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Writing your family history is a major accomplishment, but the real challenge comes when it's time to edit. Self-editing is essential to making your story as engaging and error-free as possible. The good news is, with a few simple tips, you can tackle self-editing like a pro!
Here’s how to streamline the self editing process for family history and get your story ready for the next step—whether that’s publishing or sharing it with your family.
1. Let Your Draft Rest
The first step in self-editing your family history is to take a break from it. Set your draft aside for a few days or even a week. Coming back to your work with fresh eyes allows you to see things you might have missed. You’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to spot errors when you're not as emotionally attached to every word.
2. Read Aloud for Smoother Flow
Once you're ready to dive back in, one of the most effective editing techniques is to read your story aloud.
Why?
Because hearing the words helps you catch awkward phrasing, clunky sentences, and grammar mistakes that you may have overlooked when reading silently. If some sections feel off, try simplifying the language to improve the flow.
For more tips on making your story easier to understand, read my post on How to Make My Story Make Sense .
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3. Tackle Copy Editing: Word-by-Word Check
Next up in self-editing family history is copy editing. This phase involves a close word-by-word inspection of your draft for the following:
Spelling and grammar errors
Word choice: Is your language clear, and are you avoiding confusing jargon? Once again, check out How to Make My Story Make Sense for tips on spotting jargon.
Punctuation: Fix any issues with commas, semicolons, or quotation marks. After this, review your sentences and paragraphs to ensure they're concise and grammatically correct.
Once you fix the grammatical inspection of your text, like a high school English teacher, then it's time to go a step further.
4. Line Editing: The Big Picture
After your copy editing is complete, it’s time to focus on line editing, which means looking at how your sentences and paragraphs work together. Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:
Does your story have a consistent tone and style?
Are there sentences that are too long or confusing?
What paragraphs can be trimmed to eliminate redundancy?
Line editing also involves focusing on the structure of paragraphs. I know this sounds really boring, but trust me, a little bit of attention on paragraph structures will revolutionize your story. For tips on paragraph editing, check out Paragraph MISTAKES to Avoid When Writing Family History.
Finally, another challenge in this stage is knowing how to refer to people without constantly repeating their names or relying too much on pronouns. Try this trick, do a search on your text to find all instances of: he, she, they. You'll be surprised how often you used these pronouns once you do a search for them.
To fix the problem, you want to learn about the "Newspaper Naming" technique that I discuss in this post Stop Repeating Your Ancestor's Names in Family Histories.
5. Reduce Passive Voice
It’s easy to slip into using passive voice without even realizing it. Passive voice can make your writing feel distant and less engaging. To keep your readers hooked, aim to write in active voice. If you’re not sure how to spot passive constructions, tools like grammar checkers can help.
For more on how to improve your narrative, check out my post on Passive Voice Checkers: The KEY to IMPROVING Your Family History
6. Get Feedback from a Fresh Pair of Eyes
Once you’ve completed your own edits, it’s time to hand your story to someone else for feedback. A trusted friend or family member can offer invaluable insight, catching things you may have missed and offering suggestions on how to strengthen your narrative. You can also seek out someone to read your manuscript from a writing group or a genealogy society.
Since one of these people is either supportive of you, or interested in your work, they can help you get close to finishing your project with a smile on your face. You'll have confidence that what you're trying to convey is being received by your intended audience.
Bonus: Save Time and Money on Professional Editing
If you're still feeling hesitant about whether your manuscript is ready for publication, consider hiring a professional editor to fine-tune your family history. But know this—by completing these self-editing steps first, you can save time and money! The more polished your story is before an editor reviews it, the better their feedback will be.
For tips on finding the right editor, check out Hiring the Right Editor for Your Family History Book With These Questions.
What Family History Will You Self-Edit?
Self-editing may seem daunting, but taking the time to revise your family history can make all the difference in creating a story that resonates with your readers. Start by letting your draft rest, read it aloud, and focus on fixing grammar, style, and flow. By the time you're finished, you'll have a polished, engaging narrative that you can be proud to share!
For more tips on family history writing, be sure to check out the related videos available on the Write Your Family History YouTube Channel.
