The 7 edits I put my books through...

The Dream States are currently “in edits.” Many don’t really know that there is more that just one edit that a book must go through before it can be put out for release. So I wanted to explain each editing phase and what they mean.

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#1 - Developmental edit

During this edit I read through the rough draft and find where the story line details may not match up or don’t round up all the forward leading elements. Also during this edit I will find where I want to add more emotion, drama or action to specific chapters and if I need to reorder scenes or cut things completely.

#2 - story edit

During this edit I personally read through the story and find areas that need more or less scenes to ensure the most impactful yet not over-worded story for you the reader.

#3 - copy edit

This is the first edit I send out to someone else. My copy editor finds grammatical errors, but also sentence structure or story continuity errors I missed and fixes most of them for me. She also emails me with story questions and feedback that help me shape any more additions needed.

#4 - beta reader feedback edit

Here I send early copies of the book to a select few people that read the story and tell me where I can make it better.

#5 - proofreading/2nd copy edit

This is the last real “edit” of the book, finding any details or grammatical issues I may still have.

#6 - print formatting & ebook formatting edits

Here I will format the book into print layout and eBook layout, which often times means changing paragraph or scene breaks to not maroon a sentence on a page by itself or have it feel too spaced out.

#7 - proofing

The printed book always has to be proofed or trial run if you will, because the printer and the online look are usually off by just a bit. This is the last step that once finished means it’s ready for the book to be released!

I take these steps and still make mistakes, I’ve learned from them and continue to work every day to provide the best books and stories to you!