How To Get The Most Out Of Your Editorial Feedback

Gary Smailes | 5 November 2025

Decode Your Editor’s Feedback

The edit lands in your inbox. Your stomach flips. Deep breath. You are about to meet four parts of the same message: the editorial letter, margin queries, Track Changes, and the style sheet. Each piece does a job. Learn the job, the rest gets easier.

Know what you’re looking at

• Editorial letter. Big-picture analysis. Expect pages, not paragraphs. Structure, stakes, point of view, pacing, theme. The letter explains the why behind the notes. Example: “The midpoint diffuses tension. Consider tightening the external goal and raising the cost of failure.”
• Margin queries. Comments in the doc tied to specific lines. Questions, nudges, flags. Example: “Whose thought is this? We were in Mina’s point of view two lines ago.”
• Track Changes. Visible edits in the text. Cuts, rephrases, punctuation fixes. Read these with the comments, not in isolation. Look for intent behind the change.
• Style sheet. Your book’s rulebook. Spelling choices, hyphenation, capitalization, character and place names, timelines, oddities. It keeps choices consistent across chapters and rounds.

A quick exercise. Open the package. Skim the letter first, top to bottom. Do not stop to argue with it. Then scroll through the manuscript at speed. Get a sense of density. Where are the heavy clusters of notes. Last, peek at the style sheet. Note any decisions that differ from your habits.

Sort notes by level

Everything becomes less overwhelming once you sort by scope.

• Structural or story level. Developmental work. Plot turns, character desire, stakes, world rules, timeline logic. If the editor says, “The reveal arrives too late to support the climax,” that is structural.
• Scene or paragraph level. Line work. Flow within a scene, transitions, repetition, show versus tell, tonal drift. “Trim backstory in this beat so the argument drives the scene” sits here.
• Sentence level. Copyedit territory. Grammar, syntax, word choice, idiom, agreement. “Which vs. that,” “toward vs. towards,” “fewer vs. less.”
• Mechanical level. Proofreading. Typos, punctuation slips, formatting, consistent treatment of numbers and italics.

Mark each comment with a label. DEV, LINE, COPY, PROOF. Use color or tags. This keeps you from polishing a comma in a scene you might cut next week.

Look for patterns

Editors leave bread crumbs. Follow them. Do comments repeat the same issue.

• POV. Frequent head-hopping notes. Filter words everywhere. Internal monologue bleeding across characters. That pattern points to a pass focused on point of view discipline.
• Stakes. “What does the protagonist stand to lose” shows up three times. That is a signal. Raise the consequence, and many flat scenes find life.
• Pacing. “Lingering here,” “sags in the middle,” “launch off the scene sooner.” Gather these into one pacing plan, not fifty tiny tweaks.
• Voice. “Modern idiom in a historical scene,” “quippy tone undercuts dread.” Add voice checks to your revision checklist.

Count instances. Five notes about motivation outrank two notes about hyphenation. High-impact fixes move first.

Give it a day

Your first read will spark feelings. That is normal. Do not reply in the heat. Step away for 24 to 48 hours. Let your brain file the notes. Read something unrelated. Walk. When you return, the letter reads less like judgment and more like a map.

A trick that helps. On your second read, write a one‑line summary of each major point in your words. No argument, no defense. “The antagonist lacks agency in Act 2.” “Timeline between spring break and finals needs dates.” This builds clarity fast.

Clarify early

Questions save weeks. Gather specifics for a debrief call or email. Think targeted, not sprawling.

• Ask for an example where guidance feels abstract. “You mention ‘compress the beat.’ Which three lines in Chapter 8 would you cut to show the idea?”
• Ask about order. “If I move the midpoint, should I rewrite Chapters 10–12 before addressing the romance subplot?”
• Ask about thresholds. “How much slang reads on‑brand for this narrator before tone turns snarky?”

Bring page and line numbers. Restate your intent for tricky scenes. “My goal in Chapter 14 is dread, not shock.” Alignment on outcomes leads to better choices.

Build a feedback map

Now translate notes into a plan. A feedback map is simple and ruthless. One place where every comment lives by category and priority.

• Columns to include: Location, Summary of note, Level (DEV, LINE, COPY, PROOF), Priority (Must‑Fix, High‑Impact, Nice‑to‑Have), Status, Owner, Due date.
• Fill it fast. Copy key lines from the letter. Add margin queries by chapter. Group repeated issues into a single umbrella task.
• Promote patterns to Must‑Fix. Deprioritize nips and tucks until structure settles.

