Getting your first copy edit back is not a good experience. Writing a novel is a very personal experience, one that is very close to every author’s heart. So opening up and giving a precious item to someone else is a big deal for any author. However, getting your novel edited is very important, especially if you want to have your novel published and received well by agents. While most authors try to power through the process and accept whatever happens to their story, there are certain things that an author should be aware of.

Surviving the editing process of your novel can be harrowing, but if you arm yourself properly, you may find that the process is not as difficult as you thought.

It doesn’t matter how good your writing skills are, once your manuscript is in front of the editor, you will find red marks across your manuscript. Instead of skimming over what was changed, look at it carefully.

Note the stylistic changes, the technicalities the editor pointed out and look at everything one at a time to see what is incorrect and what is correct. Be open, distance yourself from the manuscript and look at the changes objectively.

You are the best person who knows your writing style, which means that you also know your mistakes. Every author has quirks that they overuse; some authors like to use dashes while some like to use exclamation marks a lot. While these things don’t stand out to us, they will definitely be a red flag for the editor and they will point it out. So, when your editor points out something like that, gracefully accept it and move on.

The benefit of having your novel edited by someone else is that they will point out mistakes from your manuscript that you never even knew. Every author has a set of filler words in their repertoire that they are guilty of using. Ideally, you should know your own filler words and crutch words, but it is not possible for everyone.

While your editor may suggest changes, at the end of the day they are just suggestions. It is up to you to accept the changes and move on. However, you should decide which change is correct and which isn’t. Understand the problem and why the editor was trying to fix it.

Your opinion matters so you can always choose to accept the changes you want, but also know that your attitude as a writer also matters. Be graceful about the revisions you get and if you don’t agree to any change, you should always remain respectful.

Remember that editing a manuscript is a process involving teamwork between you and the editor, so it is important that you both understand what you want the end result to be like. As long as you are thoughtful of each other’s work and respectful to each other, you will be able to get the work done efficiently.