Publishing

Designing a Book Cover: More Mock-ups

KWhipkey 1 Comment

Welcome to week 4 of Ashley Ruggirello’s guest post series. For those of you who’ve been following along, feel free to jump down to the chapter header. You know the drill by now.

For those just joining us, I’ve teamed up with Ashley, Creative Director and Founder of REUTS Publications, to bring you a series about cover design. (And by “teamed up”, I really mean asked permission to syndicate her work. ;) ) I know nothing about cover design, so why not defer to an expert like Ashley? Because that’s what she is. Not only is she the creative genius behind all of REUTS, she’s also the owner of freelance design company, Cardboard Monet. I’ve had the privilege of watching her talent in action, so I’m extremely thrilled that one of her brilliant designs will be featured on my work.

That’s right, not only will she being giving you inspired insight into the design process, she’s using my nemesis WIP, Unmoving, as the example cover. No, that doesn’t mean I finally managed to finish the darn thing. But after this, I’m certainly feeling inspired to!  So stick around. At the end of the series, I’ll reveal the big announcement I’ve had up my sleeve. If you’re a fan of my work, you definitely won’t want to miss it!

Alright, take it away, Ashley!

 

Chapter 4: More Mocking

 

By Ashley Ruggirello

 
This week’s post is exciting for me as a designer, because I’m able to show you in a side-by-side view how we use feedback to transform a design. As promised, I’m going to recap Kisa’s thoughts on the original cover mock-ups from Chapter 3, and then give you a chance to catch the subtle, and not so subtle, updates in the new versions. The mock-up and revise process can consist of many rounds, but for the sake of this series, we’re only going to show one. Kisa and I went through a couple more after this point to get to the final design, but those will stay behind-the-scenes. Next week, we’ll debut that final, and jump right into a step-by-step tutorial on how the cover was created. We’ll provide all the stock and styles so you can practice and create the Unmoving cover yourself. Follow along, and we’ll have some fun! 🙂
 

Mock-Up #1

 
Feedback points from Kisa:

  • Can the necklace be more prevalent, maybe with a chain interacting with the text?
  • Add the filigree from mock-up #2 to mock-up #1, faintly in the corners
  • Increase the title, and move it up more.

Overall, Kisa’s feedback regarding mock-up #1 was very positive. I think there was even an “I love this!!!” somewhere in the email, which is great! But, it also makes it more difficult for the second mock-up. I made somewhat of a mistake sending Kisa this first, while working on the second. It allowed her to focus on the design in front of her, develop a love (or hate) relationship with it, and then hold the second to a higher standard. I would recommend sending all mock-ups at the same time, to give a fair comparison of both against one another. Fortunately for me, Kisa has an artistic background, and didn’t let the appeal of mock-up #1 get too much in the way of discussing mock-up #2 😉

Back to the covers…

The contemporary, faint feel of this cover would stand on its own on a bookshelf, and captured many of the main elements of Unmoving, so overall, she was pleased with the direction. I took her feedback and requests, and got to work. To the left is the original, to the right is the updated mock-up #1 (let’s call it mock-up #1.2):
 

Screen Shot 2013-10-10 at 1.11.52 PM

Note: I began to play with the font, but didn’t complete this round of revisions. The same with the chain – since these are just rough mock-ups, I didn’t take the time to shade/accentuate a 3D effect on the chain.
 

Mock-Up #2

 
Feedback points from Kisa:

  • Portland is very lush (constant rain) so the dirt below the bench feels out of place.
  • Try something more along the lines of a gray palette similar to the first mock-up.
  • Apply the same styles but with an image we’ve referenced before, in Chapter 2.

As I expected, after sending mock-up #1 first, mock-up #2 wasn’t received with as much excitement. Kisa had a little more of a clear direction to take this design, though, which is always helpful on my end. Overall, Kisa liked the styles of mock-up #2, but with mock-up #2.2 she wanted to try a new, lighter image.
 

