Dear Writer with an Editor

Dear Writer with an Editor,

Working with an editor can be nerve-wracking. You don’t know what they’ll say about your story or ask you to change. It can be especially worrisome if you’re a new writer, inexperienced, or never worked with an editor before.

For any writer planning to work with an editor (or currently working with one), here are some basic do’s and dont’s:

     -       Don’t say you’re broke

If you have no money to pay for an editor, you should wait to talk to one until you do. If you end up broke after paying for your editor, never tell the editor this. For one, there’s nothing they can do about it. Two, it’s not professional. You should only talk about money when you’re discussing prices or a payment plan.

      -       Don’t say you’re not going to publish the project your editor is currently working on.

What you do after your editor is finished with your book is up to you. The editor has no control over it. They could edit your piece and it could take you years to publish it, which is totally fine. Or you may decide not to publish it, which is also okay. But telling your editor that you’ve decided not to publish it at all, while they are working on it, can be a downer.

     -       Don’t bug your editor with publishing questions.

Editors edit. That is their function. Even if they’re published, they may not know about every avenue of publishing. And trying to answer your questions about publishing while they edit your work is tough. It’s your job to write the book, fix it through editing, learn about your publishing options, and do what you have to do to get it published.

     -       Do let your editor know of any concerns you might have.

Editors don’t just cut out cluttering words or fix commas, but point out plot and character issues. When you let them know of something specific you’re concerned about (a character, scene, or certain detail), they can keep an eye out for it.

      -       Do ask questions based on your editor’s edits and suggestions.

If an editor comes across an issue, they usually offer a suggestion to fix it that the writer can take or use as a spin-off to do their own thing. If a writer has a question about a suggestion or the editing process, editors are more than happy to answer.

     -       Do be patient.

Editors have lives. Most editors write their own books, sometimes have their own editors to answer to, and have more clients they are working with. When an editor first accepts your project, they’ll give you a time frame for when you can expect to get your work back. Don’t ask them where they are, if they’re done, or start discussing the next project. Just wait. (Of course, if you don't hear from them at all and the deadline has passed, please email them.)

Bottom Line: Don’t pester your editor. (Unless it’s about editing your book.)

Author of Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.

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QUESTIONS: Have you ever worked with an editor? What was your experience? Are you an editor? What do's and dont's can you come up with?

World Building

Charity recently posted about world building, and her post inspired this one.  *Waves at Charity*  There have been times when I’ve come across a manuscript where the world building wasn’t quite what it needed to be.

I once received a submission that was actually a pretty interesting and compelling story.  However, the author needed to go back and flesh out the world a bit more.  The story was set in a future U.S. that had already been through a war.  Certain areas had been nuked.  The survivors had primarily banded together into two groups in two different regions.  Think of how the Mason-Dixon Line is supposed to sort of separate the North from the South, and you have a basic idea of what I mean by two different regions.  Well, one of these groups is composed entirely of females.  There are no males allowed, relationships can only occur between two women.  If a couple wants to have a child, they have to be registered and go to the clinic.  All embryos are female and no male DNA is used in their creation.

The other group is composed of male/female pairings, but it’s in the extreme, because the men are completely in charge.  Women do have jobs and things like that, but in the long run, they don’t have much say in matters.

As I mentioned before, the story itself was interesting, but the world had some issues with being believable.  For one thing, why weren’t there any groups of people who didn’t fall into either of the above categories?  Even though there were the female only communities, why weren’t there any similar communities strictly for men?  Why weren’t there any communities who had male/female pairings, but where women and men had equal rights?  Surely, the war didn’t twist everyone into believing the two extremes.  You find out later that there is a resistance, a group who believes that neither of the two societies is right, but why did they have to be a resistance?  Why weren’t they just a third society?  What made people believe that either of the two extremes was right in the first place?  What made people decide they had to split into those two distinct societies?  The entire U.S. wasn’t laid to waste during the war, so it’s not like there were very few inhabitable places left.  Why didn’t those who disagreed with the two extremes go out and form their own societies?  Why did they have to be underground as a resistance?  This author did receive a rejection, but I was very detailed in the issues I noted in the manuscript.  I explained that this world just wasn’t believable, because there wasn’t enough of a background to give the world plausibility.  While the author didn’t need to drown the readers in the backstory of it, they did need to give some plausible reasons for this world to form.

The questionnaire Charity shared during her post is a great place to start.  Sure, it’s detailed, and some of the questions wouldn’t apply to every story, but just reading through the list of questions shows authors the things they need to think about when creating their world.  The author can get away with not explaining some things by having their characters say, “That’s just the way it’s always been.”  However, that will only get you so far.  The author needs to think about whatever’s being questioned in their world and decide if something is insignificant enough to say, “That’s just the way it’s always been”, or if it’s important enough to explore why it’s always been that way.  And if it hasn’t always been the norm, to explore why it became that way.

