Quick Editing Checklist Before You Submit Your Manuscript

You've finished your manuscript and you're ready to send it out. Whether you're submitting to agents, publishers, or preparing for self-publication, there's a final check you should do before that manuscript leaves your hands.

This isn't about rewriting. It's about catching the obvious things that are easy to miss after you've been staring at the same text for months. I've edited over 1,600 manuscripts, and the same small issues come up again and again. A quick pass through this checklist can save you from preventable rejections.

Run Spell Check (Properly)

Yes, I know. But you'd be amazed how many manuscripts arrive with squiggly red lines still showing in Word. Run it, read through every suggestion, and don't just click "accept all." Spell check won't catch "their" when you meant "there," and it won't know that you've accidentally typed your character's name as "Jonh" in chapter fourteen.

While you're at it, make sure your spell check is set to the right language variant. If you're submitting to a UK publisher, you want British English. US publishers expect American English. Mixing the two looks careless.

Search for Your Known Weak Spots

Every writer has them. Maybe you overuse "just" or "really." Maybe you write "could of" instead of "could have." Maybe you put commas before every "and" or never put them anywhere at all.

Use the Find function to search for your personal repeat offenders. If you don't know what yours are yet, ask a friend who's read your work or look at feedback from previous submissions. Once you know your patterns, they're easy to fix.

Check Character Name Consistency

If your character was called Catherine in chapter one, make sure she hasn't become Katherine by chapter ten. Search for each character name and check that the spelling is the same throughout. This goes for place names too, and for any made-up terms in fantasy or sci-fi.

Also check for characters who were cut during rewrites. I regularly find deleted characters still being mentioned in passing, or a conversation referencing someone who no longer exists in the story.

Verify Chapter Numbering

You'd be surprised how often chapters get renumbered during edits and end up with two Chapter Sevens or a jump from Chapter Twelve to Chapter Fourteen. Scroll through the manuscript and check every chapter heading in order. If you use named chapters rather than numbers, make sure the names match your table of contents.

Check Your Word Count

Every genre has expected word count ranges, and being wildly outside them can get your submission dismissed before anyone reads a word. Literary fiction typically runs 70,000 to 100,000 words. Thrillers are similar. Romance often falls between 50,000 and 90,000. Children's books vary enormously depending on the age group.

If you're 20,000 words over the upper limit for your genre, that's something to address before submitting. Not after.

Match Submission Guidelines Exactly

If the agent wants the first three chapters and a synopsis, send the first three chapters and a synopsis. Not five chapters. Not the first 10,000 words. Not the chapters you think are strongest.

Check the formatting requirements too. Most agents and publishers want 12pt Times New Roman or similar, double-spaced, with standard margins. Some want specific header formats or file naming conventions. Follow them to the letter. These guidelines exist partly to test whether you can follow instructions.

Read It Out Loud

This is the single most effective self-editing technique I know. Read your manuscript out loud, or at least the first few chapters. Your ear catches things your eye skips over: repeated words, awkward rhythm, dialogue that no human would actually say. If you stumble over a sentence while reading aloud, your reader will stumble over it too.

You don't need to do the whole book this way (though some authors swear by it). Even doing the opening chapters and any scenes you're unsure about will make a noticeable difference.

One Last Thing

This checklist catches surface-level issues, and it's worth doing. But it's not a substitute for professional editing. A self-check won't spot structural problems, pacing issues, or places where the story loses momentum. If you want a professional eye on your manuscript before you submit, send me a message and I'll get back to you within 24 hours with a quote.