Screen Shot 2013-10-10 at 1.12.42 PM
 
Quite a change, isn’t it? But you can still see how these two designs fall within the same vein: a more prominent bench, a fantastical overlay texture, movement bringing your eye around the design, etc… I’m actually much more pleased with round two of this mock-up, than the first – proof that a design continues to get better and better with collaboration, edits and multiple rounds of reviewing.

We’ll unveil the direction Kisa picked (and together, we finalized) in next week’s post. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments below, or Tweet us: @REUTSpub. I have a favorite, and I have a feeling I know which one Kisa favors, but let us know what you would do, and which you’d pick if you were in her shoes. Maybe you can sway her opinion 🙂

Remember, next week we’ll get into the cover’s creation, meaning over the course of two or three posts, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of recreating this cover. You can practice and practice the techniques I’ve used, and maybe apply them to your own cover in the future. It’ll all begin with the Stock Permission Request mentioned way back when, and how to deal with copyrighted stock.

Until then, have a fantastic week, everyone!

Designing a Book Cover: The Mock-Ups

KWhipkey 3 Comments

Welcome to week 3 of Ashley Ruggirello’s guest post series. For those of you who’ve been following along, feel free to jump down to the chapter header. You’ve read all this intro stuff before.

For those just joining us, I’ve teamed up with Ashley, Creative Director and Founder of REUTS Publications, to bring you a series about cover design. (And by “teamed up”, I really mean asked permission to syndicate her work. ;) ) I know nothing about cover design, so why not defer to an expert like Ashley? Because that’s what she is. Not only is she the creative genius behind all of REUTS, she’s also the owner of freelance design company, Cardboard Monet. I’ve had the privilege of watching her talent in action, so I’m extremely thrilled that one of her brilliant designs will be featured on my work.

That’s right, not only will she being giving you inspired insight into the design process, she’s using my nemesis WIP, Unmoving, as the example cover. No, that doesn’t mean I finally managed to finish the darn thing. But after this, I’m certainly feeling inspired to!  So stick around. At the end of the series, I’ll reveal the big announcement I’ve had up my sleeve. If you’re a fan of my work, you definitely won’t want to miss it!

Alright, Ashley. You’re up!
 

Chapter 3: Mocking Up the Mock-Ups

 

By Ashley Ruggirello

 
I’m going to preface this week’s post by saying the inspiration fairy is an interesting critter who sometimes decides to hide away at the most inopportune times. In the case of this week’s post, I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to get it done in time. Even with a couple different ideas swimming around my head, I still couldn’t get all the other elements to line up: images, styles, fonts, etc. That’s the thing with design, it’s never really reliable. Who knows when inspiration will strike, and when a design will actually come together.

Thankfully, I was able to request a little bit of Kisa’s aid before I restarted my designs. Browsing GoodReads.com, Kisa wrangled together a handful (or two) of already published cover art she felt (in one way or another) captured the Unmoving vibe. I don’t think these mock-ups would have come to be in time had it not been for her hasty help.

Last week, I mentioned discussing how to acquire permission to use stock from artists/photographers, however I’m going to hold off on that until Kisa has finalized a direction, and I know officially what images will be in use. So, without any further ado, this week’s post:
 

Mock-Up #1

 
In addition to using Kisa’s cover selections, I happened to stumble upon my own, which triggered a (small) bout of inspiration.

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Teeth, by Hannah Moskowitz

 

The grayscale, the slight use of color, the simplicity; this helped with my direction. Given the stock photo collection we gathered, maybe this is a direction I can pursue, I thought. (I think to myself a lot. Sometimes I think it keeps me sane.) I coupled the Teeth book cover with two Kisa provided as additional inspiration:
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 7.59.10 PM

When the World Was Flat, by Ingrid Jonach

 

Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 7.59.41 PM

Thin Space, by Jody Casella

 

I knew upon seeing these two in addition to Teeth, that I could come up with something. And thus began mock-up number one–
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 8.04.06 PM
 
A simple, grayscale park bench blurred in the background, with Karma’s necklace dangling off the page to the right (I’m a huge fan of making things extend off the page). Clean and crisp. At this point, I’m hoping Kisa likes something about it. As with any critique, honesty is the best policy. Never feel as if you’re hurting your designer’s feelings by not liking something.

