential and I don’t recommend you skip it!

*Bringing in the professionals

This is a post on self-editing your novel, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention professional editors. I’d never worked with an editor before last fall, and let me tell you, the experience was quite illuminating. So if this still seems like too much for you to handle, let me give you a rundown of the different types of editors and when you might consider hiring them.

A developmental editor gives you macro-level insight into your entire story. They can really help you straighten out the kinks with major issues, like structure. You’d want to hire a developmental editor early on before you waste time doing several drafts. I’m talking after your first draft or between draft two and draft 2.5. Find out more about developmental editing through The Write Practice here.

A line editor is just what it sounds like: They comb through each sentence. A line editor’s specialty is language. These are the people to help you get beautiful prose. You’d hire a line editor after you’ve fixed major structural problems and anything else of high importance. They won’t help you fix your story, so that needs to be done first. This is third draft stuff. Find line editors we recommend here.

Finally, a proofreader is the person you want if you don’t know the difference between a comma and a semicolon. (Or if you can’t spell “semicolon.”) Proofreaders go through your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb and fix any typos, including spelling mistakes and grammatical and punctuation errors. They come in after your final draft, right before you publish. Find proofreaders we recommend here.

I promise it gets easier.

Are you overwhelmed right now? I know I probably would be if I’d just read this post and had never edited anything before (especially a longer work like a book!).

Eventually, you’ll be able to move through these steps quickly and you won’t look at your first draft manuscripts with dread. Just take it one step at a time and work the process. You’ll get to a well-edited, publishing-ready draft, and your book will be all the better for it!

Do you follow a similar editing process? Let me know in the comments!

The post How to Edit a Novel: The Foolproof 9-Step Book Editing Process appeared first on The Write Practice.

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You’ve completed a first draft. Congratulations! Seriously, you deserve a pat on the back, and I really suggest you take the time to give yourself one.

Now comes the hard part: editing.

Seriously, how do you edit a novel? In this article, I’ll teach you the process I’ve learned after years of struggling to edit. But first, there’s one thing we have to get out of the way:

Editing is essential and you have to do it.

A lot of writers loathe editing. I’ve known some novices who refuse to edit their work at all. (Eventually, those folks have learned that’s not really a great idea.) I used to hate editing as well, but over the years, I’ve come to . . . not necessarily enjoy it, but tolerate it. I know it’s an essential part of the writing (and publishing!) process and respect if for that purpose.

It’s still a pain. And it can definitely be overwhelming. Eventually, in my many years of rebelling against the editing process, I realized I didn’t want to edit because I had no earthly idea how to begin!

The 9-Step Process to Self-Edit a Novel

I want you to skip the years of trial and error I went through to find a good way to self-edit a book. So here’s my step-by-step guide to tackle the editing process. This works for novels, books, short stories, and everything in between. (I seriously use this.)

1. Take a break.

This is essential. DO NOT skip this part.

Your first instinct is going to be to reread your story immediately. You absolutely know there are parts you wanted to revisit while you were rushing through a first draft. (First drafts should be written quickly. To see why check out this post.)

No matter how much you want to, don’t reread your book right away. Set it aside. I recommend leaving it sit for two months. For shorter works, I recommend a couple weeks.

This break is vital so you can come back with fresh, editor’s eyes.

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2. Reread your novel with an eye for large problems.

For now, ignore stylistic issues and typos. You’re looking for structure issues, characterization problems, plot holes, etc. You’re not looking to improve your use of language at this point. You’re looking to improve the story.

Notice I did not say start editing. You’re just reading right now. You have to take a macro view of your entire book before you can really dive in and start revising.

Make notes on the larger issues. Create a list of things you’d like to change. But do not start editing.

3. Revisit your outline.

If you didn’t make one, that’s fine. Make one now.

Trust me, even if you’re a pantser, you’re going to want a map of your entire story laid out in front of you. It’s easier to see your book’s structure that way, which makes it easier to move scenes around, or cut/add scenes or chapters.

If you did make an outline, revise it to reflect the current state of your book. (We all know inspiration sometimes strikes and you probably added a scene here and there that wasn’t in the original outline.)

Now look at that outline and identify any major issues with structure, etc. and brainstorm ways to fix those issues. Make a new outline based on your fixes.

Now you have a plan for your next draft!

4. Start your second draft.

Now you can edit. Keep in mind you are looking for large issues right now. Concentrate on structure, tone, characterization, and definitely your plot. You’re not worrying so much about making your sentences sing and finding the perfect metaphor or simile.

Make sure your outline is nearby so you can stay on track. (Side note: I “outline” by writing each scene on an index card and taping them to my wall. They’re always staring at me that way. And it’s a great guilt trip if you’re prone to procrastination to see them all up there judging you for not writing.)

This part is the hardest to do and is definitely the most frustrating and overwhelming. Keep at it and don’t give up.

5. Reread again.

This time you’re making sure you’ve fixed all your major problems, but you can also start looking for prose issues. I always print this version out so I can write notes in the margins and correct sentences right on the manuscript.

6. Start draft 2.5.

I don’t consider this round of edits to be a third draft, but if you want to call it that, fine.

This is where you’re doing a lot of prose tweaking. Fix those telling spots and make them show. Make sure your dialogue is realistic. Add some description if needed.

For me, this is the fun part of editing, where I’m really filling out my book and making sure my style is consistent.

7. Send your manuscript to beta readers.

Yep, it’s time to let people in on this massive project of yours, typos and all.

This is not a perfect, publishable draft. Any beta reader you choose needs to know that upfront so they’re not concentrating on commas and spelling. They may mark a typo if they see one, but they should be aware they are helping you the most by focusing on the major components above all else: plot, characterization, etc.

(A note on beta readers: Please don’t send it to your mother. She will love it and not give you good feedback. Ditto for close friends and other family members. Find some other writers or people you are positive will not worry about offending you when giving you feedback.)

Make a list of questions for your beta readers to keep them concentrated on what they really need to look for. Here are some example questions to keep your beta readers on track:

Are my characters flat?

Does my dialogue sound realistic?

Does anything not make sense (with plot, with world rules, with choices characters make, etc.)?

Were there any places you got bored and didn’t want to continue the book?

Is the climax exciting enough?

Avoid the urge to edit more while your beta readers have your book. DO NOT send them a new copy because you changed something. This will lead to a downward spiral of you tweaking a sentence, sending them a new copy, them starting over, repeat. They will get frustrated and most likely will not finish reading your book at all.

The added bonus to taking another break is you will have plenty of space from your story when you come back to it, which means you’ll be able to look at it through editors’ eyes again.

If your beta readers bring up multiple issues, take time to consider them before revising again. Here’s how to process feedback from beta readers. Always consider everything your beta readers say. Do not get defensive. Do not argue with them.

They represent your readers and were kind enough to help you out.

8. Start your third draft.

Hopefully, your beta readers didn’t find any glaring problems with the major components of your book.

If they did find some pretty major problems, you’re going to work through the second draft steps again:

1. Don’t panic. I know it’s frustrating, but you CAN fix this book. Don’t give up now!
2. Revise for major problems.
3. Send the book back out to beta readers. Consider a few new people this time, but make sure you send it to a handful of the original group so they can tell you if you’ve fixed the issues. (If they’re not willing to read the book again, that’s fine. Understand that this is your baby, not theirs, and they might not have the time or the urge to keep helping you with this particular project. Don’t make enemies over something so trivial.)

If they didn’t find any major errors, hooray! For this draft, you’ll focus on the micro view of your book: typos, grammar, and all the tiny little tweaks.

I highly recommend reading your work aloud at this stage. You’ll catch so many more weirdly worded sentences and typos if it’s vocalized than if you’re reading it. Eyes tend to skip things, especially if they’ve run over the same ground a million times.

Use editing software if you like (ProWritingAid or Grammarly are good choices).

9. Celebrate!

Again, this part is essential and I don’t recommend you skip it!

*Bringing in the professionals

This is a post on self-editing your novel, but I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention professional editors. I’d never worked with an editor before last fall, and let me tell you, the experience was quite illuminating. So if this still seems like too much for you to handle, let me give you a rundown of the different types of editors and when you might consider hiring them.

A developmental editor gives you macro-level insight into your entire story. They can really help you straighten out the kinks with major issues, like structure. You’d want to hire a developmental editor early on before you waste time doing several drafts. I’m talking after your first draft or between draft two and draft 2.5. Find out more about developmental editing through The Write Practice here.

A line editor is just what it sounds like: They comb through each sentence. A line editor’s specialty is language. These are the people to help you get beautiful prose. You’d hire a line editor after you’ve fixed major structural problems and anything else of high importance. They won’t help you fix your story, so that needs to be done first. This is third draft stuff. Find line editors we recommend here.

Finally, a proofreader is the person you want if you don’t know the difference between a comma and a semicolon. (Or if you can’t spell “semicolon.”) Proofreaders go through your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb and fix any typos, including spelling mistakes and grammatical and punctuation errors. They come in after your final draft, right before you publish. Find proofreaders we recommend here.

I promise it gets easier.

Are you overwhelmed right now? I know I probably would be if I’d just read this post and had never edited anything before (especially a longer work like a book!).

Eventually, you’ll be able to move through these steps quickly and you won’t look at your first draft manuscripts with dread. Just take it one step at a time and work the process. You’ll get to a well-edited, publishing-ready draft, and your book will be all the better for it!

Do you follow a similar editing process? Let me know in the comments!

The post How to Edit a Novel: The Foolproof 9-Step Book Editing Process appeared first on The Write Practice.