An example entry:

• Ch. 12, p. 3. “POV slips to Evan during Mina’s interior.” Level: LINE. Priority: Must‑Fix. Status: Open. Owner: You. Due: Friday.

This map stops you from drowning in comment bubbles. It also gives your editor confidence that you heard the message.

A few reading tactics

• Read the letter aloud. Hearing tone often softens sting and reveals logic.
• Sort comments by type in your editor’s software. Many programs allow a filter. Start with DEV notes.
• If a suggestion feels wrong, ask what problem it aimed to solve. Solve the problem in your way.
• Save a few favorite lines in a parking lot file before big cuts. Your voice deserves a safety net.

Action: Build your feedback map today. Label each comment by level and priority. Mark Must‑Fix items in one color. High‑Impact in another. Nice‑to‑Have in a third. When you sit down to revise, start with the top tier. The work will feel lighter, and the results will show.

Triage and Build a Practical Revision Plan

You have decoded the feedback. Now comes the hard part: turning notes into a workable plan. The difference between writers who finish revisions and writers who spiral into endless tweaks? A roadmap. You need to know what to fix, when to fix it, and why that order matters.

Fix order matters more than you think

Start big. Zoom in later. This is not a suggestion. It is survival.

Address story structure first. Plot holes, character arcs, timeline gaps, logic breaks. If Chapter 8 needs to move to Chapter 12, do it now. Before you polish dialogue in scenes that might disappear.

Next, character consistency and motivation. If your protagonist needs clearer goals, that change ripples through every scene they touch. Fix the motivation, then revise the scenes.

Then line-level work. Flow between paragraphs, transitions, show versus tell, voice drift. Polish sentences after you know which sentences stay.

Copyediting comes last. Grammar, punctuation, word choice. Do not spend Tuesday perfecting commas in a paragraph you will cut Wednesday.

A story. I once watched a writer spend three days perfecting the opening of Chapter 4. Beautiful prose. Perfect rhythm. Two weeks later, she moved that chapter to the middle of the book and rewrote the opening entirely. Those three days vanished.

Prioritize by reader effect

Not all notes carry equal weight. Some issues stop readers cold. Others just slow them down. Focus on the first group.

Comprehension issues outrank everything. POV breaks that confuse whose story this is. Unclear motivation that leaves readers guessing what the protagonist wants. Timeline muddles that scramble cause and effect. Fix these or lose readers.

Next, engagement killers. Sagging pacing that tests patience. Stakes so low readers stop caring. Characters who all sound the same. These do not confuse readers. They bore them.

Stylistic tweaks come third. Word choice, rhythm, elegance. Important for craft, less urgent for completion. A reader will forgive a slightly awkward sentence if the story grips them. They will not forgive confusion about who wants what and why.

Ask yourself: which issues would make a reader put the book down? Start there.

Identify dependencies before you start

One change leads to another. Map the connections before you dive in.

Example: your editor flags a weak midpoint. You decide to reset the stakes and push the protagonist closer to failure. That choice affects everything after page 150. Chapters 10 through 14 need new tension. The climax needs recalibration. The resolution changes tone.

Mark these ripple effects in your plan. Note which scenes need updates when you make each major change. Group dependent tasks together. Handle them in the same sprint so you do not lose momentum.

Another example: you add a subplot in Act 1. That subplot needs setup, complications, and resolution. Three separate revision tasks, but they work as a unit. Plan them together.

Dependencies also work in reverse. If you plan to cut a character, do not spend time polishing their dialogue first. If you might merge two scenes, do not fix the transition between them yet.

Time-box the work like a professional

Revisions expand to fill available time. Set boundaries.

Break work into sprints. One week for structural fixes. Three days for character motivation. Two days for POV cleanup. Realistic targets, firm deadlines.

Set daily goals tied to output, not hours. "Revise Chapters 3-5" works better than "work on book for four hours." Hours drift. Chapters get done or they do not.

Block calendar time for deep work. Revision needs focus. Schedule two-hour blocks minimum. Turn off notifications. Close email. Protect the time like you would protect a client meeting.

Schedule review time too. After each sprint, read what you changed. Mark what works and what needs another pass. This prevents tunnel vision.

A time-boxing trick that works: set a timer for 90 minutes. Work on one specific task. When the timer rings, take a break. Come back for another 90 minutes or call it done for the day. Short bursts prevent burnout and keep quality high.

Version control saves your sanity

Name files with intention. Use a system you will remember in three weeks.

