How to Edit Your Own Novel

by Poppy Rose Solomon

You’ve drafted your book, and now’s the time to start thinking of the next step. Will you query traditional publishers? Will you hire a professional editor to help you ready the book for independent publishing?

In this gatekept industry, where secrets are held close and opportunities are few and far between, I want to help you break through. This book will help you on your way to publishing, competing in the querying process. Or for self publishers, getting ready for a professional editor **–** while saving costs because you’ve been able to do much of the work yourself.

Publishing a book in today’s climate means standing out against hundreds of other authors. That means cultivating your writing craft so your story is enthralling and your voice is unmistakable. This book operates through a funnel strategy, starting at the top with your big picture developmental edits like plot and characters, and working our way down together until we’re at the narrowest focus of spelling and punctuation.

Together, we’ll walk through:

- Developmental editing like realism, plot, characters, and worldbuilding
- Line editing, from your paragraphs to showing versus telling
- Copy editing, with tips for finding your weak points and spotting errors
- Exercises in each chapter to help you improve your craft
- PLUS my entire writing worksheet set, with 40+ pages of checklists

472 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2025

Reviews

[claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy is a dear friend of mine but I’m giving an unbiased opinion when I say this book rocks. I’ve always struggled with self-editing and her guide genuinely has some of the best information on what publishers and readers will want out of a book. It’s cool that the entire thing is tailored to individual writers so you can understand what works and what doesn’t in your own manuscript, which makes it incredibly user-friendly. She also includes some exercises to help along the way and it makes the whole experience way more fun than it should be. I’ll definitely be using this for finished manuscripts in the future.

Thank you Poppy for the beta copy and ARC!! I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy 💜💜

[Poppy Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all biased, not sure why you might think that <3

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has made me feel SO ready to take writing seriously!! poppy is an absolute gem and i can't believe how informative this book is, i feel like i learnt so much!