Have you encountered a book that has glaring errors in it? No? Well, mistakes in published books can be embarrassing and costly for authors and publishers. Thereupon, authors go through the editing process to ensure that their books are 100% spotless and polished. Editing your novel can make a huge difference; you can avoid receiving bad reviews and painful rejections from publications. Professional book editor Greg Van Arsdale believes that agents and publishers expect a pristine manuscript from you, not one that needs a lot of work. You may think that your manuscript is perfect and ready for publication; however, if it has not undergone editing, then your manuscript is far from perfect, even more so ready to publish. Whether you are a self-publishing author or not, hiring a professional editor is a wise investment. If you are looking to hire a professional editor, visit www.gregvanarsdale.com for the best price and outcome. 

 Authors who self-edit tend to skip over their mistakes unintentionally. Professional editors are knowledgeable in this aspect; therefore, you are assured that every error is addressed and revised. Making errors is common for authors considering that writing a novel is a significant undertaking. But, what are these common mistakes almost all authors encounter? Here are some common errors that even famous authors make that editing can resolve. This article will identify these errors and help you be mindful of these mistakes the next time you write a book. 

Granular Writing Mistakes

Most mistakes made by authors are granular writing problems, such as grammatical errors, typographical errors, sentence fragments, syntax, clarity, misused words, commas, and dangling modifiers. These are errors that any writer intentionally makes. The author may have experienced an overflow of energy to write the narrative, making mistakes inevitable. You did not have the time to re-read your narrative because of this. The use of spelling checker apps and writing assistance tools will not catch every mistake. However, editors are highly meticulous and have an eagle’s eyes to catch these mistakes. You, too, can catch some of these mistakes and even revise them. However, without the skills of an expert, some mistakes will be overlooked. A tip for finding granular errors is by reading line by line. 

Long Texts

Self-editing can have its benefits. You can learn to do better and be more mindful when you write. However, there is also a negative outcome to this: neglect. You are too familiar and emotionally invested in your story that it is hard for you to let go and make the necessary changes. Even if it is long texts and wordiness, it is hard to change it. Editors look out for long texts that are possibly wordy as this can clutter your writing. Bear in mind; it is best to keep sentences simple and direct. Wordiness takes away the clarity of the sentence. This change should not worry you. Editors will ensure that despite the change in structure and words, it still conveys the same meaning.

Moreover, long texts and wordiness causes redundancy. Common culprits of wordiness are overused adverbs and adjectives. A tip to shorten your sentences is to avoid using empty words and phrases. 

Lousy Presentation

As an aspiring author, you hope for people to pick up your book, read it, and love it. You want to inspire and teach them. However, this would not come true if your book has a weak opening and filled with run-on sentences. As the author, you know that something exciting will happen that has a massive role in how the events will slowly unravel; however, your readers could not grasp this. A lousy presentation can cause your readers to put down the book and not read further. Editors can point this out. Your editor will view your book from the reader’s point of view. Editors can give harsh, honest feedback regarding your narrative. However, please don’t take it the bad way; this is necessary to develop your book’s best version. Your editor is not your enemy; he/she will provide you a possible resolution to hook your readers. 

Assumption of Knowledge

Your storyline is always ready for you to extract from your mental shelf. You know how the events unravel, the character development, the twists, and backstory. In general, you are the most knowledgeable about the book. Sometimes you forget that readers only know information that is provided in the story. This is the greatest pitfall for any author; this leads readers to confusion. Therefore, you must keep in mind your readers. Also, bear in mind the information you provided. Editors can help you identify these as well. An editor’s job is a vast one and not just focuses on granular mistakes. A tip to resolve this problem is to check for consistency and create information reports to fill in writing holes.