You need to make your world work, and even if it’s an odd world where social conventions don’t make sense to us, it has to make sense within that world.  Readers have to be able to see the connection.  Even if it’s not something they could ever agree with, they need to be able to see how it was possible for it to become normal for your world and its characters.  The same is true if you have fantasy elements in the modern world.  How does the magic work?  What is the price for using magic?  If there's a prophecy, who made it and why?  Try to look at your world from an outside perspective and make sure things will make sense to your readers.  This is another thing betas are good for catching.

The Editor/Author Relationship

I know some of you have never worked with an editor, and some of you have, but I have a few things to say about the Editor/Author relationship.  Some editors might approach the process as a dictatorship, with the editor being the dictator.  I don’t personally know of any who are this way, unless it’s about certain things, but I’ll get into that in a minute.  My personal approach is something of a partnership.  When I’m editing your work, a little of my own heart and soul becomes entwined with your work.  I come to know and love (or hate if necessary) your characters almost as well and as much as you do.  At the same time, I often see things about your characters or story that you don’t, and I’ve helped authors more fully develop these things or get rid of them if need be.  When I’m editing, I might make suggestions regarding phrasing, but I always let my authors know that while they’re welcome to use my wording exactly, it is only there to serve as an example.  I’ve had authors who rephrased it exactly as I suggested, and I’ve had authors who rephrased it entirely differently, but which still corrected whatever issue I was pointing out.  An editor shouldn’t go in and rewrite your book.  That’s not what we’re for.  While you might say something the same way I would say it, you also might say it differently, so my words are only intended to help you find yours.  I’m not going to change something arbitrarily, or simply because I don’t understand what you mean.  If I’m concerned about it, I’ll leave a comment and ask you about it.

For example, Carol and I had a conversation regarding regionalisms.  There was something she said a certain way (sorry Carol, I can’t remember what this one was specifically) and I was wondering if she was missing a word in the phrasing.  Then I discovered it classified as a regionalism.  This spawned an entire conversation regarding regionalisms and how, when someone asks me if I want a pop, I always think, “No.  I don’t want you to pop me.  What did I do to you?”  Around here, it’s either a soda or a coke.

“Do you want a coke?”

“Sure.”

“What kind?”

“Mountain Dew.”

Once Carol explained the wording, and that it was how she and others around her always said it, it made sense.  I left it in the manuscript because I felt it added authenticity to the scene and “local flavor”.  I’ll even let you get away with using ain’t and git (as in “Git yerself outta here!”) in dialogue, because I’m from the South.  Ain’t is a word here.  However, don’t even think about using it in narration.  Not gonna happen.

For the most part, I work with authors.  If they disagree with me, I expect them to open a dialogue with me and tell me why they disagree.  Sometimes it’s simply misunderstanding the meaning, and an explanation clarifies it, so we’re good to go.  It stays as is.  Sometimes I understand, but it still has to go, so we have to reach a compromise.  And still sometimes it has to go, no matter what.  For example, Carol and I had to reach a compromise regarding “K” as a word.  She wanted Bert to say “K”.  Now, I completely understood her reasoning, (and yes, I have Carol’s permission to share this) but our publisher had a House Style Guideline that absolutely forbade the use of “K” as a word.  They would only allow okay or ’kay (only in dialogue).  For the record, a lot of other publishers have the same guideline.  Carol and I finally compromised on ’kay for Bert’s dialogue, but even if we were in his POV, it had to be okay in narration.

I try to be friendly with my authors and get to know them.  Some aren’t very reciprocal in that regard, but most are.  There are a few that have become friends.  I’ve only had one or two that you could probably describe as prickly, but we still worked together without any major issues.  With other authors, our relationship was strictly limited to edits.

My comments to an author are honest, and I try to use humor, because I know how hard it is to write and then have someone tell you this scene isn’t working, this character is coming across as a doormat, or another character you want readers to like is actually coming across as a huge jerk.  I’ll also tell you if I don’t like a character, even if it’s not yet clear whether or not I’m supposed to dislike them.  One character in a manuscript I’ve recently edited was coming across as a real annoyance.  I wanted to smack her.  Another character in the manuscript was accused of poisoning someone (no, they didn’t), and I told the author I wouldn’t be surprised if the annoying character had actually poisoned the person.  The author got a laugh out of that.