(Please Note: Kisa’s feedback will be incorporated into next week’s post, as we continue to refine a direction, or completely scrap both options. Each new iteration will be coupled with the feedback.)
 

Mock-Up #2

 

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Hunger, by Jackie Morse Kessler

 

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Shadows, by Robin McKinley

 
Which led me to the second mock-up:
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 10.06.27 PM
 
More fantasy, more colors, more movement. More of a full bench as the focal point, along with a light orb texture to tie in the fantasy elements of Kisa’s story. The filigree is meant to look blurred/in motion to add to the suspense/distress in the story.

So, there you have it: the first two initial mock-ups. They’ve been sent to Kisa, and will be modified based on her feedback. (Who knows, if she hates them both, we’ll have to evolve one of the other ideas backstroking in my mind into a cover.) Once a direction is determined, I’ll go through the step-by-step process I actually took to create the final cover.

In the meantime, what do you think? How well did I translate Kisa’s info-dump from last week into these two designs? Let us know in the comments!

Designing a Book Cover: Info Dump to Brainstorming

KWhipkey 4 Comments

Welcome to week 2 of Ashley Ruggirello’s guest post series. For those of you just joining us, I’ve teamed up with Ashley, Creative Director and Founder of REUTS Publications, to bring you a series about cover design. (And by “teamed up”, I really mean asked permission to syndicate her work. ;) ) I know nothing about cover design, so why not defer to an expert like Ashley? Because that’s what she is. Not only is she the creative genius behind all of REUTS, she’s also the owner of freelance design company, Cardboard Monet. I’ve had the privilege of watching her talent in action, so I’m extremely thrilled that one of her brilliant designs will be featured on my work.

That’s right, not only will she being giving you inspired insight into the design process, she’s using my nemesis WIP, Unmoving, as the example cover. By the end of the series, Unmoving will be one step closer to being official! And you get to watch it happen. No, that doesn’t mean I finally managed to finish the darn thing. But I can promise you an exciting (well, it’s exciting for me, and maybe the 3 fans I have) announcement regarding it at the end of the series. ;)

So stick around. I can guarantee you won’t regret it.

Ready, Ashley? They’re all yours!
 

Chapter 2: Info Dump to Brainstorming

 

By Ashley Ruggirello

 
And we’re back. This week we’re moving more into the meat of Book Cover design– and by “meat”, I mean charcuterie type appetizer, because this definitely isn’t the main course!

If you followed the steps I denoted in Chapter 1, you should have an info dump of author knowledge on your hands. I know I do, and that’s the sign of a great start! You can gather a lot of ideas and inspiration from hearing the author (passionately) describe their book.

So we begin…
 

The Info Dump

 
Title: Unmoving

Genre*: Urban Fantasy, NA/Adult

*Note from Ashley: I left this out of our Chapter 1 checklist, but the genre is another supportive piece of information to have. Each genre tends to have its own “style” of cover art, which you can easily refer to for inspiration.

Tagline*: Everyone has a limited supply of good karma. What happens when it’s gone?

*Note from Kisa: This may or may not be included in the final design. I added it solely because it provides a little more information on the core concept behind Unmoving.

Unofficial Synopsis/Blurb*:

“Derek Richards renounced his humanity after losing the woman he loved in a horrific car accident. Like flipping a switch, he turned off his non-cynical emotions– including compassion and empathy– and closed himself off from the world. But, three years later, his callous disregard has finally caught up to him.

After watching his current fling angrily storm out, he meanders through the streets of Portland to his favorite spot–a park bench by the river. His peace and quiet is interrupted by a homeless woman, and he quickly finds himself entangled in a confrontation where money isn’t the only change at stake.

