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Self-Editing for Fiction Writers Hardcover – 1 Mar. 1993

by Renni Browne (Author), Dave King (Author), George Booth (Illustrator)
4.5 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories.
Renni Browne and Dave King are two of the country's best-known independent editors. In their years as president and senior editor of The Editorial Department, they have edited the work of many writers - including bestselling authors - before the manuscripts went out to agents or publishers. Over half the manuscripts worked on to completion eventually got published, and over half that number were first novels.
In this book Browne and King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own manuscript, in order to bring your manuscript to its fullest potential. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, interior monologue and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert fiction editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.
Every chapter contains hands-on exercises to help you apply these techniques to your own work. And illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist George Booth keep everything in perspective.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  3. Publication date
    1 Mar. 1993
  4. Dimensions
    15.24 x 2.54 x 22.23 cm
  5. ISBN-10
    0062700618
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0062700612
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (1 Mar. 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062700618
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062700612
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.54 x 22.23 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

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  1. Dave King

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4.5 out of 5 stars
64 global ratings

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Customers find this book to be a vital resource for aspiring authors, describing it as essential for improving writing skills. They appreciate its readability, with one customer noting it doesn't read like an English textbook.

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9 customers mention ‘Author's knowledge’9 positive0 negative

Customers praise the author's knowledge in this book, describing it as a vital resource for aspiring authors and essential for those wanting to improve their craft, with one customer noting it includes examples and explanations.

"This book is an absolute necessity in any writer's toolkit, it shows all the common mistakes and suggests ways out of them by example passages and..." Read more

"This is essential for writers wanting to improve their craft, as hard as it is, you need to address what it says in this book, and it will take you..." Read more

"This is a book every writer should read. It will definitely help you to get to thr best of your writing before you ask anyone else to read it...." Read more

"This is a great book for budding authors. It's packed with useful info and pointers, and written in a clear, concise manner allowing you to read it..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Readability’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning it is easy to understand and not written like an English textbook.

"...It does not read like an English text book and is very easy to absorb...." Read more

"...It's packed with useful info and pointers, and written in a clear, concise manner allowing you to read it from cover to cover, or just dip in when..." Read more

"Would definitely recommend this item for any writer. Easy to read and understand. A perfect aid when you are editing." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • midi19
    5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for any budding authors
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book is an absolute necessity in any writer's toolkit, it shows all the common mistakes and suggests ways out of them by example passages and even sets the reader exercises. It does not read like an English text book and is very easy to absorb. I learned a lot from this book & keep it by my side when I'm writing, along with Stephen King's 'On Writing' & dip into them if I'm struggling.
    If you only ever buy 1 book on self-editing, make it this 1, it'll be all you'll ever need.
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  • Leon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Tool for Writers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 June 2022
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    This is essential for writers wanting to improve their craft, as hard as it is, you need to address what it says in this book, and it will take you a whole lot further.
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  • ninjapaddidavinci
    4.0 out of 5 stars Self Editing for fiction writers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a book every writer should read. It will definitely help you to get to thr best of your writing before you ask anyone else to read it. Read it through before attempting to follow the given advice. It will make you a better writer.
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  • Amazon customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book for budding authors
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great book for budding authors. It's packed with useful info and pointers, and written in a clear, concise manner allowing you to read it from cover to cover, or just dip in when you need help with a certain aspect of your work. It is both informative and entertaining. An excellent purchase!
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  • Alexander Kreator
    3.0 out of 5 stars Purchased this to support my million word self edit
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 February 2014
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    Presentation and Content

    First Published in 1993. From the brief references so far the book seems to offer some good advice ... I read on Alexander of the Allrighters and Ywnwab!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mr. B. G. Tyers
    5.0 out of 5 stars and consider this as one of the best.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I found this informative and insightful. It covers a lot of ground and includes examples and explanations, along with some passages for you to edit yourself. I've read a few books on this subject, and consider this as one of the best.
    One person found this helpful
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  • European Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Help
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2017
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    A good read for those wishing to impress with their script before professional editors get their hands on it
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  • Cathy Cole
    5.0 out of 5 stars self-editing for fiction writers
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Would definitely recommend this item for any writer. Easy to read and understand. A perfect aid when you are editing.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Victoria Tarrani
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is required reading.
    Reviewed in the United States on 19 July 2002
    Verified Purchase
    Read, follow the checklists, and complete the exercises included with each chapter. Check your versions in the Answers to Exercises section of the book. Applying the techniques within this book will help you write, not just for publication, but something that is memorable.

    "Authors who sell well are almost always certain to go to the highest bidder, and publishers can't reasonably afford to develop an author for a competing house." (Browne, King) The business of publishing changed, and those great editors who supported their clients and helped create stellar books are gone. The business is about making money. Therefore, "self editing is probably the only kind of editing your manuscript will ever get."

    Chapter 1: Show and Tell. The difference is 'to tell' is to describe what happened through a narrative summary, while 'to show' is to experience what happens. With the use of cartoon sketches, the concept is clearly revealed. Yet, pacing is important and you accomplish this by slowing the scene with narrative summary, or descriptions.

    Chapter 2: Characterization and Exposition. "A lot of readers seem to feel they have to give their readers a clear understanding of a new character before they can get on with their story." This stops the story. Each character is psychoanalyzed and physical details are listed. It may not seem like a list, but it is. "When you define your characters the minute you introduce them, you may be setting boundary lines..." rather than letting your characters grow.