So, if you disagree with your editor about one point or another, open a dialogue.  Keep in mind that their hands might be tied by the publisher’s guidelines, because part of our job is making sure your manuscript adheres to them.  And that (along with grammar) is where most of us will become dictators.  Always remember that we, like you, want your manuscript to be the best it can possibly be, and we want to see it do well.

And for the record, even though Carol said I did, I’ve never told any of my authors they were falling down the stairs like a defunct slinky…at least, not in those exact words.  *grin*

Follow The Guidelines

Follow the Guidelines

I’m sure I’ve told you some things you already know, but maybe I’ve told you something you didn’t, or possibly shed additional light on those things you did.  But I know you’ve heard this.  You’ve probably heard it so many times you’re sick of it, but it’s just as true now as the first time you heard it.

Make sure you follow submission guidelines exactly.  Even if they tell you to send your manuscript in TNR 8, or Jokerman 16, their guidelines exist for a reason.  (And no, I don’t know of anyone who actually has these guidelines! *grin*)  Maybe their email platform does strange things to files, or maybe their software doesn’t play well with certain file types.  Maybe they just like the way the manuscript looks in Jokerman 16.  Or maybe they just want to see if you still remember the number one rule you learned in Kindergarten.

Follow the rules and/or directions.

Even if it seems arbitrary to you, there are usually reasons for the guidelines, so make sure you follow them.  And please don’t ask if you can do something different unless there is a very good reason for the deviation.  For example, if an editor tells you to send your full manuscript in an .rtf, .doc, or .docx file, don’t ask if you can send it as a .pdf.  I had this happen.  The author wanted to send a .pdf because they were concerned the other file types would ruin their formatting.  I explained that if it was accepted, it would have to be reformatted following our guidelines and template anyway, so a .pdf wasn’t necessary.  The author wasn’t obnoxious, but I got the distinct impression the author still wasn’t happy about it.  They agreed to send it, but they were still concerned about their formatting.  This might sound snarky, but I promise it’s not intended that way.  My only thought to this comment from the author was, “What kind of formatting are you using that it would be messed up by not having it in a .pdf file?”  Maybe they were just concerned with the way different programs communicate (or don’t) with each other.  That would be perfectly understandable, but our file had to be a .doc file when our content editors sent the files to the line editors.  I’m not sure what the author's concern was, or if they had tried something special in the .pdf format, something to make it look like a book, but I didn’t see anything wrong with the format when the manuscript was sent as the file type I requested.

So please, please follow the guidelines, no matter how normal or strange they seem.

Mistakes In Submissions Continued -- Research

This week should wrap up my Mistakes in Submissions topic.  Other than one or two posts that were inspired by the posts of other moderators, all of my posts were written out as a single post.  Due to the length, Carol suggested I break it up.  I've enjoyed covering this topic, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

At the very least, please do basic research on the elements of your story.  It will save both you and your editor time and possible migraines.  For example, one author I worked with had a scene pertaining to a heart transplant.  A doctor intended to pretend he was going to perform the transplant until the patient was unconscious, and then not do it.  (Don’t ask, it would take a long explanation, and I’m trying to stay away from as many specifics as I can for the sake of anonymity.)  Now, I’m not a transplant surgeon, nor do I play one on TV, but I knew this scene was not right at all.  What the doctor was doing to convince the patient a transplant was about to occur brought me to a halt.  I felt there was a major misconception in the scene, as well as elements that could have proven fatal for a real transplant patient.

 I stopped edits and spent quite some time doing online research, and I called an area hospital with a CCU (Cardiac Care Unit).  If someone there couldn’t help me, my next call was going to a hospital in Atlanta.  Thankfully, I happened to get someone who had assisted in many transplants.  I explained why I was calling and asked if he had a few minutes to spare for a couple of questions, or if there was a better time for me to call.  I’m certain he was a little bemused, but he was kind enough to answer my questions and I thanked him for his time.  Let me go ahead and say this.  When conducting research, it’s always better to try to be as unobtrusive as possible, so if you don’t know someone in the field you need to research, and if you can’t make an appointment for a phone interview, sending an email or letter would probably be best.  I don’t recommend cold-calling like I did, but I was working against a deadline.  Cold-calling could bring you together with someone who’s having a really bad day, or who’s extremely busy when you call.  Neither bodes well for your research.

After the combination of online research and my phone call for verification, I had some very definitive answers for my concerns and I was able to help the author correct the scene.  And yes, I was correct about the things that troubled me the most.

“But wait!” you say.  “If the readers knew the doctor wasn’t going to perform the transplant, why would you even bother with the research?”