Try this format: Title_MS_v3_dev for the manuscript after developmental edits. Title_revPlan_v2 for the second version of your revision plan. Title_styleSheet_current for the working style guide.

Keep a changelog. A simple document where you note major decisions and when you made them. "Nov 15: Cut Jake's subplot. Moved midpoint scene from Ch 11 to Ch 9. Updated character motivation in Chapters 6-8."

Why bother? Because you will forget. Memory fails under revision stress. Six weeks later, you will wonder why you made a choice. The changelog tells you.

Save milestone versions. After each major revision phase, save a clean copy with a date stamp. Title_MS_v4_afterDev_Nov20. If you need to backtrack, you have a clean starting point.

Use folders to organize. Drafts folder. Research folder. Editorial files folder. Revision plans folder. When deadline pressure hits, you need to find files fast.

Build your revision roadmap

Turn the editorial letter into a project plan. Not a list. A roadmap with tasks, owners, deadlines, and success measures.

Start with your feedback map from the previous step. Sort tasks by priority and dependency. Group related work into sprints.

For each task, note:

• What needs to change (specific and measurable)
• Who does the work (you, alpha reader, research assistant)
• When it gets done (realistic deadline)
• How you know it worked (success criteria)

Example task:

• What: Clarify protagonist motivation in Act 1. Add three beats that show what she stands to lose.
• Who: You write, alpha reader checks for clarity.
• When: Complete by Friday, feedback by Monday.
• Success: Reader understands stakes without explanation.

Another example:

• What: Fix POV slips in Chapters 7, 12, and 18.
• Who: You revise.
• When: Complete by Wednesday.
• Success: No head-hopping. Clear viewpoint character each scene.

Make the roadmap visible. Print it. Pin it up. Check off tasks as you complete them. Progress needs to feel real when the work gets hard.

Share the roadmap with your editor if they are doing a second pass. Alignment prevents surprises and missed expectations.

Action: Convert your feedback map into a revision roadmap today. Group tasks by sprint. Set realistic deadlines. Block calendar time for deep work. Start with the highest-impact structural issues. The line edits will wait.

Collaborate Effectively With Your Editor

Your editor is not the enemy. They are your partner in making the book better. But partnerships need clear communication, shared expectations, and mutual respect. Think of this as a creative collaboration, not a judgment session.

The best writers treat their editors like skilled consultants. They ask smart questions, negotiate scope thoughtfully, and keep communication professional. They also know when to push back and when to trust expertise.

The debrief call is your best investment

Schedule it. Do not skip this step.

Come prepared with 5-10 focused questions. Not vague concerns like "I'm worried about pacing." Specific queries tied to pages and scenes. "On page 87, you noted the stakes feel low. I was trying to show internal conflict here. Would adding a ticking clock element work better, or should I approach this differently?"

Reference page and line numbers. Your editor has dozens of projects. Help them find the exact spot you mean without hunting through the manuscript.

Restate your intent for problematic scenes. Sometimes editorial notes miss your underlying goal. "In the bar scene on page 23, I wanted to show Jake's vulnerability without making him seem weak. Your note suggests cutting his speech about his father. Could we rework it instead to feel less heavy-handed?"

This is your chance to align on outcomes, not just problems. Your editor sees what is not working. You know what you were trying to achieve. Bridge that gap together.

A debrief story: I once worked with a writer whose editor flagged "confusing POV shifts" throughout a chapter. The writer got defensive about head-hopping accusations. During our call, we realized the editor meant something different. The writer was switching between close and distant third person within the same scene. Once we clarified terminology, the fix became obvious.

Negotiate scope upfront

Editorial agreements vary wildly. Clarify what yours includes before you start revisions.

Does your editor do a second pass on revised pages? Some include one round, others charge extra. Know which applies to you.

What about follow-up questions after you finish revisions? Some editors answer email queries for 30 days post-delivery. Others consider the project complete when they send notes.

Word count limits matter too. If your editor quoted based on 80,000 words and your revision adds 15,000, expect additional fees.

Timeline assumptions need clarity. How long does your editor need for a second pass? When do they expect revised pages back? Build these dates into your revision plan.

Fee structures for extra work should be transparent. Per-hour rates for extended consultation. Fixed fees for additional manuscript passes. Know the costs before you commit.

A scope example that works: "Developmental edit includes editorial letter, margin notes, and one follow-up call within two weeks of delivery. Second pass on revised manuscript available for additional $X if requested within 60 days. Email follow-ups included for 30 days post-delivery, limited to clarification questions."

Align on standards before you revise

Style choices matter more than you think. Confirm the basics early.

English variant first. US, UK, Canadian, Australian spelling and punctuation conventions differ. Pick one and stick to it throughout the project.

Style guides provide the foundation. Chicago Manual of Style for most fiction. AP Stylebook for journalism-adjacent work. Your editor should specify their preference and provide access if you need to buy a copy.

Series bibles trump style guides. If this is Book 3 of a fantasy series, established spellings and conventions from Books 1 and 2 override general rules. Your editor needs to know what came before.

Genre conventions add another layer. Romance novels follow different dialogue formatting than literary fiction. Thrillers handle profanity differently than middle-grade adventure. Make sure your editor knows your target market.

Character and place name spellings should be locked down. Create a master list if one does not exist. Your editor will likely build this as they work, but you should agree on sources for verification.

An alignment conversation might sound like: "I'm using Chicago Manual 17th edition and Merriam-Webster as primary sources. This is US commercial fiction, so we'll use American spelling and punctuation. I've attached the series bible from Book 1, which includes established character names and world-building terms that should override dictionary spellings where they conflict."

Test uncertain fixes before committing

Not all editorial suggestions land correctly. When in doubt, ask for a sample.

Voice preservation is the biggest concern. Your editor suggests tightening exposition in Chapter 2, but you worry the changes will sound generic. Ask them to rework one representative paragraph. See how they handle your rhythm and word choice.

Dialogue beats cause confusion too. Your editor flags "talking heads" syndrome but the suggested fixes feel clunky. Request a sample revision of one conversation. Study how they balance action and dialogue without overdoing stage directions.

Structural changes need testing as well. Your editor recommends cutting a subplot, but you see connections they missed. Work together on one scene to see if compromise is possible.

Sample requests should be specific and limited. "Could you show me how you would tighten the exposition in the paragraph starting with 'Maria had always...' on page 34? I want to preserve her internal voice while improving pace."

This protects both parties. You get to see the approach before committing. Your editor gets to demonstrate their thinking instead of arguing in theory.

Keep communication clean and documented

Summarize decisions in writing after each conversation. Email works fine.

Track open queries in a shared document or email thread. Nothing gets lost or forgotten when deadlines hit.

Sample decision summary: "Per our call on Nov 15: Cut Jake's backstory in Chapter 3. Keep the bar scene but trim his speech about his father to two sentences maximum. Add one action beat during Maria's monologue on page 67. You'll rework the transition between Chapters 8 and 9 in your sample paragraph."

Agree on response times for different communication types. Editorial letter questions: 48-72 hours. Quick clarifications: same day or next business day. Revised manuscript review: one week minimum.

File handoff dates need precision. "Revised manuscript due December 1 by 5 PM EST. Second pass notes delivered by December 15. Final revisions completed by December 22."

Version control becomes critical when files move back and forth. Agree on naming conventions. Use dates in file names. Confirm who sends what to whom and when.

A clean communication trail also protects the working relationship. When revision stress peaks, having written agreements prevents misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Document everything in a decisions log

After your debrief call, send a short summary of decisions made and next steps agreed upon.

Include major revision directions, changed priorities, and any scope adjustments. Add timeline confirmations and communication preferences.

Sample decisions log:

"Project: [Title] - Dev Edit Follow-up
Date: Nov 15, 2024

Key Decisions:

• Priority 1: Fix POV consistency in Chapters 7, 12, 18
• Priority 2: Clarify protagonist motivation in opening chapters
• Priority 3: Tighten middle section pacing (Chapters 10-14)
• Jake subplot stays but gets streamlined
• Sample paragraph rework requested for page 34 exposition

Timeline:

• Sample paragraph: by Nov 18
• Revised manuscript: Dec 1 by 5 PM EST
• Second pass notes: by Dec 15
• Email queries welcome through Jan 15

Next Steps:

• You: Provide sample rework and start Priority 1 items
• Editor: Review timeline and confirm sample approach"

Send this within 24 hours of your call. Both parties should agree that it accurately reflects the conversation.

This document becomes your north star when the work gets complicated. Decisions made under pressure can look different a week later. The log keeps everyone honest and aligned.

Your editor is invested in your success. They want the book to work as much as you do. Treat them like the skilled professional they are. Ask good questions, communicate clearly, and trust their expertise while protecting your vision. The best revisions happen when writer and editor work as a team toward the same goal.

Execute Revisions Without Losing Your Voice

Revisions tempt you to sand every sentence until it squeaks. Resist. Start wide. Then narrow your focus. Protect the sound of your work while you fix the bones.

