Urban Fiction Authors NEVER Use Editors!

6:00 AM

I'm sorry! This post is a little bit misleading. I don't truly believe that urban authors never use editors. This is actually a stereotype that I hate about writers like myself. There is some truth to this thought. There tends to be a lack of editing in ebooks period. I think this is for a few reasons...

Number one is ego. As writers we do this ish for a living. We don't need no editors! No, but really that is the first thought that comes across our minds when we finish a masterpiece. To fix this attitude think about your books and blog posts like producing songs. After Beyonce' lays her vocals an engineer and producer have to go in and do their magic before it is released to the world. Put your ego to the side and do what's best for your books and blogs.

Number two is money. I lot of authors have zero dollars in their budget for editing so they have to do it themselves. This causes them to either do it themselves or don't do it at all. To resolve this dilemma I have a few self-editing tips for you...


  • Read "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers" by Renni Brown and Dave King. It is a life saver! I swear by this book. I am re-reading it now before I edit my next novel. I suggest getting a print version as opposed to ebook so that you have it as a reference. 
  • Do at least three drafts of your work. Let's take this back to school. You never publish the first draft of ANYTHING. Your first writing is called your manuscript. Your second draft should be you combing though the draft and perfecting plot, timing, character development, and tone. Your final draft should be for proofreading to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Some folks do more than three drafts but if that's not your thing then three at minimum should suffice for good quality work.
  • Listen to your book to catch anything you missed. I thank T. Styles for this gem right here. Before you publish your book you should listen to your work using a text to speech software. You can use Google to find a free one. Your eyes and brain can play tricks on you. Because you know what your work should say you may miss some things. Listening to it will help you catch those. Also, listening will let you know if you have a good read or not. If it's boring to listen to then it's boring to read. You may find some spots that can be worked on to make your story more compelling.
  • Use structure. I like to freestyle my first draft but I always keep story structure in mind. My two favorite structures to use are the Three Act Structure and The Hero's Journey. Using a structure will ensure that you hit all of the necessary plot points needed for a complete story. Have you ever read a book that was all over the place with a bunch of scenes that don't lead anywhere? These stories lack structure. Google these structures if you don't know anything about them. It will make your life a lot easier.
  • Use test readers. Have a few people who are willing to give you HONEST criticism read over your book and give their feedback. I suggest that you use social media to find people who read your genre. Loved ones tend to tell you that your work is great even when it isn't because they love you. This isn't what you need. You need the real so that your book can be the best it can be. 

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