The Halls of Valhalla: the Editing Process

When we reach the dreaded editing phase of any manuscript, every author gets a little fearful inside. We need to become someone entirely else if there is any hope in getting the story fleshed out. We can no longer be just the “author.” There is now the role of critic, editor, reviewer, and ultimately, reader, that we have to consider. A manuscript needs a lot of well-intentioned love for it to become a fleshed out novel! 

As a self-published author, this stage can be the most impactful. There is not a team of professionals assigned to your book, only with the goal of making it as polished and coherent as can be. In this case, the author is responsible for every stage of editing the manuscript will go through. And believe me when I say that there are A LOT of different kinds of edits a book needs.

The Halls of Valhalla: the Editing Process

Stephen King’s key to getting through edits as an author is to leave the manuscript and return to it in at least six months with fresh eyes. In this way, the manuscript looks like something brand new, and you can spot mistakes a mile away. Despite his stellar advice, the editing process brings disdain to my heart! 

The Halls of Valhalla was a work in progress for around five years. After the first manuscript was finished, I did as the King says, and left it alone. No matter how much I wanted to dive back into it, I acted like it didn’t exist, and wrote down any notes if ideas plagued my thoughts during this cold spell. After this waiting period, I jumped back in with the excitement of working on my beloved manuscript! 

The joy was short-lived.

Edits can really tear an author down. Especially without a professional eye available to make edits, we go through this process blind, barely in but afraid the story we wrote will never reach bookshelves. I did most edits myself in the grand scheme of things, but luckily it wasn’t always like that. While the first few rounds of editing was by me, my best friend and roommate (who also spent a lot of time in college editing), had no qualms in doing a few edits herself. 

This time was the most frightening during the writing process. Having someone else really look over the work and give me unbiased opinions is terrifying. Not only that, but Caitlin is my best friend, someone who I shared coffee with in the morning and made dinner for in the evening. If I was a terrible writer and she hated my work, I had to live with it. I had to be proud of the fact she felt comfortable enough to be honest with me. I would sit across from her at the dining room table, pretending to do work but actually watching her edit my manuscript. 

Luckily, Caitlin enjoyed the book! Her rounds of edits not only improved the writing grammatically, but developmentally as well. Most importantly, having her look over the book allowed me to gain some confidence in releasing the book. We all become insecure with our writings, always wanting to have the world read it but being incredibly insecure at the same time. 

At this point, when I wasn’t sure about how I felt about the progression of my manuscript, I came face to face with a pivotal point in the editing process. 

Do I hire a professional editor? 

Editors are amazing people. They get to read for a living, and can make generous amounts of money depending on the size of the manuscript they are working on. Most editors are authors themselves, which can bridge the divide between the two positions. In the end, an editor knows what it’s like to publish a novel, and will only work in your best interest. 

In the beginning, I wanted to steer clear of professional help. Not only was I working on a strict budget, but I had also never worked with a freelancing editor. Questions upon questions plagued my mind.

How can I pick an editor who is right for my story? 

What if they hate it? 

Does the opinion of the editor change the outcome of my novel? 

Eventually, I came to the decision of hiring an editor for developmental edits. As I mentioned before, there are many forms of editing for novels, particularly fiction works. Developmental editing deals specifically with the progression of plot, characters, themes, and pacing. The editor is looking into the characters and their progression, they want to see the main characters change and become something new by the end. They want the story to be nicely paced. They want to be hooked from the very beginning. 

My book has been over 100,000 words from the first time I wrote it. Young adult books of this length are pretty rare. Most publishers would look for a book that had this count as their maximum, not minimum. Despite the length, my editor plowed through The Halls of Valhalla, and finished it in under two weeks. Believe me when I say that this was WAY under the time predicted the project would take. When I got the email with his finished work, I was terrified. 

How could he have finished so fast? 

Was it just so horrible he had to do it super quick? 

Turns out, it was the opposite! My editor couldn’t put the book down, and finished his work with plenty of time to spare. After receiving his edits, I decided to be rid of some chapters and even one of the main characters! In the end, the pacing got smoother, and the story grew into a fluent tale. 

The Halls of Valhalla went through at least five stages of editing, and it ended up in a wonderful spot, where I still look over it and marvel. I couldn’t be more proud of where my novel ended up. This is nowhere near the end, but these experiences I have put under my belt are helping me progress further and further.

And if you’re a writer, stuck in the circles of edits, not knowing where to go next, your friendly neighborhood author is here to help as much as I can.

Thanks for tuning in. See you soon :)