A Word On Editing

As someone who has published successfully before, I have come to this endeavor with a certain degree of past experience with which to inform my writing process. I have also reviewed the practices of other published authors, and have found that for the most part, we all tend to share some of the same experiences and techniques.

For the benefit of anyone who has never published their work before, but who might be curious about the process, I can say that while there are several essential steps that go into it, the most essential ingredient for a successful outcome is editing. This is true regardless of whether we are talking about a work of fiction (such as my latest projects) or non-fiction (which I have published in the past). It is also true regardless of whether we are talking about publishing short stories, articles, or a full length book. Write, then re-write, then re-write over again. While I am sure that there are some successful writers in the business - somewhere in human history - that could produce a quality product in the first draft, I am certain that they are by far the minority: so rare as to be the subject of myth and legend themselves. So for anyone who is thinking of publishing their work, short or long, fiction or non-fiction, my advice is to re-write as many times as it takes until the words flow smoothly and evenly on the page. Write, re-write, and re-write again.