Navigating the Tech Side of Editing
Technology plays a huge role in your editing experience, and understanding the tools we use helps everything run smoothly. Below, we’ll cover what platform to use, how to share and review feedback, and what role (if any) AI should play in the process.
What Platform Do We Use?
At selfpublishing.com, all editing takes place in Google Docs.
We use this platform because Google Docs makes collaboration easy, transparent, and accessible. Both you and your editor can see comments, track changes in real time, and respond to feedback without worrying about version control.
You’ll simply share your manuscript with your editor via Google Drive. When edits are ready, you’ll get an email notification from the Head of Editing, and can then open your document directly in your browser. There are no downloads or software required but you MUST be connected to the internet.
Note: We don’t edit in Microsoft Word, Pages, or Scrivener. If your manuscript is currently in another format, you can copy and paste it into a Google Doc before submitting it for editing.
How to Give and Receive Comments
During your edit, you’ll use Comments and Suggesting Mode in Google Docs to collaborate with your editor:
- To leave a comment: Highlight a section of text, right-click, and select “Comment.” You can ask questions, request clarification, or note something you plan to change.
- To review edits: When using “Suggesting Mode,” you’ll be able to see your editor’s changes highlighted in color. You can accept or reject each suggestion by clicking the checkmark or X beside it.
- To reply to comments: Use the “Reply” button on a comment thread to communicate directly with your editor—it’s like having a mini chat inside your document.
Keeping all feedback and questions inside Google Docs ensures a clear, organized workflow and prevents details from getting lost in email chains.
Using AI as an Editor: Pros and Cons
AI tools are becoming more common in the writing world but they’re not a substitute for professional editing. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Pros of Using AI Tools
- Can help with grammar checks, spelling, and basic readability.
- Offers quick feedback and can help you tighten your prose before submitting to an editor.
- Tools like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or Hemingway Editor are great for self-review and catching small issues early.
Cons of Using AI Tools
- AI doesn’t fully understand tone, emotion, or narrative intent. It can suggest technically correct but stylistically flat phrasing. Overreliance on AI can lead to over-edited, robotic prose that loses your natural voice.
- It may misinterpret creative writing choices, especially in fiction, memoir, or poetry. In business and nonfiction books, it may not be able to recognize trademarked terms and will try to change them.
- It can give you false or outdated information.
If you want to use AI tools before submitting your book, we recommend treating them as a first pass and not a replacement for human editing. A professional editor will always catch things AI misses, especially around flow, pacing, and emotional impact.
Platforms to Explore (for Self-Editing and Prep)
If you’d like to do a quick self-check before submitting to your editor, these AI-assisted tools can be helpful:
- Grammarly—Great for grammar and spelling.
- ProWritingAid—Offers deeper style and structure suggestions.
- Hemingway Editor—Highlights readability and sentence complexity.
Remember: these are optional and should be used as companions to the work of a trained professional.
Final Tech Tip
If you ever have trouble accessing your document, sharing it, or viewing your editor’s comments, your coach can walk you through the process or resend your link.