That’s a good question with a simple answer.  Remember the patient thought the doctor was going to perform the operation?  Well, the patient was also smart enough that the same things I was concerned about would have alerted them to the fact the doctor didn’t intend to do it at all.  The scene had to look good and be realistic for the patient.  Since the readers would know that this had to look real for the patient, they would be looking at how well the doctor was covering his behind.  You don’t want a reader who just happens to be a member of a transplant team to send you a letter saying, “The doctor would have never done that.  You need to do your research next time!”

Research glitches can happen in many areas, but I often see it in medical, law enforcement, military, forensics, and legal aspects of a manuscript.  I've seen:

Medals pinned on the wrong side of a uniform.

Period pieces where words that didn't exist for a hundred years or more after the story's time period were used.

Legal jargon used improperly.

Wines served in ways they would never be served in a fine restaurant.

Complications from medical procedures and injuries that made no sense whatsoever, or that were completely impossible.

Characters accessing files they shouldn't be able to access, from places they logically shouldn't be able to access them, and which would have gotten an innocent family member fired from their job, given them a hefty fine, and possibly put them in jail.

Do your research.  Don’t give your reader the details unless you absolutely have to because it’s integral to the story.  While it’s possible as much as ninety-nine percent of what you learn will never crawl out of your head or your notes, your scene must still be written with that research in mind.  It helps lend your scene the credibility and accuracy it needs to breathe for the readers.  I'm a stickler for research.  I could go on with other examples where it made the scene, and instances where scenes had to be rewritten because not enough preliminary research was done, but this post is probably too long already.  Just remember, research is important, whether it’s a minor aspect or a major one.

Character Development

Character Development

I’ve seen a lot of stories where the story was good, but the characters were flat.  The protagonist is beautiful or handsome and seems to have no flaws.  The antagonist is inherently evil with no redeeming qualities simply because the author needs a villain.  Okay, sometimes the latter works, but usually only when you’re dealing with an entity of some type.  But humans are different.  We’re a psychologically messy and complex breed of animal.  Even the best of us have dark sides.  Geez, even the angels from the Bible have dark sides (really dark sides).  After all, Lucifer was an angel before he screwed up and was cast out of Heaven.

Characters need layers.  We don’t need to see every layer, but scenes should be written with those layers in mind.  You want to make the characters live and breathe for the readers.  You don’t have to drown us in the details, but let us inside the character’s head from time to time.  After all, ninety-nine percent of the time, we’re in that character’s POV, so we’re supposed to be in their head.  We’re supposed to hear the voices in their head when those voices are talking about the scene.

You know what I’m talking about.  When you’re arguing with someone, you’re not just listening to what they’re saying and not reacting at all.  You’re listening, and you might be thinking what a jerk this person is, or you might be in shock or disbelief this person could actually believe the words coming out of their mouth.  You’re likely to be thinking of what you’re going to say next, but you’re not likely to be staring at that person and listening to what they’re saying with drool running down your chin.  Your mind’s not going to be one big blank as they rant and rave and call you an ignorant idiot for the tenth time in two minutes.

So when we listen for those voices in the character’s head and we hear nothing but crickets chirping, it freezes us out.  Now, if the character’s mind is wandering and they’re wondering if the pants they have on makes their butt look big, no, we don’t need to see that.  Unless it somehow pertains to the scene—and I doubt that whether or not the pants make her butt look big is going to be relevant—it’s not something we need to see.  If, on the other hand, she’s fighting the urge to choke him if he calls her an ignorant idiot one more time, that might be relevant (sort of like in Hancock, when Hancock tells someone to call him a certain ugly name one more time, or when Mary tells Hancock to call her crazy one more time.  If these were written scenes, wouldn’t you just love to know what was going on in their heads at those moments?).


Just let us into the character’s head from time to time, show us what they’re thinking or feeling.  Give us opportunities to figure out what makes them tick.  Some writers think letting the readers inside the character’s head means using internal dialogue, but the same can be accomplished in narration or a combination of both.  Just remember to show us instead of telling us, and make sure you don’t slow the pace of the story.  Don’t drag on for three pages as your MC agonizes over all the reasons why she shouldn’t or can’t do this or that.

Relying on Spell Check and Grammar Check

Relying on Spell Check and Grammar Check

No matter what program you use, it likely has one or both of these functions.  However, while both are good things to have, please don’t rely on them.  Spell check can’t tell you that you should have used their instead of they’re.  It can’t tell you that you’ve transposed words.  I’ve even seen cases where the grammar function suggested an author replace “a unicorn” with “an unicorn”, simply because unicorn starts with a vowel, but “an unicorn” is incorrect.  Not only does “a vs. and” rely on whether the word starts with a vowel or not, it also relies on what sound the first letter makes.  Hence, “an hour” instead of “a hour”, “a unicorn” instead of “an unicorn”.  Make sure you read your manuscript during revisions.

