Editing – My Journey Through Publication

As an author with my debut Young Adult novel Necropolis – released with Wallace Publishing on 9th February 2021 – editing has been a vital part of the publishing process. It has been imperative both for this debut novel, and also during the writing aspect as I work on the upcoming sequel, the start of a separate fantasy series and separate pieces such as articles for independent magazines. 

Editing is defined, among other definitions, as “to prepare written material for publication by correcting, condensing or otherwise modifying it” (Oxford Dictionaries) and this very much falls in line with the process when preparing a novel for publication. As someone who has a tendency to overthink and second guess myself, receiving the first edit from my publisher was quite a daunting moment and one I was nervous for – but I knew that, if I wanted my writing to reach the world, I needed to embrace it as a positive. Editing is done to improve the story and the writing to its optimum. 

Whilst writing the manuscript initially – and with my current works in progress – I made sure to regularly read sections I had written back, so that I could make the basic grammatical edits and correct mistakes such as spelling, but also to make sure that I felt the story flowed. Equally, before beginning to query agents and publishers, a proof read to make any further edits that I again spotted for spelling, grammar or within the story content.  

After getting my deal we then moved into the editing part of the process. I received my first edit – and the subsequent edits – in Microsoft Word, with track-and-trace enabled and comments from the editors to advise about the corrections and suggestions they had input into the bulk of the text.

This was a feature I had not used before, but with direction is one I am very grateful for – as having the guidance on the areas that the editors have highlighted, really makes a difference when considering what changes to make: be that a grammatical correction, a slight change in the flow of the section or that something contradicts part of the story elsewhere

. Track-and-trace also gave the option for me to make appropriate edits and changes in line with what was highlighted, reply to the editors comment to explain how I went about the changes, and allowed them to respond and confirm if they felt the edits worked or if there were further adjustments that may fit better. 

After three edits both myself and the editor were happy with the changes we had made and, with a proof read, ready to sign it off. Varying from just slight grammar and spelling adjustments to re-writing sentences, the whole piece did flow much better on completion of the edits and is an aspect of the publication process that is extremely valuable. 

Editing a piece that you have committed to for a long period of time – and then invested a lot of faith in whilst sending it out to query agents and publishers – can be a stressful activity and one that raises a lot of frustrations when you are making changes to something that you have worked hard on; but it is being done for the best interests of all involved.

After you have invested so much in a piece – particularly your debut, as a way of achieving what for many of us was a dream since childhood – editing can feel like criticism; however, it is important to take a step back and remember that you do lose yourself in it after you have committed so much time, energy and often emotion into the writing. When a novel you have written is accepted by a publisher, it is also important to remember that everyone believes in the manuscript you have written.

You become a team with your editors, who are reading it with an objective view that is valuable but also with the intention of optimizing both the writing and the story or content. By working together, I found that I could see the edits made in a different light that thoroughly improved the flow for the reader, and made the most of some small parts of the story that may have otherwise been missed.

Equally, I hope that I have come out of the process as a better writer that I can contribute not only to my works in process, future projects but also other pieces – like the independent articles – that I write.

The process of editing your piece – as well as working with and learning from others, taking their approaches and opinions on board – is one that can initially be difficult when you have committed a lot to the first draft; but it is vital to remember that you are doing it for its best interest and to optimize the content and story you have created. Editing is an important part of the process that leads to publication, to help ensure that the best quality representation of your work is given to the world to enjoy. 

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NECROPOLIS, Bethan Evans

Wyn is a sixteen-year-old who has been brought up in the care of the Sisters, members of the religious community called The Old Collection. Between their lifestyle and the oppressions of society—which is trying to regain control through segmenting cities, bringing in a gender divide and restricting freedom—Wyn is desperate for adventure and excitement.

Approaching the end of her education, Wyn is looking at her options, and the lack of opportunities fuels Wyn’s desire. After years of watching the soldiers in the city’s army training base, she decides that this is where her excitement could be and, with some persuasion, Wyn decides that somehow she needs to sign up. To do this she must deceive them all and prove herself in training; a lot of hard work ensues as she prepares to go undercover as a cadet in The Southern Company.

Once in the Company, the hard work doesn’t stop. Wyn must work hard to maintain her cover whilst also trying to prove herself and create allies along the way. However, when new organisations get involved, the pressure and challenges faced by the cadets only increases, and things get more complicated.

Can Wyn achieve her goal and prove societal oppression wrong, or will she crumble under the pressure?

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