Now, literally turned to stone, he realizes karma’s giving him a second chance. Like Ebeneezer Scrooge minus the helpful ghosts, he has to relive all his bad decisions–every selfish, incorrect choice he’s ever made–and reevaluate his life. If he can’t find a way to redeem himself, he’ll spend eternity as a statue. But after what he’s done, maybe he deserves it.”

*Note from Ashley: I was given the manuscript to read, but, to respect Kisa’s WIP, I’ll only be sharing the blurb she shared with me. It’s a good explanation of her story and what the cover should reflect.

Author’s Ideal:

“Since the park bench is such a pivotal image in the story, I’d really like to feature that. I’d also like to try and keep it recognizable to the setting (Portland, OR). For some reason, I’d always pictured this cover as being almost cheerful, with bright, spring-type colors. (I’m choosing to blame the inspiring song, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved by The Script, for that.) But this really isn’t a cheerful story.  It’s also the first in a darker, urban fantasy series, so for branding purposes, I think we should stay away from my original thought of cheerful.

A large portion of the book is spent in dreams/memories, so something ethereal with a darker edge would probably work better. Tragedy, depression, anger, and anxiety are all heavy elements, but the overall theme is one of redemption, hope, and overcoming the things that weigh you down. The message I hope people take away from it is that it’s never too late to turn your life around, to be the person you want to be. So if we could somehow also incorporate a hint of that hopeful feel, it’d be great. Just so people don’t expect it to be a horror. ;)”
 

The Brainstorming

 
So, with park benches in mind, I began searching all forms of stock images for a useable park bench, or an image that evoked a certain feel, ambiance, etc. Here are some stock image websites I frequent (from most inexpensive to most expensive):

There are many, many, more stock photography websites out there, so shop around and find your favorites. Since this is just the brainstorming phase, I’ll wait to cover how to approach an artist for permission to use their image in next week’s post (mostly applicable with Deviant Art images).

Once I’d found a few images, Kisa and I began sharing ideas back and forth, creating a cover database, and trying to spark any sort of inspiration.
 

Park Bench
mahdesigns-stock on dA
 
I had initially mentioned going with a stark cover, lots of grays, with maybe a pop of color in the bench itself. That’s when she found the above image and brought it to my attention for the the overall feel. We both liked this direction, and began to search for some bench stock that could be manipulated into our cover art:
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 8.49.28 PM
Undreamed-Stock on dA
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 8.52.43 PM
YsaeddaStock on dA
 
Some more abstract options:
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 8.52.24 PM
#803790 on sxc.hu
 
park-bench-241005-m
#241005 on sxc.hu
 
bench-86329-m
#86329 on sxc.hu
 
bench-195336-m
#195336 on sxc.hu
 
Or a super abstract option (my suggestion):
 
Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 9.02.53 PM

An aerial shot of the Portland, OR park where the book is set.
 
This last suggestion was a stretch for me to even put out there. It would take an aerial view (from either Google Maps or Bing Maps) of the park where the story takes place, with potentially some sort of map marker denoting the bench. It’s very much an abstract approach, but because of that, it may be something worth pursuing.

Cover art is very time consuming to design. It’s always better to return to the author with some ideas, as opposed to jumping right in to creating and possibly wasting your time. With the above ideas as a start (and a couple more swimming around in my head), I’ll come back next week with some initial (and rough . . . very rough) mock-ups for Kisa to react to. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to acquire usage rights from a photographer, should you need to.

Stay tuned!

Designing a Book Cover: Groundwork

KWhipkey 8 Comments

This week marks a first for Nightwolf’s Corner– a guest post. I’ve teamed up with Ashley Ruggirello, Creative Director and Founder of REUTS Publications, to bring you a series about cover design. (And by “teamed up,” I really mean asked permission to syndicate her work. 😉 ) I know nothing about cover design, so why not defer to an expert? Because that’s what she is. Not only is she the creative genius behind all of REUTS, she’s also the owner of freelance design company, Cardboard Monet. I’ve had the privilege of watching Ashley’s brilliant talent in action, so I can vouch that her expertise will lead to some helpful insights for you and I both.