And please, do not use global replace or replace all unless you’re absolutely certain the word you’re replacing isn’t part of another word.  We don’t really think about it until something draws our attention to it, but so many of our smaller words are contained within larger ones.  For example, say you’re writing a short story where your only character is female.  You decide to make her a guy.  You use replace all to change her to him.  Whoops!  Now all of the chickens on his farm no longer have feathers.  They now have feathims.  This can make for interesting reading, but it’s not a good idea.

In one manuscript I received, I sent the author an R&R because she had a really good story with some minor issues.  One thing I noticed was an odd use of the word “willow”.

Willow breath...

Willow brook...

I finally realized the author probably meant to use the word “shallow”, but since this was in an original world, I decided to mention it in my R&R.  It could have easily been a situation where the people in her world used “willow” in this fashion.  When the author responded to the R&R email, she knew exactly what had happened.  She had been using formal language in an earlier version of the manuscript and decided to make the language less formal to keep the dialogue from being stilted.  She did a replace all on the word “shall”, changing it to “will”.  Hence, “willow breath”.  Darn shame, too.  I kinda liked the unique usage of “willow”!

Watch the video.  It's funny!

Grammatical Errors

It doesn’t cross my eyes any if you have a few instances where you used double quotations when you should have used singles and vice versa, or if you have the occasional homophone confusion.  It happens, and they’re an easy enough fix.  However, if your manuscript is so riddled with errors I’m starting to think you believe:

The exclamation mark is the standard way to punctuate a sentence...

A rose is a flour and flower is what you coat chicken with before you fry it...

That single quotations are the standard for dialogue (unless you’re a British-English author.  I know that’s one of the ways you do it across the pond.)...

That it’s perfectly fine to do this!?!? or this!!!!...

That it’s PERFECTLY FINE TO DO THIS...

And that you seem to have never cracked open a dictionary to check for spelling or meaning...

I’m probably going to reject it.  For example, literally.  While the dictionary does list a figurative meaning for the word now, it originally meant something actually happened.  So if your character says, “My head literally exploded”, you’d better get a mop, because you have a mess to clean up.  Ick.  And if their head literally exploded, how are we even discussing the matter with them?  Unless it’s from the POV of a dead character.  And while that’s been done quite well, it’s a very hard POV to pull off.  The word has been incorrectly used so much in daily language that even the dictionary has been infected.

And yes, I’m guilty of this.  I talk like that.  My head has literally exploded.  My heart has literally stopped.  I’ve literally been scared to death.  So how did I make this post?  I’m literally a ghost speaking to you from beyond the grave, that’s how.  *grin*  The word should actually be figuratively.

My head exploded, figuratively speaking.

But, since the dictionary now gives a figurative definition for literally, I suppose we’re stuck with it and will just have to suck it up and move on.  *sigh*  But there are other words authors misuse because they think the words mean something else.  It’s not uncommon, so I have no problem telling the author I don’t think they want to use that word there.  But when the author uses a lot of words incorrectly, that’s when I wonder if they’ve ever checked the definitions.  It’s easy to read a word in the context of one sentence and get the wrong impression, but you don’t want to consistently identify soup as gruel.  They’re similar, but not the same thing.

It’s easy to overlook a few of these instances, because the mind glosses over things and sees what it wants to, like the difference between reign and rein.  But, if you have a lot of these mistakes throughout the manuscript, you want to clear them up before submitting.  This is even worse if your query and synopsis contain a lot of these errors.

One additional remark about extra punctuation and all caps for emphasis.  Sometimes you do see it in books published by one of the Big Six, and that’s okay.  One, the “rules” of publishing change from time to time.  What was acceptable five years ago might not be acceptable now, and what’s acceptable now might not be acceptable in five years.  Two, it could also come down to the house style guidelines and requirements of the individual publisher.  If you really want to write, “YOOOOUUUUUU!!!!!!”, I’m likely to suggest changing it to “Yoooouuuuuu!” because several houses tell you not to use all caps for emphasis, and not to use multiple punctuation.  You’re better off not doing it.

Your Manuscript Isn’t Ready

This is probably the number one issue I see.  Ninety-nine percent of these manuscripts are rejected.  They’re often riddled with grammatical errors, plot holes, continuity issues, and character development issues.  Some of these are evident in the submission, which is summarily rejected.  Others don’t show these issues until somewhere between chapters two and six, although occasionally you might not see it fall apart until half-way through.  Why am I so specific in saying between chapters two and six?  Because the majority of fulls I rejected for simply falling apart usually did so around those chapters, depending on the length of the book and the chapters.  Like other editors and agents that have commented on this issue, I believe there’s a very simple explanation.  I think it comes from workshopping the query, synopsis, and first few chapters until they shine, and then the author submitting the manuscript without applying what they learned to the rest of the novel.  This was always a disappointment.

