In today's publishing world many writers can neither find nor afford a professional editor. The only editing such writers benefit from is self-editing. Fears, a recognized Twain scholar, argues against the common notion that an independent novelist must hire an editor to turn out a good novel and proposes writers learn the skill set of an editor. He points out the advantages a novelist has with his own work and how to avoid the "snow blindness" that often afflicts self-editing. He covers micro-level changes of editing at the word/phrase/sentence level, and macro-level revision of larger elements, such as characters, pacing, plot, and dialogue. Fears offers several practices and processes that teach a writer editor skills.

There's no promise here of making riches, or becoming a top-notch editor without effort. You'll have to work at it, just like you did to learn the craft of writing fiction. If you're neither a beginner nor a best-selling novelist, this book is for you.