Top History Book Editing Mistakes You Should Avoid

Don’t let common editing mistakes ruin your book. Remember, book writing takes a lot of effort. It consumes time. To get the most out of your effort, get your editing right. Avoid common typo mistakes. Get the right flow. Check your spelling. Hire history book editors to make your book look more professional. The following are common editing mistakes you should watch out for.

Word Usage

Be mindful of your language. Choose your words carefully. Make sure that your spellings are correct. Don’t use the wrong words in your writing. Certain words might sound similar but they have different meanings.

When it comes to writing, word usage is extremely important. It can either guide or mislead your readers.

Punctuation

Make sure that your sentences are well punctuated. Punctuation can either make or break your writing. It informs readers about when to pause or when to answer a question. Plus, it keeps your sentences flowing as intended. The usage of simple commas and question marks can completely change the meaning of a sentence. So, be sure to use proper punctuation marks.

As you can see, the usage of simple commas completely changes the meaning of the sentence!

Wrong Tense Usage

There are three common types of tenses: present, past, and future. When editing your book, you need to make sure that you’ve used the correct tense. Watch out for any inconsistent tense usage. Regardless of which tense you choose, keep the verbs or adverbs constant with that tense.

Point of View

What’s your point of view? Are you talking about the first person, second person, or third person? Well, once you’ve determined your point of view, you need to make sure that you’ve maintained it throughout your writing. You can’t mix up different points of view. That would be extremely confusing to the reader. Check your pronoun usage and avoid utilizing different points of view together.

Poor Sentence Structure, Length

Review your sentence structure. Make sure that your sentences feature all the required parts. Of course, you can utilize fragmented sentences in your writing, but it needs to be done correctly. Otherwise, you might end up confusing your readers altogether.

It’s also imperative to edit your sentences for length, as well as, complexity. Incorporate both short and long-structured sentences into your writing. This will go a long way in creating style and rhythm.

If you’re doing online writing, stick to short sentences. But for a technical style, consider utilizing longer and more complex sentences. The writing style for nonfiction books will be different from that of fiction-based books. Regardless of your writing style, you should always strive to create flow, rhythm, and readability.

Repetition

Don’t start every sentence with a pronoun. It will make your writing very stilted, dull, and unprofessional. To make your work sparkle, avoid using pronouns in each sentence, especially if they follow each other. Try changing your sentence structure to avoid overusing pronouns at the beginning of sentences. For instance, instead of starting with a sentence with he, go for David. This will help your readers engage with your book. It will make your readers more engaged and interested in your writing.

Redundancy

According to research, many writers don’t realize redundancies in their writings. Redundancies will make your message distorted. Removing redundancies will make your message crisper, stronger, and professional. The extra words should be removed.

An editor knows the power of being economical with words. Unnecessary words will be expunged from your book, making it look neat and professional.

Using Passive Voice

Using passive voice is against the rules of writing. It kills your writing. It makes your book look dead. It’s like bringing past things into your writing. Embracing an active voice will make your book look alive and livelier. So, don’t use lazy, passive voice-related words. Try being direct with an active voice to make your writing stronger.

Singular Nouns

The use of correct nouns is important when it comes to book writing. Don’t mix singular with plural pronouns. This happens when trying to use non-gender-specific pronouns. For instance, you don’t have to say, “the guest may pick up their drinks from this desk.” Instead say, “the guest may pick drinks from this desk. “

Presentation Inconsistencies

Refer to ideas, phrases, etc. consistently throughout your book. For instance, you should use the phrase Formula 1 consistently. You cannot switch to Formula One. It will amount to writing inconsistencies. Here, you require a high level of concentration to identify writing inconsistencies. These issues will make your book look unprofessional.

Hire a good editor to correct these issues. An editor has mastered the art of identifying writing inconsistencies.

Typos

Typos are a turn-off, especially on the side of the reader. It makes you look inexperienced. Professional proofreading will remove these issues from your writing, helping your book look better and more professional.

Typos happen when you misplace commas and apostrophes. Missing apostrophes can also lead to typos. Switched letters can also lead to typos. There are several tools you can use to eliminate typo-related errors from your work. Use these tools to polish your prose.

Key Takeaway

Don’t allow common writing and editing errors to injure the prospects of your book. Address all issues efficiently and conclusively. Edit and edit. Take your time. Pay attention to typos. Don’t ignore misplaced words. Do away with redundant words. Make your message clear with concise sentences.

Hire a professional editor to polish your book. Remember, a highly polished book will sell more than an error-stricken one. It costs a few dollars to have your book edited by a professional.

The Bottom-Line

Kick fragmented sentences from your book. Eliminate misspelled words. Get the punctuation right. Use the correct words. Remember, your book will be judged based on how well it is edited. Watch out for the above mistakes when doing book editing. Hire the right editor to polish your book. Choose an experienced editor. Select an editor who has handled similar books in the past. Remember, readers love good books. They will buy a nicely written book.