Order! Order? When is it time for a copy edit?

"I try to pull the language in to such a sharpness that it jumps off the page. It must look easy, but it takes me forever to get it to look so easy… it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work at the language."
                                                                                                                                                               Maya Angelou

Many of us, in our excitement to hold in our hands the sweet fruits of our labor, try to rush the writing process. We want to eat the fruit before it’s ripe. That can be an unpleasant experience—for us and for our readers. 

Copy editing is an important step in bringing your book to maturity, in making it not just palatable, but satisfying. But copy editing may not be the next step for you. Copy editing should be done after developmental editing, not before. If you’ve not yet spent enough time on the global issues, such as character development and pacing, it’s not time to move on to a copy edit. Why spend time musing over correct word choice and accurate comma placement in a paragraph that may be deleted? Or fixing fragments in a chapter that will be totally revised as you turn pages of lifeless background information into living scenes? (Not a fiction writer? Don’t gloat; there are things for you to watch out for too.)

Before you submit your work to a copy editor, focus on the big picture. There is a lot that could be said about this, but for now consider these steps:

•  Put your draft away. Go ahead. Do it now. I’ll wait.
• Now it’s your turn to wait. Wait a few days or a week even.
• Next, read your draft. Really read it. Read what is there on the page, not what you think is there. Read like the reader, not the author. (There is so much more to say here, too much for this post. If you can’t wait for more information from me, I highly recommend the second edition of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.)
•  Revise based on what you learned from your fresh reading of the draft.
• Share the revision with a few trusted friends whom you know will give you honest feedback.
• Revise again.
• Now is the time to contact a developmental editor, especially if you are a new author.
• And, yes, revise again.

·         Okay, now you may be ready for a copy edit.

Writing is hard work. But the more you write and the more you focus on improving your writing, the easier it becomes. When you learn early on in your writing life to edit out info-dumping and head hopping (and more), you’ll likely not include them in your next novel. Well, maybe in the first draft, but likely not in the second or third draft.

The better your writing becomes, the more satisfied (and more plentiful?) your readers will be. The more satisfied your readers become, the happier you will be.

---

---

·         Have you ever tried to eat the fruit before it was ripe? Or tried sharing it with others while it was still sour? What happened?

·         What can you tell us about your experiences with the order of editing that can help the rest of us?