And if my word that you’ll learn something valuable isn’t enough, how about this to entice you? She’s using my nemesis WIP, Unmoving, as the example cover. That’s right, by the end of the series, Unmoving will have a real life cover! And you get to watch it happen. No, that doesn’t mean I finally managed to finish the darn thing. But I can promise you an exciting (well, it’s exciting for me, and maybe the 3 fans I have) announcement regarding it at the end of the series. 😉

So stick around. I can guarantee you won’t regret it.

Take it away, Ashley!
 

Chapter 1: Groundwork

 

By Ashley Ruggirello

 
It’s common to hear the phrase, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” although it’s often referring to much more than just a book sitting on a bookshelf. In the aesthetic (and competitive) world of publishing and readership, though, books are judged by their covers. I’d even venture to say you have less than five seconds to wow a potential reader with your cover art– talk about pressure! That’s why you see publishing companies and designers working harder and harder to push the envelope, create something new, and really grab their audience. Cover art is such an important element to your story, and boy is it a daunting task to take on! So I’ve taken it upon myself (as a so called “expert”– thanks Kisa ;)) to step up and pen a Cover Art series. Expect this to be the first chapter (of many) breaking down the process– start-to-finish– in creating a print-ready book cover design. And I’ll do my best to post a new chapter every week.

Different from the editorial phase, cover art, unfortunately, requires a certain set of programs to work within, especially if you’re planning on working professionally in the industry. These programs are part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Now, all three of these are quite expensive to purchase without the prospect of frequent use, but there are online resources I’ve already touched on in a previous blog post: Cover Design On A Budget.

Before we begin the nitty-gritty designing, there are a few key pieces of information needed to set the groundwork. First and foremost, you need a book to design for, preferably one that’s nearing completion. Luckily, we have just that! Throughout this series, we’ll be using Kisa’s WIP, Unmoving, as the guinea pig for our designing adventures. Although this is a good start, we usually need more than just a title to begin. These are the elements I request before beginning any Cover Art project:
 

The Checklist

 

  • Tagline / Sub-Title
  • Full Book Synopsis or the Full Manuscript
  • The Author’s Ideal Book Cover Art
  • Dimensions of the Printed Book

 

Tagline / Sub-Title

 
Although this element isn’t mandatory, I’ll share some examples of popular novels using a tagline to aid in their cover art.
 

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DIVERGENT, by Veronica Roth: “One choice can transform you.”
 

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, by Beth Revis: “What does it take to survive aboard a spaceship fueled by lies?”
 
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JESSICA’S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE, by Beth Fantaskley: “The undead can really screw up your senior year.”
 
Consider the tagline added real estate to explain your plot (or tease your readers) when designing. In the case of Divergent, the title itself doesn’t explain much. Throw in the tagline “One choice can transform you,” and we’re given a peak inside the story. There’s some sort of conflict surrounding a decision; a decision serious enough to define the decision maker. This immediately adds prospective tension to the plot, in addition to generating interest in learning what decision holds so much weight on the main character’s life and future? And how does it all play out?

Books are judged (and quickly) by their covers, so the more you can explain in a quick glance, the better odds you have of attracting a reader.
 

The Author’s Ideal

 
Although not always feasible, the author’s ideal book cover is a great place to start when brainstorming what the cover art should be. If you’re designing for yourself, this part is easy. You know your story best, and how you’d like to represent it. If you’re designing for another author, on the other hand, stop stressing out trying to figure out what’s in the author’s head, and just ask them! Sometimes it may be difficult to put to words, but if your author is able to visualize in their mind’s eye what type of cover they’d classify as ideal, you’re off to a great start. It may be difficult to make that ideal into a reality (e.g. finding the right stock photos could prove to be a challenge), but from this starting point you can begin collaboration and brainstorm how to meld the author’s vision with your creative input and own interpretation of the story.

