Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

This is a very helpful book. I've found a lot of the advice very useful indeed and this counts as one of the better books I've read about writing. It's clearly broken down into convenient parts so it can be dipped into should that make it more accessible.

The only book I would recommend to new writers more is Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style," which is truly exceptional and recommended to everyone who writes.

Don't bother with any other books on self editing. This is the one. Everything you need to know is in this book and this book has everything you need to know.

I can add little more to previous reviews, other than to say this book is now my editing bible.

If you are writing a novel, you NEED this book!

Can I give it 6 stars?

This book contains everything I needed to know. It answered all my questions and gave me the tools I needed to turn a dire first draft into something I'm almost happy with and I'm going to read it again before I start the next draft. It cut the confusion out of writing and made me think about what I was doing in a more rational way. I can't recommend it highly enough... I've read a few of these and you need buy no other book about how to write.

I bought this book expecting a quick reference guide to the editing process I could dip in and out of. I was wrong; this book is much more than that. What it does is take you through every stage of writing, showing you mechanical systems, conventions and pitfalls encountered by most new writers, but written in such a warm, yet firm manner that you feel you are in the presence of true experts, who encourage creativity, but won't stand for sloppiness. The numerous examples are really useful and come from a range of authors, be they from blockbusting bestsellers or manuscripts from students attending on one of the authors' workshop events. So if you want a quick-fix book, this isn't for you; but if you take the time to read it cover to cover, the knowledge and understanding build and you finish with a much deeper comprehension of the editing art. It's well worth investing the time, as your book will benefit hugely from it in the long run.