If you have a completed manuscript, you’re probably excited to just get on with it and put your book out into the world as soon as possible. We know that publishing your first book can be exhilarating, but before you hit that send button, you need to make sure your manuscript is polished to perfection.We’ve put together this comprehensive editing checklist to help you ensure that you have all your ducks in a row before you reach out to a publisher!

1. Structure and Flow: Do the chapters transition smoothly, or do certain sections feel disjointed? Each scene needs to serve a clear purpose and contribute to your overall narrative. Here’s a tip: Think of it like assembling a puzzle. Each piece should be a continuation of another, and they should all fit seamlessly to create a complete picture.
2. Character Development: It’s frustrating for readers when characters indulge in behaviours or actions that are seemingly out of nowhere. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure that your characters remain consistent to themselves throughout, unless they have good reason to behave otherwise. A strong manuscript ensures that every character feels like a real person with valuable interactions, and has an arc that is satisfactorily resolved.
3. Pacing: A well-paced manuscript is necessary to keep your readers engaged, and balance tension and resolution. This means ensuring that your book doesn’t have sections where the plot loses momentum or parts where it rushes ahead.Need a hand with any of the above? Bound offers developmental editing services!
4. Language and Style: Let’s go back to your sentences. Does your writing have unnecessary words or a tone that’s slightly off? Line editing looks at elements like style, syntax, and word choices and enhances the readability of your manuscript. Need our help? Take a look at our line editing services.
5. Grammar and Punctuation: There’s nothing more annoying and distracting than errors like comma splices, run-on sentences, or inconsistent tense. Copy-editing your manuscript will eliminate common errors like these, ensuring your readers don’t tear out their hair in frustration.
6. Formatting and Presentation: Are your chapter titles and subheadings consistent? Is the font easy to read? Does your manuscript have page numbers or will readers have to keep flipping pages forever to find a certain chapter? Attention to these details will give your manuscript a professional finish. Here’s another tip: If your thumbs cover the text when you hold the book open, the margins probably aren’t a right fit!

And there you go! Once you’ve crossed everything off this checklist, you’ve got a major chunk of work out of the way. But if you’re still stuck somewhere in the middle of this checklist, Bound offers all kinds of editing services from manuscript evaluation, editing, and pitching!