What Editors Wish Writers Knew Before Sending a Draft
Why timing matters
Editors are not looking for perfection, but there’s a baseline readiness that makes collaboration productive. Submitting a draft too early wastes time and money, because most of the feedback will be pointing out things you already suspected.
What editors wish you knew
1. Finish the draft — completely
Half-finished manuscripts don’t give editors enough to assess arcs, pacing, or payoff. Even if you’re convinced the ending will work, it needs to be on the page before professional feedback is useful.
2. Revise once for yourself
A raw first draft is discovery. Before sending to an editor, take one pass to fix glaring holes, repeated beats, or continuity errors. Editors want to push you further, not flag things you already knew.
3. Know your goals
Do you want an agent, or are you planning to self-publish? That shapes editorial focus. Editors wish writers came in clear about where they’re heading, because it saves misalignment later.
4. Don’t fear feedback
Editors aren’t there to rewrite your novel. They’re there to highlight what’s working, what isn’t, and how to strengthen the whole. Defensive reactions slow the process — curiosity speeds it.
5. Respect the stages
Manuscript assessment → developmental editing → line/copy editing → proofreading. Skipping ahead is like decorating a house before the foundations are set.
Fiction-specific pitfalls editors see
Over-explaining backstory in chapter one
Pacing drag in the middle third
Dialogue that mimics real speech too closely (lots of filler words)
POV drift between characters in the same scene
Generic voice — prose that could have been written by anyone
Ready for the next step?
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