However, I will admit this.  I had one manuscript that had a lot of issues.  In spite of the issues, the story itself was wonderful and compelling, and I wanted it.  I put that manuscript through three R&Rs before contracting it, and of course we still had edits after that.  (And before anyone asks—NO, it was not Carol’s.  *grin*)  Would I do that again?  Maybe, maybe not, but I can tell you it would have to be an amazing story in spite of the flaws.  Not just good or even great, but amazing.  I can also tell you this situation was the exception to the rule.  It’s very rare for an editor to do something like this because detailed R&Rs like the ones I sent out for that manuscript take a lot of time.


So my advice in this area is to make sure you revise your manuscript.  Send it out to betas, and if you workshop the first chapter or the first few chapters, make sure you apply what you’ve learned—or revisions you’ve made—to the rest of the manuscript.  There’s nothing stranger than reading a manuscript and learning that when Carla was a child, her mother died.  Then, Carla goes home somewhere around chapter five or six and sits down to a family dinner…complete with Mom.  And no, it wasn’t Mom’s spirit or a step-mother or anything like that.  Mom wasn’t dead in the original draft.  She died because of workshopping suggestions for some reason or another, and the family dinner scene wasn’t revised to reflect this.  Make sure your manuscript doesn’t fall apart because you revised the first few chapters and neglected the rest of it.

Editors Who Write

When I tell people I’m an editor and they know I also write, somehow they’re under the impression my own writing wouldn’t need editing.  I can tell you that is false.  Even an editor needs an editor.  A person can learn to self-edit quite well.  I’ve seen plenty of evidence supporting this in the manuscripts I’ve received, both as an editor for Musa Publishing and in my freelance capacity.  I’ve had manuscripts that were pretty much grammatically clean except for the odd misspelling or occasional homophone confusion.  Most of the work I had to do on those manuscripts concerned things like character development, suggesting rephrasing for flow or clarity, or perhaps dealing with continuity issues.  I’ve also seen manuscripts that suggest the author either doesn’t have the first clue about self-editing, or they don’t even attempt it.

Editors who are also writers need an editor just as much as any other writer.  Sure, they may be good at self-editing, but like any other writer, they’re also often too close to the story to see certain things.  For example, motivation.  What motivates this character to do or say the things they do, or react a certain way?  In my current manuscript I had an early scene where two characters were interacting with each other.  My beta made a comment along the lines of, “She’s got a chip on her shoulder about something, doesn’t she?”  That was a bit of a shock, because I hadn’t intended for her to come across that way.  When I looked back at her interaction with the other character, I saw what my beta meant.  I knew why my character was responding the way she was, but the readers wouldn’t.  They didn’t know her yet, not like I did, and it’s likely other readers would have perceived her the same way.  I wanted her to come across as feisty (she is a redhead, after all!), but it wasn’t working at that particular moment.  Needless to say, I corrected the issue.

What does this have to do with mistakes I see in submissions?  Everything.  My point is all writers make mistakes, even writers who happen to be editors.  Obviously, not every writer makes the same types of mistakes, and not every writer makes the same number of mistakes.  Tomorrow I’m going to start listing some of the most common mistakes I’ve seen in manuscripts.  And yes, I’ve made these mistakes myself, but I try to get rid of them during revisions.


Please note that while I have used examples from actual manuscripts and submissions, including my own work, the examples are kept as non-specific as possible to avoid embarrassing the author.  (There are no quoted passages!)  My goal is not to embarrass or ridicule anyone.  In the course of writing, we all make mistakes that make us cringe when we’re called out on them.  These mistakes do not in any way reflect on the story as a whole, or on the quality of the entire manuscript.  Writers learn from the mistakes and triumphs of other writers, which is one of the reasons we’re encouraged to read all we can.  The examples I share are merely intended to illustrate a point.

Bad Grammar and Typos

Some self-published books are so full of grammar mistakes and typos that you can't get into an otherwise great story.

This is perhaps the easiest thing to fix for self-publishers.

Hire an editor!

Not your mom. Not your best friend. A real life editor.

It's going to cost money, but will be so worth it in the end.

Let's look at some examples of bad grammar. See if you can catch the mistakes.

Verb Tense Mistakes--
1. I go to church and sang in the choir.
2. I love to drink mild and ate chocolate cake.

