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3 Self-Editing Tips to Catch the “Little” Things

I’m opening up sales for my all-new product, “The Complete Self-Publishing Toolkit: Easily Format & Publish Your Book for Print & Kindle” so I wanted to bring you a few editing tips.

When I was in the middle of editing one of my books, “Pitch Your Tent: A family’s guide to tent camping” I paid special attention to the “little” things that can mean the difference between a professional manuscript and looking like an amateur.

See if you can spot the problems:

  • Most public campgrounds in have paths between sites to the bathrooms, trash, etc.
  • When the sun begins to sweat you’ll get a chill.
  • Fist Aid Kit
  • I recommend packing in a duffle big.
  • And never underestimate the importance of a pair of slip of shoes.

None of the sentences (or chapter headings) above have any grammatical error that will be caught by a spelling or grammar checker. It’s up to a real editor who carefully reads each sentence to find them.

So how do you spot things like this in your own writing?

1. Read the manuscript backwards. I start with the last sentence (reading it from start to finish). And then the second to last sentence; the third to last sentence, etc. By reading the manuscript this way, I’m able to focus on one sentence at a time and my brain isn’t “assuming” it knows what will come next.

2. I print out the entire manuscript, grab my tea and red pen and go to town. Looking at the project in a different format really causes errors to jump out at me.


3. Read it aloud. It’s not a quick (or even entertaining) process, but hearing it can help me identify mistakes and sentences that don’t flow.

After your manuscript meets your personal editing standards, be sure to pass it along to a copy editor to go over it again. No matter how good you are at self-editing, a copy editor will find mistakes.

Speaking of looking professional…

In my all-new product, “The Complete Self-Publishing Toolkit: Easily Format & Publish Your Book for Print & Kindle” I have an entire section on how to hunt down and eliminate typos in your manuscript so your self-published book looks the best it possibly can.

Right now, you can get your copy of “The Complete Self-Publishing Toolkit: Easily Format & Publish Your Book for Print & Kindle” for just $49. When you purchase, you’ll receive:

  • An easy-to-use, pre-formatted book layout template – all you need to do is drop in your content!
  • Instructional videos to go with that template so you understand how to customize it for your book – and what pitfalls to avoid so your book will look professional.
  • A checklist to make sure your book has all the sections it needs, in order, so that it is able to share your message with the world.
  • Exactly what you need to set up your KDP Publishing Account with Amazon.com – including information for direct deposit and banking.
  • PLUS my Cover Design Resource Guide that teaches what makes a successful book cover AND exactly who to hire to make it beautiful.

AND the juicy bonuses of Formatting for Kindle AND The Easy Table of Contents Generator.

But you have to hurry! Cart is only open until July 23, 2021. Get It Here.

Kim Galloway
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