Novel Editing

Gary Smailes | 1 November 2025

What Makes Editing a Novel Unique

Editing a novel serves the reading experience. Story first, always. Characters change and make choices. Plot moves with logic. Pacing carries the reader forward. Point of view stays stable. Voice holds the room. The world has rules, and the text honors them.

Story experience drives every decision

A good edit asks one question page by page. Does this moment pull the reader deeper, or push the reader out?

Watch for common leaks

• Character arc stalls. A hero rages in chapter four, then shrugs in chapter five with no beat in between. Add the beat. Show the cost or the choice.
• Plot gaps. A clue vanishes for fifty pages, then solves the case. Seed reminders or show someone chasing it.
• Pacing drag. A chase scene stops for a paragraph on curtains. Move the detail to a calm beat, or cut.
• POV slippage. We ride with Maya, then see inside Jonas’s head in the same scene. Pick one lens, or break the scene.
• Voice wobble. Wry and lean in chapter one, then ornate in chapter six. Align tone across scenes or explain the shift through character state.
• World rules break. Magic drains energy on page 40. On page 120, a spell lands with no cost. Restore the rule or rewrite the setup.

A quick exercise

• Pick one chapter. Mark where the scene starts and where it ends. Write the change in one sentence, for example, “Malik enters sure of the plan, leaves unsure.” If no change, the scene needs purpose or trimming.

Genre expectations shape editing choices

Readers bring a checklist, spoken or not. Meeting it builds trust.

Romance

• Promise of a happy ending or happy for now. Telegraphed through tone and beats.
• Two leads with agency. The conflict presses on both.
• Intimacy level matches comps. Language and scene detail align with audience expectations.
• No surprise cheating unless the book sells itself as taboo. Even then, handle consent and fallout with care.

Mystery

• Fair play. Clues appear on the page before the reveal.
• A suspect pool with motive, means, and opportunity tracked in time.
• Red herrings present, yet not piled so high they feel cheap.
• Reveal earns its twist. The solution arises from planted evidence.

Thriller

• Stakes rise in clear steps. Threat or pressure increases every few chapters.
• Shorter scenes during high tension. Sentences tighten. Goals sharpen.
• A clock or containment device keeps focus, a deadline, a pursuit, a siege.
• Protagonist shows competence under stress, with limits that feel human.

Fantasy

• Rules of magic or tech stated through action. Costs and limits enforced.
• Consistent geography, culture, and logistics. Food, travel time, money, and language fit the setting.
• Names and terms legible on the page. A glossary or cast list helps when scope widens.
• Power growth feels earned. Training, alliances, or sacrifice leave marks.

Quick test

• Pick three books in your lane. Note three beats they share. Circle the ones your draft misses or delays. Decide where to place them.

Preserve voice while sharpening prose

Line editing lifts clarity and rhythm, yet voice stays yours. The goal is to remove haze, not personality. You will feel the same author in a cleaner room.

Before and after, preserving voice

• Draft: “I ain’t going back, because nothing in the town ever changes,” she thought, stomach in knots, legs like jelly as the bus hissed.
• Edit: “I ain’t going back. Nothing in the town ever changes,” she thought. Her stomach knotted as the bus hissed.

Same diction in dialogue. Tighter sentences. Physical beats split for pace. Voice intact.

Tips that protect voice

• Flag slang, dialect, and idiom you want to keep. Keep them mainly in dialogue and free indirect thought.
• Set limits on exclamation points, ellipses, and italics. Overuse dulls impact.
• Watch echoes. If a pet phrase shows up three times in two pages, pick one.
• Keep humor true to the character. Jokes serve story beats, not side commentary.

A quick exercise

• Copy one page. Strike one in three adjectives. Read aloud. Restore only the few that carry new meaning.

Build a brief that guides every edit

Give your editor a North Star. One page, clear and practical.

Target reader sketch

• Age range, genre fluency, and mood sought, for example, cosy escape, high-stakes adrenaline, bittersweet hope.
• Content comfort levels, heat, violence, language.

Comp list, three to five titles

• For each: what to emulate, what to avoid, one sentence on pacing and voice.
• Include at least one recent release in your subgenre.

Voice and style brief

• Tenets, examples: tight third person, dry humor, no purple description, gritty but not bleak.
• Banned words or moves, examples: no info dumps, no dream fake-outs, no animal similes.
• Dialogue rules: contractions encouraged, minimal dialogue tags, action beats preferred.
• Regional spelling and dictionary: US with Merriam-Webster, or UK with Oxford.
• Punctuation preferences: serial comma on, dashes sparingly, limit ellipses to trailing off in dialogue.
• Sensitivity notes: topics to handle with care, lived experience context.

