5 Novel Editing Tips for When You’re Afraid You Don’t Have What it Takes

Your Next Draft

Overwhelmed by your novel? Try these five strategies to edit with confidence.

Sometimes, editing your novel feels really scary.
Yep, I said it. Sometimes, you get overwhelmed. You feel stuck. You wonder, do you even have what it takes to edit a book?
I’m a professional editor, and even I feel that way sometimes. Right now, I’m working on a new novel from a fantastic author. And halfway through, I started wondering . . . is this book too good for me to edit it? Is it beyond me?
In fact, I got so nervous about it that I actually paused in the middle of the book to write this episode!
If you’ve ever doubted yourself while editing your novel, this episode is for you.
In it, you’ll learn:

• 2 major ways the prospect of editing a novel can be overwhelming
• 5 strategies to bust through the overwhelm and edit like a pro
• Your greatest strength when it comes to editing your novel
• When to stop editing alone and call in help
• Why you DO have what it takes (even if you’ve NEVER edited a book before!)
• The most important thing to STOP doing (even though it’s really hard to let it go!)
• And more!

You have what it takes to edit your book. You have the perseverance, the love of great stories, and the passion it will take.
Don’t believe me? Listen to the episode and find out how to defeat the overwhelm.
Oh, and that book I’m editing?
After I created this episode, I went back to the book. I applied all five strategies you’ll hear in the episode.
And they worked!
I shared tons of feedback with the writer, and she loved it. It just took me a quick break and a few intentional strategies to break through the overwhelm and find the best feedback for her.
Because I have what it takes to edit a novel . . .
. . . and so do you.
Links mentioned in the episode:

• Download the 10-step guide to edit your novel: alicesudlow.com/10steps
• For reasons to love editing, check out ep. 23: 3 Simple Steps to Edit Absolutely Anything in Your Novel

Send me a Text Message!

Support the show

Want more editing tips and resources? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

And if you're enjoying the podcast, would you mind leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts? That helps more writers find these editing resources. And it helps me know what's helpful to you so I can create more episodes you'll love!
Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »