Secrets To Editing Success

by K. Stanley (Co-Author), L. Cooke (Co-Author)

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS teaches you how to become an exceptional story editor. Whether you're editing your own story or are an editor wanting your clients to succeed, this book shows you how to make all stories better.

In SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, you will learn how to structurally edit a manuscript starting by evaluating at the story level and then focusing at the scene level, resulting in actionable advice.

SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS shows you the fastest, most comprehensive route to a successful story edit. You'll discover the Fictionary Story Editing process and use the 38 Fictionary Story Elements.

GIVE YOUR DRAFT A CREATIVE STORY EDIT, SO IT OUTPERFORMS THE OTHER GREAT BOOKS BEING PUBLISHED TODAY. USE SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS WELL TO EDIT ANY NOVEL INTO A BESTSELLER.

Praise for Secrets to Editing Success

"One of the most frequent questions a novelist asks is "Does my draft contain a story?" Stanley and Cooke have written a practical guide that shows you how to answer that question. Secrets to Editing Success gives you actionable advice and a process to edit and revise your novel so that you can take your novel draft and turn it into a publishable book."

Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month

"Secrets to Editing Success is every editor's dream. Whether you're a new author reviewing your first book or professional editor, this is without doubt, the most comprehensive and detailed guide to editing I've ever had the pleasure of reading. This book will hold your hand, explain, clarify and give you step by step instructions for editing your novel. Paired best when using the incomparable developmental editing software Fictionary, this guide will change your editing life. Read it. Immediately."

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

451 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2023

About the author

DESCENT shortlisted for 2014 Crime Writers of Canada Unhanged Arthur award. BLAZE shortlisted for the 2014 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger. Short Story "When a Friendship Fails" won 2014 Capital Crime Writers's best short story.

CEO Fictionary.co

Reviews

[Cassandra Lee Yieng · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Swiss Army Knife of all creative writing and editing books

This is a fantastic fundamental tool for writers and story editors in any stage of their career.

It's extremely well-organized by discussing character, plot, and setting separately and in depth. Beginning writers often try to intuit their way as they write or edit stories, but just feelin' it hinders the extent of potential improvements on them. Despite there being some value in critique groups, a writer who's trusting others to tell them what works and doesn't work in their story and isn't confident in their own abilities often feels that they have to compromise their story vision just to fit some best practice in writing, but this book is a self-contained confidence boost in that a writer in any stage of their creative journey will know how to appraise themselves as well.

It leaves no stone unturned by explaining the touchstones of great stories, the 38 Fictionary story elements, in depth. Most people can sense when a story feels "off," and by training you to identify these 38 elements, the authors help you put a story's issues into concrete terms. As the saying goes, "A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved," and this book does just that brilliantly.

It also gives clear advice to anyone editing their own or others' stories so that you never have to scratch your head wondering how to fix a problem in the story.

If you love to read excellent stories and want to polish the stories you have to the best they can be, this book is a must-read and must-reread, because it distills 20+ years of the authors' professional editorial experience into something easy-to-digest.

Last but not least, at times it's appropriately humorous. The authors' humanity and compassion for the editor and writer alike shines through. If popular self-editing books by famous authors have discouraged you or the tough love out there isn't your cup of tea, don't give up on your writing dreams just yet. The encouraging voice in this book may very well move you from the 80% who give up to the 20% who finish their books.

If you've never had a book on how to write a story well and you're on a tight budget, just get this book and always look at it when editing stories. It's a gift that keeps on giving.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read on how to conduct a story (or developmental) edit. I have been reading craft books for more than forty years, and although the theory of story structure found here isn't different from what I've found in other places, the difference is how it is all brought together into a series of practical steps you can take. The process leads you to a place where you know that your story is structurally sound and compelling. Follow the procedure and you will take care of all the myriad issues that can be found in a move draft, in a logical sequence, and without getting lost in the weeds. I recommend this book most highly. You still may want to hand the novel over to a professional after you take your own pass, following the advice in this book, but you will leave them much less to do--saving you money--and in the process you will learn so much about the craft.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands off!
I read this book as part of my homework for the Fictionary Live editing class. It was immensely helpful to supplement my learning and take a deep dive, looking honestly, into the strengths and weaknesses of my story.
Spending six weeks, keeping hands off on revisions and only looking at where things were missing or unclear was amazingly helpful. Learning what questions each of the five story arc scenes must answer made me realize that out of over 70,000 words, I didn't have a middle. The book and class also taught me how to properly use objects, setting, and weather to enhance instead of distract from the story.
I have learned so much more as well and I can't wait for Secrets to Outlining Success after seeing how much will need to be revised from my first pantsing effort.
Thanks Kristina Stanley and L. Cook.

[Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read plenty of excellent writing craft books, but "Secrets to Editing Success" is the only one that provides a method that guides you through the editing process. The authors, Stanley and Cook, lay out what makes a story great and then break down editing into actionable steps with thorough explanations of why each step is important and how it bolsters your story structure.
It’s brilliant and engaging to read. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned writer, "Secrets to Editing Success" will take your stories to a whole new level.
And if you really want to supercharge your story structure, check out their developmental editing software "Fictionary", which utilizes the principles in "Secrets to Editing Success".

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't need the software

This is a great systematic way to look at your finished draft. It goes through how you can look at your story and then edit the individual scenes. When it comes to self-editing, I think this book is best when you understand some basics of self-editing.

I recommend reading Scene & Structure by Jack Bickham and then Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell before tackling the self-editing journey and then coming to this to get to the specifics of each scene.

Fyi, I used this book without the software with an Excel format document. As what Matt Bell also talks through when organising your scenes. However, I do think that the Fictionary software is helpful.

[Shane Millar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The clue is in the title

When the authors of this book, Kristina Stanley and L. Cooke, promise they will teach you the Secrets to Editing Success, they're not joking.

If you're looking for a comprehensive guide to story editing, then look no further. This book will teach you the 38 Story Elements every writer who's self-editing their novels (and every professional editor who's evaluating clients' stories) needs to know.

This book will be one I refer to again and again. It's packed full of useful information that makes story editing a piece of cake.

Highly recommend!

[Sarah Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets to Editing Success is an invaluable resource that offers practical advice and a clear, actionable process for carrying out a comprehensive story edit on your manuscript without being overwhelming.

Whether you are a new author reviewing your first book or a professional editor, this guide is a must-read.

It is definitely a book that I'll be referring to again and again in my own writing and editing journey, and I'm confident that it will help others improve their writing and editing too.

[Lisa Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Editing your novel can feel like pulling teeth—without anesthesia. Thankfully, K. Stanley’s Secrets to Editing Success turns the painful process into a manageable task with wit and practicality.

Stanley’s advice strikes the perfect balance between tough love and helpful guidance. From untangling plot holes to cutting out those meandering, unnecessary scenes, she covers every aspect of editing like a seasoned pro. Her humor makes even the grueling parts bearable, and her tips are refreshingly actionable.

[Camellia Whiting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, well structured, sound. I'm still reeling from the discovery that there can only ever be one protagonist! Yes, that's right, only one; but the protagonist can be complex. Read this amazing book if you think you have more than one. Read this book if you want to know how to turn your draft into a manuscript into a novel... that readers will want to read, and will remember. This book has already begun to change the way I approach my responsibility as a writer while leaving my creative flow intact.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely useful handbook on editing your own story. This is not about the capital letters and typos but more the fundamentals as to whether your story works, whether it is actually a story. My story has been missing something and I have been unable to put my finger on it. Now I know and I know why. Major re-write ahead, but I know where I'm going.

[Jami Fairleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book super helpful. It provides a framework for how to developmental edit a story. The resulting edit yields concrete notes on what is going well or what needs work in the manuscript. This provides an actionable plan for tackling revisions with both story-level and scene-specific notes.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for all writers and those wanting to know how to edit a manuscript.

[Lisa Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very helpful book on the editing craft. You understand it better if you're using the Fictionary software, but I think that even if you don't, you become a better editor by the end.

[Heidi Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is definitely good, helpful editing information in this book that I hadn't thought of before. Glad I read it.

[GiGi Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful resource for any writer, and it pairs perfectly with Fictionary software.

[Gale Kleven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide to the editing process.

[Elaine Canyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a pivotal part of my publishing journey. One of the hardest parts of writing a book is editing it. Even feedback from a professional editor can be difficult to apply. But K. Stanley & L. Cooke break down developmental story editing into a process that not only helps you find where your story needs work, but then gives you the information to know HOW to fix those places that can be improved. I can not recommend this book enough! It is the single most helpful writing craft book I've read. 5 Stars!

[Magda Matsuda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book you need to improve your writing and write a book people will want to read.

It is filled with handy tips on how to structure your book in the way that will make it engaging and not dragged out. I will definitely use some of those pieces of advice for myself.