Start big, then zoom in

Work in layers. Outline first. Scenes next. Paragraphs after that. Sentences last.

If your editor flagged a midpoint that arrives too late, map the story beats again. Move or rebuild the midpoint. Note the ripple. Chapters 10 to 14 will shift in purpose and pacing. Adjust scene goals before touching dialogue.

A practical order:

• Re-outline. Confirm act breaks, protagonist goal shifts, and stakes escalations.
• Rewrite or move scenes to match the new outline.
• Smooth paragraph flow inside each scene.
• Polish sentences once the scene stays put.

A quick test stops wasted polish: highlight any paragraph you think might vanish because of structure work. Do not line edit in yellow.

Preserve tone with a voice deck

Create a short voice deck before heavy edits. Think of it as a style fingerprint for your book.

Keep:

• Hallmark phrases or rhythms. Example: short punchy tags after long sentences.
• Character diction. Example: Ella speaks in fragments. Dr. Reyes uses precise verbs.
• Narrative stance. Example: close third with occasional free indirect thoughts.

Write a one-page reference. Paste samples of lines you love. Add do and do not notes.

Example entries:

• Prose cadence: mix six to ten word sentences with the occasional snap of two words.
• Sensory focus: favor sound and texture over color.
• Ella’s go-to words: anyway, sure, fine.
• Avoid ornate metaphors. Prefer concrete detail.

When you revise a page, glance at the deck. If a change sounds off, match the revision to the deck’s cues.

Work in focused passes

Single-purpose passes keep voice intact. You aim at one issue, not everything at once.

Good pass targets:

• POV and filter words. Search for I saw, I felt, he noticed, she realized. Replace with direct perception where appropriate.
• Echo words and clichés. Build a list of repeats in your editor’s notes. Replace or delete.
• Exposition load. Reduce summary where scene action can carry the beat.
• Dialogue beats. Add physical action or interiority to avoid floating talk.

Mini-exercise:

1. Pick a scene.
2. Run a POV pass. Example lines:
   • Before: I saw the door crack open. I felt a chill.
   • After: The door cracked open. Cold air slipped in.
3. Stop there. Do not also fix commas or synonyms in this pass.

Read aloud or use text-to-speech

Your eye skims. Your ear complains. Read pages aloud. Or use text-to-speech at a slow rate. Mark every stumble or breathless run.

Listen for:

• Rhythm drift after edits. Sentences chopped to fit notes often lose swing.
• Pronoun confusion after a POV shift.
• Unintentional rhyme or echo. Today, they, way, say.

Record one page on your phone. Play it back while following the text. You will hear where voice thins out. Restore your original cadence with small tweaks, not flourishes.

Keep the style sheet alive

Your editor likely started one. Keep adding to it as you revise. Treat it like version control for language.

Track:

• Spelling choices. E-mail or email. Toward or towards.
• Hyphenation. Backstory vs back-story.
• Capitalization. The Committee when formal. The committee when generic.
• Names and terms. Street names, school names, ships, invented tech.
• Timeline pins. Friday night party in Chapter 7. Two weeks pass before Chapter 9.

When a revision changes a name, a job title, or a holiday date, update the sheet and sweep the manuscript. A five-minute update avoids a week of contradictions later.

Anchor each scene with a one-sentence purpose

Before you rewrite a scene, write its purpose in one clear line: goal, conflict, outcome.

Examples:

• Opening scene: Nora needs money for the motel. She tries to charm the clerk. She leaves with a cheaper weekly rate but owes a favor.
• Chapter 12: Malik wants his father’s approval. He pitches the plan. He gets a warning instead, which raises the stakes.

Tape the sentence above your screen. Revise until the scene delivers that promise. If a line does not serve the purpose, cut or move it.

Quick check:

• Goal present in the first third of the scene.
• Conflict escalates through the middle.
• Outcome shifts the overall story state.

If the scene purpose changes during revision, rewrite the one-liner. Then reshape the scene again. Your voice stays steady when your scenes know what they are doing.

One last guardrail

When an edit strips the music from your lines, try this small rescue:

• Restore one original verb you miss.
• Add one beat of specific sensory detail.
• Trim one extra clause.

Three moves, no more. Voice revives through precision, not ornament. Keep your footprint light and your intent clear.

Quality Control and Preparing for the Next Stage

Before you hand work back to your editor or move to production, slow down. Quality control now prevents mess later. Five tight checks now beat fifty apologetic emails.