Share this before big edits begin. Update as choices harden. Keep it short enough to read before every pass.

Pulling it together

Editing a novel asks for orchestration of many moving parts without losing soul. Story experience sits on top. Genre provides rails. Voice gives identity. A clear brief turns all of this into decisions, not guesswork. Put those pieces in place, and each round of edits moves the book toward the reading experience you want.

The Editing Stages for Fiction

Fiction editing runs in stages. Each stage solves a different problem. Start large. Finish small. Structure before sentences. Sentences before commas. Commas before page layout.

Developmental edit

Big picture work. Story logic. Stakes. Character wants and needs. Theme. Scene order. Point of view choices. Timeline.

What you receive

• An editorial letter with high-level notes and priorities.
• Annotated pages with margin queries and scene-level comments.
• A beat map or scene list, so structure becomes visible.

Typical questions an editor asks

• Does the opening pose a clear story question by page 10.
• Where pressure builds. Where pressure leaks.
• Does the midpoint turn the story toward a harder road.
• Do choices drive outcomes. Or do coincidences steer the plot.
• Does the climax answer the central question.
• Does point of view stay consistent within each scene.

A quick fix in action

• Draft: Chapter two repeats chapter one. New location, same argument.
• Edit: Merge the scenes. Keep one fresh beat. Push the relationship forward.

Try this before sending pages

• Write one sentence for each scene. Goal, conflict, outcome. If a scene lacks one of those, rethink purpose or placement.
• Note where the protagonist chooses a path. Track consequences three scenes later.

Line edit

Now the attention shifts to the page. Sentences, images, cadence. Dialogue breathes. Deep point of view invites readers inside a mind. Filler words and echoes leave.

What a line editor refines

• Flow from sentence to sentence. No throat clearing.
• Imagery that earns space. Concrete details over mushy abstractions.
• Dialogue that sounds human. Tags trimmed. Action beats carry weight.
• Free indirect style aligned with character voice.
• Echoes removed, for example, the same metaphor three times in a chapter.

Before and after, same voice, tighter line

• Draft: She walked slowly across the dark room, feeling like the night itself pressed on her shoulders, and she thought she might fall.
• Edit: She crossed the dark room. Night pressed on her shoulders. She nearly fell.

Micro exercise

• Take one page. Strike every third adverb. Read aloud. Restore only words that change meaning.

Copyediting

Now the microscope comes out. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage. Continuity across names, ages, timelines. A style sheet tracks decisions, aligned with Chicago Manual of Style or house rules.

What a copyeditor checks

• Comma rules, dialogue punctuation, and quote formatting.
• Consistent hyphenation, for example, time travel vs time-travel, pick one.
• Numerals and dates, nine vs 9, September 5 vs 5 September, follow the style sheet.
• Spelling and capitalization for invented terms, magic Orders, alien species, guild names.
• Continuity for calendars, travel time, and character details.
• Word list choices, toward vs towards, OK vs okay.

Sample style sheet entries

• Dictionary: Merriam-Webster, US spelling.
• Numbers: One through one hundred spelled out. 101 and above in numerals.
• Hyphenation: high school student open. high-speed compound hyphenated before a noun.
• Terms: The Fold capitalized. The City lowercase unless part of a title.

Proofreading on designed pages

Final pass on pages that look like the book. Typos. Bad breaks. Layout snags. Proofreading guards quality before release.

What a proofreader hunts

• Widows and orphans. One-word lines. Short last lines at the top of a page.
• Bad hyphenation and awkward line breaks.
• Repeated words across a line break.
• Missing folios or wrong folio sequence.
• Header and footer mistakes, for example, wrong book title on odd pages.
• Scene break glyphs aligned and consistent.
• Image placement and caption order, if the novel includes art.

A smart workflow note

• Proofread after wording is locked. Late rewrites breed new errors across many pages.

Adjacent services

These help before or around core edits.

• Beta read: reader response on clarity, character sympathy, and pace. Useful before heavy editorial work.
• Manuscript assessment: big-picture memo without margin edits. Faster, cheaper entry point for early drafts.
• Sensitivity reading: representation reviewed by a reader with lived experience.
• Fact-checking: names, places, historical timelines, weapons, medical procedures, tech. Accuracy supports trust.

