Let’s continue with the tips on how to deal with your first edited manuscript.

Tip Three – Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

If you really are not sure about an edit and you’ve tried to find an answer on your own, have a word with your editor. If you are going to reject an edit, you must have a legitimate reason for doing so.

Tip Four – Give The Editor Your Accepted Edits

Their integrity is at risk when your book goes to print as well as yours so he or she will want to have a final look at the manuscript before it gets released. Some say that you must return any accepted edits to them, others are not bothered. However, it is professional courtesy to let them have the accepted edits back for approval.

Tip Five – Save Several Copies of Your Manuscript

You can’t have enough copies of your work and if you haven’t backed it up in at least four separate locations, it isn’t backed up.  You have put weeks, months, maybe years into your work and your editor has put many hours in too. Save it, save it and then save it again at least twice more and have at least two copies saved offline.

Tip Six – Hire a Proofreader and Formatter

Formatting tools are pretty good these days but you can't beat using a professional designer for formatting the inside and outside of your book. And hire a proofreader too while you are at it. Your editor is not the last defense against poor reviews that say the editing is bad. Editors do catch most of the errors but a proofreader will catch those that come in after the editing. You might have rejected one edit by mistake, one that is a simple typo. The formatter may have inserted a character where there shouldn’t be one. Conversion software used for putting your book into eBook format may have changed a few things too.

Errors will always find their way into your book once the first edit is over so have a proofreader go over it to ensure that it is truly ready for publishing. They will do it line by line and are incredibly thorough.

Tip Seven – Relax and Celebrate!

You’ve earned it. When you have been through all your edits, one by one, sent it all back to your editor and they have signed off on it; when your publishing company has vetted it or when your formatter and proofreader are doing their jobs, take a little you-time out to celebrate and breath a huge sigh of relief.

You have been through something that every author has to go through and you have come out on the other side relatively unscathed. You are nearly there, you are almost a published author and you now have a bit of time before you need to go through it all over again.

Don’t see editing as criticism of your work; see it as assistance, as a way of helping you to get it right and learn to improve.