Top 10 Common Editing Mistakes Writers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

You have poured everything there was in your heart into this manuscript. Having been written, now comes the editing, an equally important task as writing. Even however passionate and talented authors do the most elementary mistakes in editing that can ruin their work.

If you are doing the self-editing or preparing your draft for a professional editor, here are the top 10 most common editing mistakes writers make-and how you can avoid them.

1. Editing Too Soon After Writing

The Mistake: Going straight into editing after the manuscript is finished.

Why It Hurts: You are too close to the material. You end up missing defects such as in logic, pacing or clarity, simply because your brain is still in "creator" mode.

How to Avoid It: Let it rest for a few days or even a week. Come back later with a fresh mind and the issues will be clearer.

2. Editing Only Grammar and Spelling

The Mistake: Treating editing just as if it were proofreading.

Why It Hurts: A technically flawless book can be hindered by plot problems, shallow characters, or dull pace.

How to Avoid It: Edit in layers: first do the developmental editing (are the characters well defined, how is the plot, pacing), then line editing, then proofreading.

3. Forgetting the Big Picture

The Mistake: Fixing individual sentences and losing track of the story.

Why It Hurts: Polished sentences don't mean anything if your narrative arc is crumbling or your theme is failing.

How to Avoid It: Ask yourself structural questions: Does every scene push the story forward? Are the character arcs developing? Is there emotional payoff?

4. Over-Editing Your Work, and Losing Your Voice

The Mistake: You have edited your book so much that your natural writing voice has disappeared.

Why It Hurts: Readers want to feel authenticity. Oversaturating your writing with polishing can take your book's personality and voice.

How to Avoid It: Know when to stop. Read your work aloud so you can remember your own rhythm, and voice.

5. Relying on Software Too Much

The Mistake: Using editing software exclusively like Grammarly and Hemingway.

Why It Hurts: AI has no context, no character voice, and misses nuance like tension and pacing.

How to Avoid It: Use software recommendations as a first draft not as the final editing decision. Stories are creative, humans make decisions.

6. Inconsistent Characterization and Timeline

The Mistake: Characters shift into an entirely different personality mid-story, timelines do not reconcile. 

Why It Hurts: It takes readers out of the story. Readers will notice inconsistency and also lose confidence in your story.

How to Avoid It: Maintain a character and story bible to keep track of things like age, traits, timelines, and major turning points.

7. Too Much Telling, Not Enough Showing

The Mistake: Overusing exposition instead of dramatizing moments.

Why It Hurts: It distances readers emotionally from the story. People want to experience the story rather than have it recounted to them by another character.

How to Avoid It: Don’t settle for abstract representations of words/feelings. Use sensory details, action, and dialogue to show rather than tell.

8. Failing to Edit Your Dialogue

The Mistake: Not editing dialogue because, after all, "people just talk like that."

Why It Hurts: If dialogue is awkward or stiff, even in innocent ways, characters sound unrealistic or very boring.

How to Avoid It: Read the dialogue out loud, cut filler, ensure that every line serves an explicit purpose for revealing character, moving plot, or increasing tension.

9. Skipping the Final Proofread

The Mistake: Thinking you can skip proofing because you've already edited everything a thousand times.

Why It Hurts: No one wants to read things with tiny typos, missing words, or punctuation errors. It makes you look more like an amateur than a professional.

How to Avoid It: Proofread your pages one final time after all structural edits and changes. After printing and reading, turn to the back of the document and read it sentence by sentence. You will not be as likely to let typos slip in.

10. The Stubbornness of Not Hiring an Editor

The Mistake: Thinking you can edit everything and don't need to hire an editor.

Why It Hurts: You’re too close to your own work to be objective. Self-editing has a limit, especially when you are trying to publish.

How to Avoid: You should always spend the money on a professional editor—editorial, developmental, copy, or proofreader—depending on the stage you are at and your budget. They see what you can’t.

Final Thoughts

Editing can’t just be about polishing; it’s about honing your vision, and preparing your manuscript for the world. Avoiding these mistakes can save you months and save you from frustration, and get you closer to a publishable book.

Keep in mind: Great writing is rewritten. 

Do you want to take your editing to the next level? 

At Rolling Authors, we have a team of professional editors, who specialize in fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, spiritual books, or whatever else you have. We work with authors from India and around the world. Our goal is to help authors shape their manuscripts, and help make their writing sparkle.

Visit www.rollingauthors.com to explore editing packages or request a free sample edit today.