Five Ways to Impress an Editor

Five Ways to Impress an Editor
Sunday, January 11, 2026 by Denise Loock

By Denise Loock

You’ve registered for a writers’ conference. Bravo. You’ve labored for months, maybe years, over the manuscript. Kudos. You’ve even signed up for a mentoring session. Exuberant applause.

But before you go to that mentoring session or pitch your book idea to an agent, here are five ways to polish your manuscript to raise the eyebrows of an editor and maybe attract an agent or publishing representative.

Bring your manuscript on 8.5 x 11 standard white paper. No fancy binding necessary. Type your content in double-spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font. No boldface, italics, or graphics.
Check for typos and misspelled words. Read 100 Most Commonly Misspelled Words and make a list of the ones that trip you up. Don’t depend solely on spell check, grammarly.com, AI, or any other online assistant to do this. These tools don’t catch every mistake in usage, meaning, or connotation. Read your manuscript aloud and ask someone else to do that too.
Go through your manuscript and revise sentences that begin with there and it. The first word of a sentence is too important to waste on a meaningless word. For example, don’t keep a sentence like this: There are many mistakes that new writers make. Revise it: New writers make many mistakes. If you’re writing in first person (I, we, us), look for paragraphs where several sentences begin with those words and start some of the sentences with stronger nouns or phrases.
Eliminate unnecessary qualifiers. In devotions or memoirs, avoid phrases such as I remember, I think, and I knew. In fiction and nonfiction, delete words such as just, very, really, actually, and even. I could list more, but Mythcreants.com compiled 99 of these words. Search your manuscript for all 99.
Learn the difference between a hyphen (-) and an em dash (—). If you type “how to make an em dash on my Mac laptop”—or whatever computer you use—into your Search box, you’ll move into the rarified air of grammar-savvy writers within minutes. If you’re writing biblical content, use the same technique to find out how to make an en dash (–). It’s the correct punctuation mark to use between verses in a scripture reference: Psalm 23:1–3. Applying that one snippet of information will propel you into an editor’s Client Hall of Fame.

So, you may ask, “If I do all this, do I still need to hire an editor?” Yes. A professional editor will help you tighten and clarify content, handle a myriad of punctuation and grammar conundrums, and affirm the quality of your writing. An editor also provides a fresh, honest perspective on content, style, and tone. Your mother and your best friend may say you are a masterful writer, but when an editor, agent, or publishing representative confirms your skill—that stamp of approval can put you on the path to publication.

Photo courtesy of Pixaby.com and Canva

Comments

Patricia Jordan From Sylva, NC At 1/24/2026 3:23:51 PM

Thank you for your timely advice, Denise. I'm just now getting some of my devotions ready for the ACWC.

Reply by: Asheville Christian Writers Conference

Good it helps.

Jennifer Booth From Alabama At 1/13/2026 12:19:30 PM

Denise, Thank you for these helpful tips. I learned something new with the em dash usage in scripture passages! Looking forward to a fabulous conference!