Your editor’s first pass will likely be long and slow. Editing does not happen as quickly as reading does. A heavy copyedit can sometimes mean completing as few as 1,000 words an hour, and your editor may be working on more than one project at a time. If they own their own editing business, they have admin and marketing work to do as well.
So, you may find yourself feeling quite restless during the weeks your editor has your writing. What can you do while you wait? Here are some ideas:
- Take a writing break. I know. But consider how beneficial it might be to spend time doing other things you enjoy for a couple of weeks. In my experience, the best ideas come around when I’m taking a break from a project.
- Research cover designers and hire one if you haven’t yet.
- Outline or draft that next story idea. You know, that idea that kept popping into your head as you self-edited your current manuscript. Now’s the time to indulge!
- Take a mini writing course. Read a book on writing that you’ve had on your TBR list forever.
- Read well-written books in your genre. Or read great books outside your genre—variety can be inspiring and invigorating.
During my first pass on a project, I send an email update to my client every one to two weeks. That way they can be reassured that progress is being made and that I haven’t forgotten about them!
If you think you may have a hard time waiting while your editor works on your manuscript or screenplay, you could ask them if they would mind sending you similar (brief) updates.
Then try some of the suggestions I listed above.
