HERE IS HOW I EDIT, part 1
(I'm assuming it'll be multiple parts)

I get hired as a writing coach and/or an editor to help a writer improve. Sometimes that means individually overall as a writer, sometimes that's specific to one book. Let's assume right now, it's one person and one book.

Here's how that works.

Note: Everyone's process is different, this one is mine.

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HOW I EDIT, part 2

I'm assuming the contract has been signed and payment of whatever arrangement has been set up.

I don't work without a contract and payment in place.

I work in Microsoft Word and sometimes Google Docs, though I prefer Word, I feel more confident there.

Step 1: I look and see how big the file is. How can I slice it into daily workloads?

I try to keep each "chunk" more or less the same size.
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HOW I EDIT, part 3

While I'm slicing up the MS, I'm also looking at random bits and pieces of it.

How is the writing organizing their ideas? Does it look like there's really rough grammar? How is the psychic distance? Does it read easy?

I'm doing this so I can ballpark my experience in doing the line-by-line editing. I need to have some kind of expectation of what I'm getting into.

I label all my pieces and move on.

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HOW I EDIT, part 4

A line at a time, through the day's chunk I go.

Here's what I'm looking for (not always in this order):

a. Punctuation
b. Grammar issues
c. Character names
d. Descriptions of locations and objects
e. Dialogue structure
f. Plot organization
g. Arc organization
h. World-building

If it's character, plot, or world stuff, it gets written down in a steno pad. Each book is its own steno pad.

All else is fixed in-line (Track Changes on) or gets Comments.
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HOW I EDIT, part 5

I try to preserve the author's voice as much as possible, keeping as much of their own word choice and construction as possible whenever possible.

When I run into questions or confusion, I ask. When I don't get what someone means, I ask.

When they could go one way or the other, I leave a comment marked OPTIONAL.

My goal is to see what the author intends and wants me to see as clearly as I think they mean.

One line at a time. Through the whole thing.

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HOW I EDIT, part 6

Now somewhere in the contract we specified how frequently and it what way I'd communicate with the author.

Some people want weekly progress reports. Some people want to hear from me only when there are problems or when I'm done.

We usually determine what format that communication is, but I always spend 2-4 hours a day writing notes.

This is on top of the 6-12 hours per day spent editing the thing.

Those notes make coaching possible
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HOW I EDIT, part 7

When I'm done, I compile all my chunks back into one new large full-manuscript document OR if they asked for pieces (some people do), I send over what I did.

I then take all my written notes and put them into one Word doc that I send along with the final invoice.

That summary Word doc is anywhere from 3 to 70 pages, walking through what worked and what didn't, what needs to be fixed, and if they asked, how I'd market the book when it's done.

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