Keep rework from snowballing

Freeze structure before line editing. Line notes lose value when scenes move. Lock prose before proofreading. Page layout cannot stay stable when paragraphs change.

A simple plan

• Round 1. Developmental. Reshape story and scenes. Revise.
• Round 2. Line. Tune voice and flow. Revise.
• Round 3. Copyedit. Correct language and continuity. Approve queries.
• Round 4. Proofread on pages. Approve corrections.

One last tip

• Version files with clear names. For example, Novel_Title_DEV_v3, Novel_Title_LINE_v2. Future you will say thank you.

Self-Revision Checklist Before Hiring an Editor

Before you send a novel to an editor, give the story a hard rinse. You save money. You gain clarity. You show up ready.

Structure and stakes

Start with a one-sentence premise. Use a clean, tough frame.

• When [trigger], [protagonist] must [objective], or [stakes].

Examples

• When her visa expires, a chef must win a local bake-off, or deportation ends the romance.
• After a botched raid, a rookie cop must expose a mole, or the killer walks.

Now build a scene list. One line per scene: goal, conflict, outcome. If a scene lacks one piece, either strengthen purpose or cut.

Check three anchors

• Inciting incident by chapter two or three. Life tilts.
• Midpoint that raises pressure. Harder road, new cost.
• Climax that answers the core question. No hand of fate.

Quick test

• Print chapter titles on index cards. Mark the three anchors in bold. Shuffle only if an anchor drifts late or early. Restore order and update your plan.

Red flag examples

• A scene repeats the same argument in a new room. Merge and keep the fresh beat.
• The midpoint shows reflection only. Add an external jolt which forces a choice.

Character and point of view

Pick a lens for each scene and stick with that lens. Head-hopping breaks trust.

How to audit POV

• Highlight each POV in a different color. Flip through pages. Stripes mean whiplash.
• Mark every paragraph that names thoughts outside the scene lens. Revise or move inside the chosen mind.

Desire versus need

• Write two lines per lead. Surface desire: what the character wants. Deeper need: what growth must occur. Now check choices. Do actions advance desire while pressure exposes need.

Motivation on the page

• You do not need a monologue. A glance at a scar, a flinch, a reckless yes during a phone call. Small cues earn big shifts.

Example fix

• Draft: Tom knew Sarah felt humiliated, so he backed off.
• Edit: Sarah tucked her chin and laughed without sound. Tom stepped away and studied the exit sign.

Pacing and tension

Stories breathe. They should not wheeze.

Trim filler

• Any scene with no change in stakes goes. Fold the best line into a stronger scene.

Speed map

• Count words per chapter. Write the number on a sticky note. Long clusters signal a drag. Combine or compress two slow chapters into one purpose.

Scene endings

• End on changed terms. A door opens. A deadline moves up. A friend lies.

Microtension on every page

• Keep one small question alive. Not a gun on the table every time. A withheld text. A secret opinion. A small risk in public.

Two-minute drill

• Flip to a random page. Circle the last line. Ask, why would a reader turn one more page. If no answer emerges, raise pressure by one notch.

Dialogue and interiority

Make people talk like people. Trim pleasantries. Move long tags out of the way.

Practical swaps

• Use action beats over heavy tags.
• Use fewer qualifiers. Plain verbs carry more weight.
• Let silence work. A pause in dialogue can signal trouble.

Before and after

• Draft: “I am not sure,” she said doubtfully, “if we should, um, you know, go inside,” she said, biting her lip nervously.
• Edit: “I am not sure.” She worried the skin by her thumb. “We should not go in.”

Subtext primer

• Write the line the character wants to say. Cross out that line. Write a gentler version plus one action beat. Now the truth leaks around the edges.

Interior thought in deep POV

• Keep first-person thought without italics if you like. One clear line ties action to motive: The dog growled. Not again.

Continuity and worldbuilding

Continuity slips break the spell. Build a light system.

Tools

• Timeline with dates, weekdays, sunrise and sunset if relevant.
• Map of key locations. Street names. Distances. Travel time.
• Character bible. Names, nicknames, age, looks, speech habits, secrets.

Checks

• Names stay spelled one way across the book.
• Ages and school years match the calendar.
• Weather lines match season and latitude.
• Magic or tech rules operate the same way under stress.

Trap hunt

• Chapter three: a white dog. Chapter nine: a brown dog. Pick one and run a global search.
• Era issue: a 1994 teen streams music on a phone. Replace with a mixtape or a Discman.

Factual references

• Weapons, medications, forensics, sailing knots, airplane cabins. Verify with a reliable source or a subject reader.

