Sometimes editing is the big scary next step for writers. We hope this page can help you navigate the unknown and find the information you need to take your writing to the next level.

Editing is more than reading your WIP and looking for grammatical errors. It includes an analysis of story, narration, and how you control the reader’s experiences and feelings. It involves strengthening your language and trimming the unnecessary.

Self-editing is a process we experience during draft revisions and edits. As we write more, revise more, edit more, we learn the nuances of language and storytelling that captivate readers and keep them reading.

You don’t have to start your self-editing journey from level zero. Experienced authors, editors, and publishers have shared guide after guide, book after ebook, newsletter advice after social media tip to help you navigate your WIP and editing. This page is one of those guides.

BDR has written a number of guides and resources for its interning editors. We’re compiling them here so that you can benefit as well. Self-editing is part of writing, and it’s often the scary unknown once you finish your first draft. Let us help you make it less scary.

Where Do I Start?

There are various forms and stages of WIP editing. There are several divisions of editing, but for this page’s sake we’re going to divide it into two sections: developmental editing and copyediting.

  • Developmental editing focuses on the big picture story elements and occurs during the early stages of writing.
  • Copyediting and proofreading deal with sentence-level edits and grammatical nuances at the end stages of writing.

This page is continually being updated! BDR is still adding additional editing resources. Check back for more strategies or sign up for our newsletter for strategies, tips, and more!

Editing Resources overlayed on proofreading document