Run targeted consistency sweeps

Small contradictions break trust. Hunt them with purpose.

Search for:

• Names. Full names, nicknames, pet names. Zoe vs Zoë. Jon vs John. Build a list and sweep the file for each variant.
• Pronouns after scene additions. A new “he” or “she” often muddies reference. Replace with names where confusion creeps in.
• Timeline markers. Monday, dawn, winter, two weeks later. Confirm sequence against your outline. If Chapter 7 shifts to Friday, update any knock-on references.
• Units and formats. Miles vs kilometres. AM/PM vs 24-hour time. Dates, money, and numbers. Match your chosen English variant.
• Italics policy. Thoughts, foreign terms, titles. Follow the style sheet and apply the rule everywhere.
• Quotation style. Single vs double quotation marks. Smart quotes vs straight quotes. Keep one approach across the book.

Tip: run whole-word and case-sensitive searches where needed. For tricky terms, create a quick find list and work through it like a checklist.

Tooling with care

Software helps with consistency. Voice still belongs to you.

• Run PerfectIt or ProWritingAid after big revisions, not before. Otherwise, you fix lines you will delete tomorrow.
• Set the tool to your style choices. US spelling, serial comma, hyphen preferences. Save the profile for reuse.
• Accept fixes that improve clarity and consistency. Spelling errors. Hyphen drift. Mis-caps.
• Skip suggestions that flatten voice. Dialect, deliberate fragments, rhythm choices. Add a “stet” note in your head and move on.
• Re-read after the tool pass. One quiet read protects tone better than a hundred green check marks.

Compare drafts before handoff

Accidental edits slip in during heavy work. A proper compare catches ghosts.

• Save a clean “before” file and a clean “after” file.
• Use Word’s Compare. Select the old version as “original” and the new version as “revised.”
• Scan deletions and additions. Confirm every movement matches intent. Revert surprises.
• Accept or reject leftover Track Changes. Remove margin comments and queries not meant for review.
• Save the final with a clear name, for example Title_MS_v5_line.

Beta and sensitivity reads, when advised

External readers serve clear goals, not vague vibes.

• Choose readers who match the brief. Genre lovers for pacing and stakes. Subject-matter readers for plausibility. Sensitivity readers for lived experience coverage.
• Provide a short guide. One page. State the stage of the draft. List three to five questions tied to your revision goals. Examples:
  • Where did attention drift?
  • Which scene felt muddled in motive?
  • Any phrasing around X that felt off or stereotyped?
  • One moment that landed with force, and why.
• Set a deadline and a delivery format. Margin comments, a short memo, or a call.
• Pay sensitivity readers. Scope the brief, agree on rates, and credit by preference.

Fold feedback into your plan. Pattern notes come first. Outliers remain optional.

Keep a production mindset

Rushing order creates rework.

• Do not move to copyediting while structure or line flow still shifts. Copyeditors chase moving targets, and money burns fast.
• Do not proofread before layout. Proofreading fixes page-level issues, widows and orphans, line breaks, and typography. Those do not exist in a Word file.
• Respect sequence. Developmental changes, then line work, then copyedit, then layout, then proofread.

A patient pipeline equals fewer passes and fewer fees.

Deliver a clean package

Your editor wants clarity, not a scavenger hunt. Send a tidy bundle.

Include:

• The manuscript. One file. Track Changes off. All comments addressed or purposefully left with a short note in the cover message.
• An updated style sheet. Spelling choices, hyphenation rules, capitalization, character and place names, key terms, timeline pins.
• A cover note. Short and specific.

Cover note template:

• What changed since the last pass. One or two paragraphs. Example: “Moved the midpoint to Chapter 12 and rewrote Chapters 10 to 14 to support new stakes. Trimmed exposition in Chapters 3, 5, and 18.”
• What still concerns you. Three bullets. Example: “Opening paragraph length in Chapter 1. Voice consistency in Ella’s internal monologue. Clarity of Malik’s choice in Chapter 16.”
• Requests for targeted attention. Page or chapter references help.
• Any constraints. Word count targets, deadline, or series continuity notes.

Final quick checks before you hit send:

• File name follows your naming scheme.
• Front matter and back matter in place, if required.
• All placeholders resolved. TKs removed. Brackets with notes cleared.
• Page breaks between chapters.
• No double spaces. No stray tabs.
• Metadata filled in for the file, if your workflow uses it.

This stage feels quiet after big revision wins. Treat the calm as part of the work. Clean handoffs build trust and shorten the road to publication.

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