Build a style sheet and run targeted sweeps

A style sheet saves hours. Create one doc you update during every pass.

Include

• Spelling choice for regional words, for example, color or colour.
• Dictionary and style guide, for example, Merriam-Webster and Chicago.
• Numbers rule, dates, time format.
• Hyphenation choices, for example, email or e-mail.
• Capitalization for invented terms, orders, guilds, planets.
• Character list with key details and pet phrases.

Targeted sweeps

Filter words

• Search for: felt, heard, saw, noticed, realized, thought, decided, wondered, seemed.
• Replace with the sensed detail or the direct thought. Example: She felt a chill on her neck becomes A chill crawled up her neck.

Adverbs

• Search for “ly ”. Keep the few that alter meaning. Trim the rest. Strengthen the verb.

Redundancies

• Pair checks: final outcome, small little, nods his head, sits down, stands up. Cut the second word.

Echo words

• List three favorite crutches. Maybe, still, suddenly, or a pet metaphor. Put the list on your monitor. Do a find pass for each word.

Sentence starts

• Mark a page where five lines in a row start with the same word. Vary length and entry.

Dialogue tags

• Search for “whispered” and “hissed.” Keep for rare occasions. “Said” does the job and vanishes.

A quick sequence before you press send

• Premise line on top of the manuscript.
• Scene list with goal, conflict, outcome.
• Color-coded POV pass.
• Pacing and microtension pass.
• Dialogue and interiority trim.
• Continuity check against timeline and bible.
• Style sheet updated and shared.

Do this, and your editor shows up with sharper questions and fewer avoidable notes. You keep control of voice. You keep control of budget. You hand over a book ready for deeper work.

Advanced Techniques to Tighten Your Novel

Strong novels feel lean, precise, and alive. Here is how to sharpen yours without losing voice.

Scene-sequel balance

Scenes change the board. Sequels process the punch.

• Scene goal. What does the POV want now.
• Obstacle. Who or what pushes back.
• Outcome. Win, lose, reveal, or twist. Stakes move.

Then a short sequel to convert fallout into new drive.

• Reaction. Brief visceral beat.
• Dilemma. Two bad options, or cost versus gain.
• Decision. A choice that points to the next scene.

Quick audit

• Mark each unit S or Q in the margin. Long chains of S signal whiplash. Long chains of Q slow momentum.
• Trim bloated sequels to a few tight lines. Expand missing ones with one reaction sentence, one dilemma sentence, one decision line.

Example

• Draft: The heist goes wrong. Next scene, new plan appears from nowhere.
• Edit: The heist goes wrong. Heart races. If we quit, Leo walks. If we push, someone bleeds. We hit the museum anyway.

Beat alignment

Frameworks give you timing pressure, not a cage. Pick one that fits your genre and map high points.

• Choose a guide. Save the Cat Writes a Novel. Hero’s Journey. Romancing the Beat.
• Print a one-page beat list. Jot page or word ranges beside each beat.
• Mark your draft. Where do setup, catalyst, midpoint, low point, and finale land.

Fixes when beats sag or sprint

• Late catalyst. Move the first real disruption earlier. Merge two opening chapters.
• Soft midpoint. Add a reveal, reversal, or new cost.
• Flat low point. Strip away allies, time, or resources so a choice hurts.

Simple ratio trick

• Divide total word count by four. Check whether big turns land near quarter marks. Perfection is not the goal. A nudge can steady pace.

Prose rhythm controls

Readers feel rhythm in the body. Use that to your advantage.

• Vary sentence length. Mix five-word lines with longer runs.
• Cut throat-clearing. Delete starters like there was, there were, I think, I know.
• Lead with strong words. Place the punch at the start or end of the sentence.
• Use paragraphing for speed. One-line paragraphs quicken. Dense blocks slow.

Before and after

• Draft: There was a sense of fear that was slowly building as the hallway seemed to get longer and longer.
• Edit: Fear crawled up the hallway. The corridor stretched.
• Draft: I think the guard might possibly be coming back soon, so maybe we should probably hide.
• Edit: Footsteps approach. Hide.

Rhythm drill

• Take one page. Mark every sentence over 25 words. Halve two of them without losing meaning. Then add one crisp one-liner where heat spikes.

Sensory and specificity

Abstract words blur. Concrete detail anchors.

Swap vague terms for sensory facts

• Vague: The bar felt rough.
• Specific: The oak bar snagged her sleeve.
• Vague: He wore nice clothes.
• Specific: Fresh-pressed navy suit, scuffed brown shoes.