Subject/Verb Mistakes--
3. Jesse and Heather is going to the movies on Friday.
4. I likes my puppy.

Noun/Pronoun Mistakes--
5. Maddie and Kennedy forgot her lunch money.
6. Everyone forgot their jacket.

Double Negatives--
7. He couldn't hardly believe she left him.
8. I never wanted none of your lies.

Some people have problems with fragments and run-on sentences. Although I agree they should be used carefully, I'm a big fan of fragments for driving home something with punch. Plus, inside my mind are lots of fragments and tremendously long run-on sentences. :) It's natural...sometimes.

Okay, were those examples really easy to catch?

Of course they were. Those were not your sentences or part of the story that's been taking up room in your head for the last few months. You were looking for mistakes. Some people can train themselves to self edit their own work. I am NOT one of those. When I reread my story I often skim through. I'll never catch all the little mistakes or typos.

Quick word on typos:
Most of my typos come from moving paragraphs or sentences around by cut and paste. Sometimes a word is left behind and it makes for a weird sentence. Other typos are from using the wrong spelling of a word--they're, there, their or to, too, etc.

When you hire an editor, they are coming in with fresh eyes and they know their job is to find the little mistakes.

Why are those little things so important? 

Because they throw your reader out of the story. You want each person reading your book to become immersed in the world and the problems of your characters. They don't want to remember they're reading words someone wrote. I know I don't. I want to escape reality for a couple of hours.

One or two little mistakes are not a big deal. But page after page of them will frustrate your reader and prevent them from forming the emotional connection needed to get lost in your book.

Questions for You:

Have you ever given up on a book because of bad grammar or typos?

Have you worked with an editor that you've loved? Please share their name and website in the comments!

I don't think I've ever quit reading a book simply because of grammar or typos, but those books rarely get more than 3 stars when I rate or review.

Two of my books were edited by Amie McCracken. I love, LOVE, love her! She has an amazing website that details the different types of edits available (if this post weren't so long I'd go over them). She is a professed lover of Indie authors and willing to work out pricing deals.

And one more because I couldn't resist. (Go to google and look up images for bad grammar for lots of laughs)

Other Links:
Grammar Girl
Grammarly.com
Thesaurus.com
Daily Writing Tips
GrammarBook.com
The Elements of Style
Grammarphobia
Common Errors in English Usage
English Grammar
Guide to Grammar and Writing

Self-publishing: nuts and bolts

Publishing is a field where you can do a surprising amount of the work yourself, or pay someone a fairly small amount to do it for you. (Compared to, say, how much a car mechanic or a plumber goes for. But that's a whole different rant.)

Artists
Of all the aspects of publishing, this is one thing you do not want to skimp on. Despite the old saying, people absolutely do judge a book by its cover. Make your cover artist a major item in your budget.

Where to find one? I went to DeviantArt.com and posted in the appropriate forum. The price you mention will determine the upper limit of the talent you attract -- good, professional artists know what they're worth.

How much? The sweet spot is, of course, those artists who are obviously going to go pro (judging by their portfolio) but haven't yet. When I was shopping around the portfolios, I gathered that the absolute minimum price for the quality I wanted was $250. But I budgeted for $500-$800, which got me some nibbles from professional-level artists. You can go higher than that, of course, which will put you into increasingly higher quality levels.

Cover design
Easier than you think. All you need is a program that can put type on top of your cover artwork. All the type you need is: the book's title, and the author's name.

Use a simple, clear font. You don't want people to have to squint and stare to figure out what your title is -- because they won't, they'll just keep moving. Don't cover the important parts of your artwork with type. Get feedback from someone who doesn't know what your book's title is, if you can.

Do you want me to go on? Just ask.

Photo by Jenny Rollo

Editors, line editors and proofreaders
There's a wee bit more leeway here than with your cover artist. I'm of the opinion that several excellent betas can do the work of an editor -- assuming that you're skilled enough to implement their suggestions well (that's a whole 'nother post, stay tuned.) If you can budget for a freelance editor, do it. This will be as big a line item as the cover artist, in your budget. Possibly bigger.

Your freelance editor may be able to be your line editor, too. What's the difference? Editing on the larger scale involves your story structure, plot, characterization, and such. Line editing is all about your grammar, sentence structure, the stuff in the actual lines of your text. There can be some overlap between line editing and proofreading, too. Technically, proofreaders only look for spelling, punctuation, correct layout styling, and make sure that all the edits on a marked-up manuscript have been done. The actual text is not an issue, for a proofreader. It could be in Greek and I could still proof it. Proofing is harder than it sounds, but it's one of those things people think anyone can do. (You know, like writing a novel.)