    Chapter 3: Point of View. Many times a switch in POV is subtle, but it changes the perspective and makes it hard for readers to relate to the characters in the scene, story, or book. The first person POV is limiting, yet it is an excellent exercise because you can only know what "I" experience. The omniscient POV is informative, and narrative summary is an aspect. In using the third person POV, which is the compromise between the two, it is imperative to stay in one person's mind for the entire sequence, or no interior monologues by multiple characters.

    Chapter 4: Dialogue Mechanics. "If the dialogue doesn't work, the manuscript gets bounced." Many writers hate to use said, but it is transparent and does not require the reader to interpret the author's expression, which has taken the reader into the writer's head and away from what the characters say.

    Chapter 5: See How It Sounds. "The creation of character voice ... is one of the most ... challenging acts you can create as a writer." Why? Every individual is different, each has their own voice, and so must your characters. In addition, the dialogue has to be meaningful. An inane conversation does not move the story forward, it is boring, and it stops the story. Listen to your dialogue aloud. Would you say it?

    Chapter 6: Interior Monologue. Thoughts are constant, they interrupt our conversations by taking our attention elsewhere. We live different lives in our own minds, so do your characters, it is emotion and perception that makes them real, and interior monologue is the technique.

    Chapter 7: Easy Beats. This is rhythm. A waltz is playing, what do you see? It is the Tennessee Waltz, your images change. Patti Page is not singing the song, a reggae band is. Each change creates a different feeling because each type of music has its own beat or connection. Scenes, words, dialogue, and events pace your story. "Beats enable your readers to picture the action in a scene."

    Chapter 8: Breaking Up is Easy To Do. Frequent paragraphs can add tension just as a rapid-fire talk show host does. Readers' eyes move down the page more quickly, which adds momentum. However, maintaining this pace will wear you out, there will be no sudden surprise. Slowing the pace lulls the reader, provides intimacy, and creates suspense. Both are needed.

    Chapter 9: Once is Usually Enough. Repeating words, phrases, descriptions, and effects are boring. When a reader knows that a map is missing in chapter one, they still know it in chapter five, they know it until it has been found. "When you try to accomplish the same effect twice, the weaker attempt is likely to undermine the power of the stronger one."

    Chapter 10: Proportion. The setup in chapter one must be resolved in the climax, but if another event becomes more important, then the impact of the problem resolution is lost. If the object is to find the missing map, then a duel in a romantic liaison cannot take half the book; the proportion is off; that single event becomes more important than the premise itself.

    Chapter 11: Sophistication. This contains a very good description of "the hack's favorite construction." Take care in using -ing words or linking events with as.

    Chapter 12: Voice. "A strong, distinctive, authoritative writing voice is something most fiction writes want -- and something no editor or teacher can impart." It is individual, it belongs to you, and to each character you create. They are different; make sure your interior and exterior dialogue for each character is theirs.

    Five stars. I recommend two books to writers, this is one of them. The other is - The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, by Noah Lukeman.

    Victoria Tarrani
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  • Cheryl Tardif
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Fiction Writer's BIBLE! Don't write without it!
    Reviewed in the United States on 13 July 2006
    Verified Purchase
    I've been using Self-Editing for Fiction Writers for the past few years and find it invaluable. I have even recommended it to two writers' groups in Edmonton, Alberta, plus numerous authors.

    Although there are some tips/suggestions that I may not agree with (such as using 'said' virtually exclusively), I use each chapter as a checklist when editing my work. I find the chapters on Point of View (POV), dialogue, interior monologue and beats most useful and easy to understand.

    Along with explanations and examples, there are short exercises you can do to help improve your writing and editing. I would suggest writers remember some of these suggestions are based on preference while others follow basic writing rules.

    If you are a fiction writer--whether short stories or novel--I highly recommend this book by Renni Browne and Dave King. You won't be disappointed!

    ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif
    Author of Divine Intervention
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  • cmom
    4.0 out of 5 stars Some problems, but overall great.
    Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2004
    Verified Purchase
    I have a love-hate relationship with this book. It is very useful in editing, others and your own writing, but there is one main thing I hate about this book.
    As I have read other books (including HARRY POTTER, classics such as THE THREE MUSKETEERS) I have noticed that whoever worked on those books plainly did not read SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS. They break all the rules of the book. And if some of the best books break the rules, why should everyone else follow those rules? It bugs me, because I've read and loved those books, and now I don't get to enjoy them as much because I see what's wrong about them. But I never noticied it before.
    So if these things need to be followed to get published, why are there so many books out there that don't follow them?
    On the other hand, a lot of things in this book are relavent and are useful when editing and writing, and for those that can forgive the above mentioned problem, it's a great book.
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  • Mark Andrew Edwards
    5.0 out of 5 stars Reccomended for every writer but especially for aspiring authors
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 March 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is the single most useful book on writing for me. I don't usually have a problem getting the words to flow (getting my hinder in the Throne of Writing (tm) is another story) but I struggle with revising more than anything else. I may not know the answer of 'what to cut' but this book tells me why to cut or rephrase. I can't praise it enough.

    The book is filled with examples and exercises, many of which are taken from well-known published writers. Seeing how to do things right is invaluable to me. Here's one example just off the top of my head: voice. I can't think of any other writing book I've read so far that gave even a hint about how to develop a writer's voice. Brown and King's suggestions there was deceptively simple but revelatory.

    The discussion ranges from exclamation points to profanity (both are suggested to be used sparingly...especially the exclamation points) and the author not only provide advice, they back it up with those useful examples I mentioned above.

    This book belongs on every writer's bookshelf...actually, not on the bookshelf, it belongs on their writing desk. For new writers, start with this book. You won't be sorry.
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  • Camisa
    3.0 out of 5 stars helpful
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 November 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Many hints on how i can improve my writing. helps me edit the first drafts and make my stories better.
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