Make setting earn space

• Tie detail to choice or mood. Rain that forces a detour. Street noise that ruins a secret.
• Use one telling detail instead of five generic ones.

Micro exercise

• Pick any descriptive sentence. Ask, what can the POV touch, smell, or hear. Add one concrete beat. Cut one adjective.
• Avoid static description

• If a paragraph pauses the story, move description into action. A door sticks while a character rushes. A portrait watches during a lie.

Tool stack

Use tools to speed the mechanical work. Keep judgment human.

• Track Changes for every pass. Comments for questions, intent, and alternatives.
• Versioning with dates or v numbers. Save before each new sweep.
• ProWritingAid or Grammarly for surface issues. Follow up by reading aloud.
• PerfectIt for consistency runs on hyphenation, capitalization, lists.
• A human editor makes final calls on rhythm, voice, and nuance.

File hygiene

• Name files with format: Title_Draft03_2025-04-18.docx. Keep a backup off your main device.

Focused revision passes

Stop trying to fix everything at once. Single-focus passes save energy and reduce rework.

Pass ideas

• Motivation pass. Every action ties to a clear want or fear.
• Setting pass. Each scene uses place to reveal pressure or character.
• Tension pass. End each scene on changed terms or a question.
• Pronoun clarity pass. No ambiguous he or she in dialogue runs.
• Echo hunt. Find favorite words and space them out.

Revision log

Keep a simple table

• Date.
• Chapter or scene.
• Decision made.
• Reason.
• Open questions.

Benefits

• Fewer loops. Cleaner handoff to an editor. Faster answers when someone asks, why change this line.

A quick tightening routine

• Label S and Q. Insert missing sequel beats.
• Check big beats against your chosen guide. Adjust landing spots.
• Trim throat-clearing. Front-load strong words.
• Swap abstractions for one concrete sensory detail per scene.
• Run tools for surface checks. Save a clean version.
• Record changes in the log. Move to the next focused pass.

Do this work and the draft reads sharper. Pages turn faster. An editor can aim higher, because the foundation holds.

Collaborating with a Novel Editor and Managing the Timeline

Working with a novel editor is part partnership, part project plan. You bring story and voice. Your editor brings clarity, structure, and tough love on schedule. Set the relationship up well, and the work moves faster with fewer headaches.

Vetting and scope

Hire for genre fluency. Ask for proof in the form of books edited in your lane and a one to two page sample edit on your prose.

Questions that sort pros from pretenders

• What level of edit do you recommend for this draft, and why.
• What deliverables arrive at the end of the pass.
• How many passes are included.
• What software do you work in.
• What style guide and dictionary do you follow.
• How do you approach voice preservation.

Scope to document in writing

• Word count at project start.
• Level of edit, with examples of in-scope and out-of-scope changes.
• Deliverables, for example editorial letter, tracked changes on the manuscript, style sheet, beat map.
• Number of passes and what triggers a new fee.
• Calendar dates for handoffs and revisions.
• Payment schedule and method.

Red flags

• No sample edit.
• Vague timelines.
• Promise of bestseller status.
• Reluctance to put terms in writing.

Tip

• Send a one-page synopsis, your comp titles, and a voice note. State any limits, such as closed door intimacy or no profanity. Better to set guardrails early.

Building the timeline

Editors often book months ahead. Start the search while your draft cools between revisions.

Norms for an 80,000-word novel, per pass

• Developmental edit: three to six weeks.
• Line edit: two to four weeks.
• Copyedit: one and a half to three weeks.
• Proofreading on pages: one to two weeks.

Add author revision windows between passes. Two to four weeks after a developmental letter. One to two weeks after a line edit. Shorter windows after copyedits if changes stay light.

Dependencies matter

• Proofreading happens on designed pages, not in a Word file.
• Line editing should begin after structure settles.
• Copyediting follows final line choices.

Book backward from your target launch. Add buffer weeks for life. Protect them like gold.

Sample arc for 80k words

• Week 1: hand off for developmental.
• Week 4: receive editorial letter and annotated pages.
• Weeks 4 to 7: author revision window.
• Week 7: resubmit for a quick structural check, if included.
• Week 9: hand off for line edit.
• Week 11: receive line edit with comments.
• Weeks 11 to 13: author polish window.
• Week 13: hand off for copyedit.
• Week 15: receive copyedit and style sheet.
• Weeks 15 to 16: author review and queries resolved.
• Week 16: layout begins.
• Week 18: proofread on pages.
• Week 19: finals locked.

