Before you can submit your novel to a publisher or even show it to a literary agent, you must proofread and edit your novel thoroughly to make perfect. Editing takes a long time and will need the utmost attention of the editor, so this is something you must do with careful consideration. Proofreading and editing are two different things, yet many people confuse them to be the same.

When you proofread a novel, you are basically looking for surface errors such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar and language mistakes. When you edit a novel, you are looking at the content deeply to make the expression clearer, enhance the use of language, improve the overall quality of the content and ensure that the content has maximum impact on the reader.

When you want to edit your novel, you need to look for a few things that will make the process easier and help you in improving the overall quality of your novel. A well-edited and proofread novel is attractive to the reader, but also leaves a very good impression on literary agents and publishers. Here are the things that you should look for when you are editing a novel.

Check Your Character Development  

When you are proofreading and editing your novel, you must critically look at your characters and see if they are developed properly or not. A well-rounded character is much appreciated, especially the characters that are like real people. Check if your character has quirks and flaws, check if the essence of your character is conveyed properly and, last but not the least, check if your protagonist is relatable.

Add Life to the Content

You are the best judge of your own writing skills because you are aware of your own flaws and your own strengths. So when you are done with your novel and are in the editing process, see if you added life to the content. Can you picture a scene in your mind while reading it? Are your descriptions strong enough to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling and see what the characters are seeing? This is an important thing to look for, so enlist the help of a beta reader if you need to.

Add Clarity to Your Novel

Look for flaws in the story and not just the surface errors. When you hire an editor, the editor will be looking at the novel from the perspective of a reader. He or she will judge your book so you must do it yourself. Pick every sense and see if it makes sense. Does the flow of your story work? Do you understand where the plot is going? Are you adding too many characters? Is the reader going to feel lost after a certain point?

These are the things that need your utmost attention, so be your own critic and see if these flaws are present in your novel. You can eliminate them and add finesse to your novel to make it worthy of publication.