Self-editing resources for writers and book GIVEAWAY!

/ thinkingthroughourfingers


E is for Editing.
E can be for Exciting.
(E doesn’t have to be for Evil.)

Ah, the dreaded editing process. No writer is exempt, and if you love to write, this is one of the most important steps for making your words shiny and beautiful. Some of you may publish with a smaller press, for which it’s becoming more and more common for you to have to do your own editing/hire your own editor prior to submission. Or perhaps you are self-publishing (like me), in which case it’s essential that you edit your work/hire an editor prior to hitting that exciting “submit” button. Others of you may publish through presses that employ their own editors, but you can minimize the types of editorial changes you have to make if you know how to edit your own work prior to submission. Or perhaps you’re thinking of submitting your MS to agents, entering in a contest, or sending out ARCs for early reviews. A well-edited manuscript will receive a much better response than one that is…well, not.

Regardless of the route you take to publishing, editing is a necessary step in the writing process.

My Short List of Self-editing Resources

Books about editing: If you are like me, you prefer to read stories and not spend a lot of time reading about writing. 🙂 However, there are a few books out there that I consider gems as reference material. Contrary to the image above, you DO NOT need a stack of these, but either one of the following is a GREAT resource for editing:

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Purchase links are provided so you may view more about each book
Keep scrolling to the bottom if you would like a chance to win one of my faves!

On-line resources: For when you’re not sure about that grammar rule and need to look it up in a pinch. When in doubt, LOOK IT UP, better safe than sorry, and all of those things your mother probably told you. There are a few great on-line resources for grammar, and I’ve found the following two sites especially to be reliable and accurate:

For example:

When should I hyphenate two words? When should I leave them the heck alone? 
See what Grammarist has to say.

Is there a difference between “blond” and “blonde”? 
See what Grammar Girl has to say.

Is the phrase “in the process of” necessary? 
See what Grammarist has to say.


Do I use “lie,” “lay,” “laid,” or “lain,” and OMG, can I go back in time and throttle the people who came up with these things? 
See what Grammar Girl has to say (about the former question, anyhow).

Did I use that comma correctly? Do I have too many? 
See what Grammarist has to say.


Let’s eat George.
Let’s eat, George.

Psst! Punctuation saves lives.

What about you? Do you have any other favorite self-editing resources? Comment below if you do, and thank you for sharing!
Oh, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! 
(for U.S. addresses only due to shipping costs)

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