Adjust for your pace and the editor’s bandwidth. Hold firm to handoffs once set.

Communication that protects voice

Agree on how you will talk, and how often.

• Response time. Two business days for email replies keeps momentum. State your own limits too.
• Check-ins. Schedule mid-pass touchpoints for long edits. A fifteen-minute call halves confusion.
• Queries. Decide how questions will appear. Many editors place comments in the file with a clear tag like QUERY.
• Decision codes. Reply in the file with Yes, No, Try this, or Hold. Short, consistent, clear.

Use stet to keep lines you want to preserve. Type STET in reply to a change or at the start of a paragraph you want untouched. Add a brief reason if helpful. Example: STET for voice.

Handling feedback without spiraling

• Read the letter once. Walk away.
• Read again with a highlighter. Mark wins and themes.
• Draft a plan before opening tracked changes.
• Ask for clarification on two or three points, not twenty.

Assets and handoffs

Give your editor context and a tidy package. You get better notes, and fewer avoidable queries.

Core assets

• One-page synopsis with spoilers.
• Scene list with POV, location, and purpose.
• Character bible, ages, relationships, role in plot.
• Timeline with calendar dates if story time matters.
• Glossary for names, places, invented terms.
• House choices, US or UK spelling, dictionary, CMOS edition.
• Voice brief, tone targets, banned words or pet peeves.

File hygiene

• Use a clear naming system. Example: Title_Author_Draft03_2025-07-12.docx.
• Save a fresh version for each pass.
• Keep copies in a shared folder with read access for both sides.
• Avoid tracked changes within tracked changes. Accept your own edits before handoff unless the editor asks for history.

Smooth handoffs

• Send a handoff email with word count, level of edit, assets attached, and any risks. Example: “Chapters 22 to 24 include a new subplot thread.”
• Confirm receipt and start date.
• At delivery, review the editor’s style sheet. Fold your decisions into it for the next stage.

Indie vs traditional

Indie path

• You steer the schedule. Editing lives beside cover design, typesetting, ebook formatting, and ARC planning.
• Lock the text before layout. Proof occurs on pages, which means fewer late surprises.
• Build time for ARC distribution and early reviews. Four to six weeks after proofs often works.

Traditional path

• The house guides stages. You still need prompt answers on queries and deadlines inside your contract.
• Expect a copyedit and proof stage with house style in play. Voice still matters. Use stet where needed and explain any exceptions.

Both paths reward professional behavior. Show up on time, respond with clarity, and track decisions.

Milestones, second sweeps, and avoiding rework

Before work begins, ask whether the quote includes a second sweep. Many editors include a follow-up pass to check revisions. Some offer a discounted rate for a final sanity check. Clarify up front.

Mid-pass rewrites blow timelines. They also cause version drift. Avoid by parking big new ideas in a notes file. Flag them for the next round. If a change is critical for safety, continuity, or legal reasons, alert the editor and agree on a plan.

A simple milestone calendar

• Kickoff call.
• Handoff of manuscript and assets.
• Mid-pass check-in.
• Delivery of edits.
• Author review window.
• Query resolution call.
• Next-stage handoff.

Post each milestone on a shared calendar. Add buffer weeks between stages. Protect them.

Quick scripts you can steal

Vetting email

• “Hi [Name], I’m seeking a [level] edit on an [genre] novel, 82,000 words. Could you share availability, rates, and one to two page sample edit terms. I have a synopsis, scene list, and style choices ready. Thanks for your time.”

Scope confirmation

• “To confirm, you will deliver an editorial letter, tracked changes on the full manuscript, and a beat map by [date]. One revision review is included. Total fee [amount], 50 percent to book, 50 percent on delivery.”

Query reply

• “Q1: Merge scenes 12 and 13. Yes. Reason, duplicated beat. Q2: Change tense in Chapter 1. STET for voice. Q3: Add beat to explain motive. Try this: [line].”

A short checklist to keep you sane

• Hire for genre experience and request a sample edit.
• Put scope, deliverables, passes, and dates in writing.
• Build a calendar with buffers and author revision windows.
• Agree on response times, check-ins, and how queries work.
• Provide a clean package of assets and a clear file naming system.
• Confirm whether a second sweep is included.
• Park mid-pass rewrites. Reduce version drift.

Treat the process like a book-length relay. Hand off clean. Run your leg hard. Respect the clock. The finish line shows up sooner, and the novel reads tighter.

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