I got a comment in the WIPs and Change post about the how best to edit a novel. My response was getting a bit long so I decided to make it into a post. Please keep in mind that I am not yet a professional, nor am I actually published. I’m still working on my first drafts actually- so my response is based on years of reading books, blogs, and websites on the subject.

I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules- everybody kind of feels their own way. What I see most professional authors (and sometimes their agents/editors) say is that it’s best to just get through the first draft. Let it sit for a month or two (I’ve heard everything from 2 weeks to 6 months), then go through it with a red pen and maybe a chainsaw. So far, everyone recommends doing it on paper, not the computer screen.

It seems to go in three stages for most of them: 1) first draft, 2) hard edit, 3) spit and polish.
I can’t tell you what I do since I haven’t actually finished a WIP yet. I’ll probably be a full first drafter with a few minor edits as I go, and a stack of notes for the second round.

However, there are also authors who examine each sentence before it’s put down, and those who re-write each page until it’s perfect. Then it’s more of a typo hunt at the end.

I’d say experiment a little to see what works best for you.

Wolf gave a pretty good response in the WIPs and Change comments, and I’m hoping a few others who’ve finished at least one novel will chime in.

If you’re at all interested, I think the two books with the best advice on editing are Stephen King’s On Writing, and Chris Baty’s No Plot? No Problem! For both, the editing sections are rather short- but pretty straightforward.