Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore

This book is amazing! I read it from the perspective of an editor, not a writer, so a few chapters didn't apply. But the chapters that speak specifically to editing are detailed, provide examples, and crystal clear.I highly recommend this book.

This book is packed with a large variety of useful information on how to edit your manuscript for final publication. The checklists at the back of each chapter might be helpful to some but they are quite long and involved and not much help for me. I bought this in the Kindle version because even though I have lots of little flags sticking out of the printed books I have, I rarely ever try to refer to them. I prefer to just read a book and hope the knowledge sticks in my head. Manuscript Makeover is a great book for new and mid-level experience writers mostly because it never hurts to keep learning.

This is a LONG book with some good insights. I grew fond of Elizabeth Lyon after reading her book about writing fiction. This is not the kind of book, however, that you have to read straight through if you don't want to. I'd recommend reading the first two chapters closely, then jump around as your needs dictate. Chapters come with nice checklists of topic summaries at the end, which I find helpful.

I finished the NaNoWriMo challenge and have a manuscript that needs a lot of work. The first revision was easy. Any novel written in a month will have obvious errors: grammar, inconsistency, dead end side tracks and so on. Catching those cleaned the story up a lot but it still needs a lot of help with structure and plot flow before it's ready to send out. I'm working through the second revision using this book and find it extremely helpful.What I really appreciate is that Elizabeth Lyon recognizes that different authors have different styles and she offers advice that should work for most. This isn't a rigid, follow my instructions or else cookbook. However, it does offer real and specific guidelines that are more than vague ideas. Considering how many how-to books don't achieve this nice balance, I find this one a treat.Her 'deep listening' concept that invites really paying attention to the sound and flow of the words has been especially helpful. I also appreciate that the novel as a story is emphasized. A story is more than the sum of its technical parts and each of us has our own way to tell our unique story. Ms. Lyon encourages that unique voice throughout the book.I'm using it along with "Self Editing for Fiction Writers", which is also an excellent book. While both cover much of the same ground, reading the advice from different viewpoints makes both more effective.

This is the best book on revision and editing for writers. This one works well for either fiction (It was written for fiction.) or nonfiction. I've used the techniques for both. One of the best was quite simple: read the chapters out loud. Elizabeth Lyon then tells you what to look for while reading the passages out loud. After reading this book my writing improved. I use it for a reference too.

I am currently enrolled in a ten week class on writing that uses this book as it's premise. I would recommend this to ANY writer, whether you have finished a novel or not. So much practical info on how to format your story or book. Well written, easy to understand. Lots of examples and written in "layman's" terms.

Kindle version nice. Very helpful with craft of writing.

For anyone serious about their fiction writing. Some of the stuff is for newbies just starting out but there is much more for writers at all levels of the publishing journey.

I've read many books on the art of revision but this is the only one I will go back to. There are some excellent techniques I've not come across before and which have stood me in good stead when revising my own work.

A fantastic and helpful read.

This book was recommended to me some time ago and now I understand why. Manuscript Makeover is one of the most useful how-to editing guides I’ve ever read. Author Elizabeth Lyon addresses both the big picture aspects of editing a novel and excellent detailed strategies to improve things like character development, narrative, dialogue, and so forth. She even offers great tips on punctuation usage. I especially like the helpful checklist at the end of each chapter.The last section entitled ‘Marketing’ is not about promoting and increasing visibility. It’s about properly preparing manuscripts for submission to publishers. She offers some really great tips on how to prepare a query and synopsis, which is crucial for those searching for an agent or traditional publisher.Whether you are a beginning writer or have been at it for some time, I encourage you to read this book. New ideas for improving your work are bound to happen.

Elizabeth Lyon has a gifted editorial eye. And she's sharing it with us.For writers of fiction, this book will help you manage the onerous task of doing a substantive edit on your manuscript and doing it well.What a blessing! Thank you, Ms. Lyon!

Lots of interesting tips and a good read - gives examples of what authors do and how they do it.