One of the most common questions new authors ask is:

“What’s the correct order — formatting, writing, or editing?”

The short answer:

➡ Writing → Editing → Formatting

But true publishing success requires a bit more nuance. Each stage affects the next, and skipping or reordering steps almost always leads to wasted time, frustration, or unnecessary costs.

This guide breaks down the right order, why the order matters, and what to avoid to keep your publishing process smooth and stress-free.

🔥 Why the Order Matters

Each phase builds on the one before it:

• Editing a book that isn’t finished = wasted time
• Formatting a book before final edits = wasted money
• Writing without a plan = structural issues later

A clean workflow saves authors hours, sometimes weeks, of unnecessary fixes.

Let’s walk through the correct sequence.

1️⃣ PHASE ONE — WRITING (Drafting Your Manuscript)

Your only goal here: get the story or content onto the page.

No formatting.

No editing.

No tinkering with fonts or chapter spacing.

✔ What to focus on:

• Completing the full draft
• Keeping the writing momentum
• Clarifying your book’s purpose and audience
• Tracking chapter flow and overall structure

❌ What NOT to do:

• Don’t start editing mid-draft
• Don’t get hung up on perfect sentences
• Don’t format as you go

Formatting early is the #1 beginner mistake — it leads to rework every time.

2️⃣ PHASE TWO — EDITING (Shaping Your Book Into Its Best Version)

Only once the draft is complete should editing begin.

There are three levels of editing:

1. Developmental Editing

Big-picture improvements:

• Plot
• Pacing
• Character arcs
• Structure
• Clarity
• Logic
• Tone

2. Line Editing

Sentence-level refinement:

• Flow
• Voice
• Word choice
• Paragraph transitions

3. Proofreading

Final polish:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Punctuation

✔ Why editing must come before formatting:

Editing affects word count, page count, chapter length, and layout — all of which determine how a book is formatted.

Formatting too early = double the work.

To continue reading and get the full training, join us inside the SPA Academy Membership.

⭐ Read the Full Lesson Inside SPA Academy

Unlock this complete lesson — plus weekly trainings, monthly deep-dives, templates, and our private author community — when you join the SPA Academy Membership.

👉 Click here to become a member

Only $15/month · Cancel anytime.