CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Regardless of whether you're independently or traditionally published, the work doesn't stop when you finish the book. Usually, there's a period of waiting...and then the editing starts. Here's what that looks like...at least for me.

This is a short excerpt from the editing process, showing part of the process I go through when editing one of my books. In this case, The Unwilling, the first book in the Strays of Lunar One series:

I have over twenty years of editing—yes, many of those were for pay, and not just recognition—under my belt. I’ve worked mostly in roleplaying, and for small publishing companies, but have also exchanged edits with other writers. I have degrees in literature, writing and editing, and I’ve been an English teacher on top of that. However, I prefer to have someone else look over my work before I go to publish it. This is important, because they will pick up things you miss, point out story inconsistencies, and sometimes suggest a comma, or spot a spelling error. All things you are likely to miss on your final draft. Find a beta reader. Better yet, find two, or, if you can afford one, a professional editor. And listen to them. That was ‘listen’; you should still use your own judgement on accepting their suggestions and corrections, because you are still the one responsibility for the finished condition of your work. There are times, however, when your beta readers aren’t a...