Iâm Struggling to Edit My E-Book
The editing process can be grueling, especially if youâre creating your first book-length work. The techniques you might have used on articles or short stories in the past may not seem to work as well. Perhaps you know that your e-book needs fairly major revisions (not just typo corrections), but you arenât sure where to begin. If youâre struggling to edit your book, try these suggestions:
1. Request feedback from readers about the structure of your book.
If you have a few willing friends â or, better, a writersâ circle â ask them to read your e-book and give you âbig pictureâ constructive criticism. At this stage, youâre looking for feedback about the overall shape and structure of the e-book and for comments about any areas that arenât quite working. (Perhaps your nonfiction e-book is too detailed, or your readers detest a certain character in your novel.)
If your blog or e-mail newsletter has an established readership, ask for volunteers to read your upcoming e-book. Pick four to eight people for a good range of opinions. Fewer than four, and one personâs strong opinion can unduly skew your feedback; more than eight, and you might feel overwhelmed by the number of different suggestions. Give guidance on what youâre looking for: You might ask specific questions such as âDoes Chapter 11 work?â or âDid you find the ...
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