Always remember: the best design is born out of collaboration. If you’re able to bounce ideas off of more than one individual, including the author, you’ll always come out with a stronger, more powerful design. So always feel free to seek input from friends, family, your team (in my case, the REUTS Acquisitions Team), etc. Trust me, you’ll appreciate the additional eyes, and create a better cover.
 

Dimensions

 
This one is tricky to get right off the bat. The standard book size REUTS uses is 5.5″ x 8.5″, however, it can range from 5″ x 7″ to 6″ x 9″, and a few stragglers larger or smaller than those. If you follow the 5.5″ x 8.5″ standard, you know the size to work within for the front and back cover, just not the spine. Unfortunately, it takes a fully type-set book to determine the full cover dimensions. The final number of pages will affect how thick or thin the spin ends up being. (Obviously, this step can be disregarded if you’re focusing solely on an eBook cover design.) Since we’re lacking information at the start of a new project, I usually like to nail down the front cover art, bringing those elements/themes into the back cover, and then add the spine width once it’s determined.

Many times, a printer will provide a design template to work with once the dimensions are finalized. In this case, it’s always safe to initially comp a larger cover size, and edit down, rather than try to increase the size later. Increasing anything that isn’t a vector from its original size in Photoshop will cause distortion and pixilation.

Always remember: Include a bleed in your working cover-art file. It varies between printers, but you can be safe adding .25″ – .5″ around your artwork to account for any cutting idiosyncrasies when the book is in production.

Next week we’ll begin brainstorming for Kisa’s story, Unmoving. Stay tuned!

Self-Editing Tips From an Editor

KWhipkey 25 Comments

It’s no secret that writers loathe the editing process. With its tedious attention to grammar rules you tried to forget as soon as you graduated, repetitive methodologies that make anyone’s brain numb, and general snail’s pace, it’s no surprise that it pales in comparison to the joy of creating. But it’s a necessary evil. One that a strange few of us actually enjoy and decided to make a profession, creating the editor/writer bond we know so well. That doesn’t exonerate you from having to edit, though.

Surprisingly, I’ve actually seen the statement (more than once) that writers don’t need to worry about things like grammar and spelling. That’s the editor’s job; they’ll clean it up. (Every time someone says this, another editing muse disintegrates into ash from the horror.) No, actually, that’s not our job. It’s yours. Yes, editors (especially freelance editors) are more forgiving of the occasional typo and drunk-sounding sentence than your average reader, but that doesn’t mean they want to sludge through something that isn’t even as legible as your 4th grade history paper. And if your 4th grade teacher made you proofread, what makes you think an editor standing between you and publication, between you and being paid for your work, wouldn’t expect the same thing?

Exactly. They do.

But that doesn’t mean editing has to be as painful as a self-lobotomy. In fact, I’ve given tips to get you through the revision process before. (Divorce Your Words; Save Your Story) It’s a topic that bears repeating though, so today, I’m going to give you another set of helpful insights, not from the perspective of a writer (like that previous post was) but from that of an editor.

(Hold on a moment while I swap my writer hat for my editor one . . . Okay. Ready.)

1. Step Back

 

No, I’m not bastardizing “step off” so don’t get your panties in a bunch. Step back is a concept from the art world. In fact, it’s one of the first things you learn at art school. (Yes, you learn stuff at art school. Shocking, I know.) The idea is that an artist can’t clearly see the entirety of their work when they’re hunched over it and it’s about 6 inches from their face, so they have to “step back” to change their perspective and see their work the way the world does. Now it makes sense, huh?

The first step in self-editing is finding a way to create that shift in perspective, to see the work you’ve poured your heart into for the past year in a different way. We’re too close to it during the creation phase, viewing it like an overprotective mother turning a blind eye to their kid’s flaws. You have to break that connection before you can even begin to analyze your work objectively.  You need to step back.

