1. Make-It-Right Edit: Make sure everything is in there, in the right order, and it all makes sense. 2. Line-by-Line Edit: Go deep into the chapters, paragraphs, and sentences to make sure it says exactly what you want. 3. Read-Aloud Edit: Read the manuscript out loud—preferably to a person—and make sure it sounds right to the ear. PART 1: MAKE-IT-RIGHT EDIT This should be the easiest and most simple editing pass. There are three goals to the “make-it-right” edit. You want to ensure that: 1. All content is in the book 2. In the right order 3. The structure and positioning all make sense This is basically just making sure the book has everything in it so you can actually begin the deep editing. All the writing and stories that need to be in, are in, and they are in the right order, and it all makes sense. That’s pretty much it. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be. PART 2: LINE-BY-LINE EDIT This is the framework we use for our line-by-line editing. It’s simple to understand, but powerful if you do it right. It gives you the exact questions to ask yourself at each level of editing: As you read every chapter, ask yourself these six questions: 1. What point am I making? 2. Is it necessary? 3. Is it as short as possible? 4. Is it as simple as possible? hOW TO EDiT yOUr BOOk · 165