The easiest way to do that is simply to shove your manuscript in a drawer for a few days and avoid it like a note from a debt collector trying to repo your car. I recommend a bare minimum of 48 hours, but a week to a month would be better. That allows the warm, fuzzy glow of creation to fade away and stark reality to set in. If you can’t afford to take the time off, then simply changing the mode of viewing can help. Download it onto an eReader or print it out. Even just move to the Starbucks two blocks away instead of the one next to your house. The change of venue will automatically clear your perspective of any lingering rosy tint and allow you to see more clearly.

2. Ignore the Details

 
Editing is synonymous with comma hunting, spell-check, and word choice, right? Wrong. So many writers (and more than a few editors) dive right into the detail work, thinking all they have to do is clean up the grammar, completely skipping over a very crucial step — structural editing. Bypassing this is like trying to repair a broken bone with makeup. All you end up with is a mangled limb painted like a hooker. Offensive, maybe, but it gets the point across, no?

At this stage in the process, no one cares if you spelled “definitely” wrong, or have a bazillion commas in all the wrong places. Ignore all that. Look deeper, at the story itself. If the structure isn’t working, there’s no point in polishing. That lump of coal’s not turning into a diamond. The only way to fix it is to become a story surgeon, diagnosing and repairing things that are otherwise fatal to your chances of publication. How? Like this:

Take that fresh perspective you earned in step 1 and read through your manuscript from an aerial view, glossing over all the details. You’ll fix them later. Right now, you want to focus on things like pacing, character motivations, world development, scene transitions and narrative sequence. What’s the message of your book? Is that coming through clearly? Do the characters feel like fully fleshed-out people, or cardboard cut-outs? Are the scenes in the right order or does shuffling a few around improve the plot’s progression? These are the kinds of questions you should be asking. Trust your instincts as a reader. We’ve all been programmed to know when a story works and when it doesn’t. And don’t be afraid to make a giant mess; you can stitch it all back together afterward.

3. Murder Your Habit Words

 
Habit words are insidious, riddling your manuscript like a cancer, so before you send your book off to the cosmetic surgeon (aka, your editor) for that much-needed facelift, you need to eradicate them. (Don’t ask why my favorite analogy for editing is medical. I don’t know.) Don’t feel bad, everyone has them. They’re like comfort food, something we turn to without even realizing. My habit words are “was”  and “so.” I’m sure I have others, but that’s all I’m admitting to. 😉

Other common ones are “that,” “had,” and “actually.” It can also be a phrase like “for a moment” or “roll his/her/their eyes.” Pretty much anything you find repeating over and over again qualifies as a habit word. Ideally, you should try to avoid repeating words on the same page or even the same chapter! The English vocabulary is huge; use it to your advantage. But without being pretentious about it. Rarely will you find a word that doesn’t have at least one synonym. So before you go to the next step, arm that delete button with a hefty dose of radiation and go hunting for your habit words. You can’t kill them all, but you’ll be surprised at how even just this small tweak can drastically improve the smoothness of your prose.

4. Rhythm’s in the Details

 
Now you get to go through your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, copyediting line by line until it’s as perfect as you can make it on your own. This includes things like fixing rocky sentences, condensing wordy parts, simplifying convoluted phrasing, fixing grammar mistakes and just general tweaking for rhythm and smoothness.  This is what people picture when they hear “editing.” It’s the tedious part that will make you want to poke your own eyes out just so you never have to read that chapter ever again. It’s repetitive and monotonous, but it’s like sending your book to the gym. Each pass will trim a little more of the fat until your manuscript is a lean, efficient piece of storytelling. At which point you send it to an editor and the whole process starts over.

That’s right. I just outlined what a professional editor does. (With the exception of #1.)

So, why, if these are all steps you can do yourself, do editors exist? Because they provide objectivity. Even a self-editing master won’t be able to catch everything. Writers can never truly disconnect from their work, can never view it with complete objectivity, because they know the story and what they were trying to convey. An editor provides clarity, finding things that are confusing or missing just like a reader would. But since they’re also literary doctors, they’ll help you fix it, saving you from the embarrassing backlash of reader criticism and scorn. Besides, two heads are better than one. Right?