If you can afford a freelance line editor and/or proofreader, do it. If you have a sufficiently nit-picky beta reader, English teacher, or friend, you might be able to get away with that. The important part is that you want someone who can be objective and impartial about your grammar and punctuation. You don't want them getting sucked into the story.

Stay tuned for more nuts and bolts...

Interview with Guest Judge Nancy Bell

Here's a reminder of what she's looking for in a manuscript at this time.

MuseItUp is looking for more dark fiction, horror, as we are light in that department. However, romance, historical romance, YA/MG from a male POV that will entice that sector. Of course, we are open to anything that is well written and crafted. We don't publish literary fiction or poetry.

1. How did you decide to get into editing/publishing?
I have always been interested, and when Lea from MuseItUp Publishing put out a call for editors I thought why not apply and see what happens. I am very blessed that Muse offered me a spot as content editor.

2. Why did you choose the publisher you are working with now?
I first came to know Lea through the MuseOnLineWriters Conference and was impressed by her professionalism and her openness in helping authors. Her advice was always good and there was a never any negative connotations. It was a natural to apply to Lea when she opened MuseItUp Publishing, I knew this was a lady I could work with whose values were similar to my own. (This is an EXCELLENT, totally FREE conference by the way! I've [Charity] been the last two years and highly suggest you bookmark the page now, and watch for when you can register. The next conference will be October 8-14th, 2012.)

3. What's your favorite part of the job?
I love reading submissions, it can be long and tedious some days but then a bright gem opens on my screen and it is magic. I love working and developing a relationship with my authors. Many of them have multiple books with us so it keeps me busy.

4. What is your current favorite book that you could read over and over?
Hmmm, that's hard. I have so many favorites. I guess I would have to say Charles de Lint's The Wild Wood followed closely by The Little Country by the same author. Sorry, I cheated, that's two books, but only one author. :~)


And a bit more to help you get to know Nancy:
Nancy Bell is proud Albertan, horsewoman, wife, mother and grandmother. She lives on a farm near Balzac, Alberta with her husband, five horses, two ponies, various dogs, cats and whatever else happens to wander into the yard. Nancy’s first poems and short stories were published while still in grade school and she won the 2009 Earthsongs Bardic Competition. Nancy works as an editor with MuseItUp Publishing a new Canadian epublisher where she enjoys the excitement of working with authors in the creative process. She also enjoys writing poetry and short stories.

Journey to a place where the impossible walks beside the possible. A place where miracles can happen.

You can read a blurb for this and Nancy's other books HERE.

Interview with Guest Judge Krystal Wade

Here's a reminder of what she's looking for in a manuscript at this time.

I love older mc's (18+)! I'd like to see some good dystopian, more male mc's too, and then of course anything scifi/fantasy/paranormal with something new and unusual.

1. How did you decide to get into editing/publishing?

Curiosity Quills' owner, Alisa Gus, and I became really good friends over the last year. She wanted me to publish with them, and I turned her down for another company who ended up treating me as if I was a barnacle on the bottom of a ship. Alisa and I knew we'd work together one day, but at the time we didn't realize in what capacity. When she told me she and her husband were expecting, an idea formed in my head, and I offered to help read subs for CQ. Thank God for that! Because I wound up leaving my former publishing company--more like fleeing than leaving--and CQP published my first title, Wilde's Fire.

2. Why did you choose the publisher you are working with now?

Would you laugh if I say I'm pretty sure fate put us together and the choice had little to do with me?

3. What's your favorite part of the job?

I love new authors and the excitement they bring. Telling a person CQP is going to publish their work is probably the most exciting thing ever.

4. What is your current favorite book that you could read over and over?

A year ago, I would have said The Hunger Games. Right now, I'm pretty sure Divergent is something I'd read a million times over.

And a little more to help you get to know Krystal:

She's happily married to the love of herlife and raising three beautiful children in Virginia. They live just outside Washington, D.C. and every day she wakes up to find herself stuck in traffic trying to get there. The silver lining in that commute? It gives her the time to think about her characters in full detail.

If you get a chance, ask her about organized hitchhiking.

“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.” -- Katriona Wilde

Read more about this and her second book, HERE.

Our Judges Query Pet Peeves

We asked our guest judges what their top two pet peeves were when it came to the queries they receive. Here's what they told us in their own words.

Donna O'Brien

1. GRAMMAR!! I don't expect your manuscript to be grammatically perfect, but your query should reflect a basic command of the English language.

2. Misrepresenting the actual manuscript -- While it is important to have a great hook and interesting query, they should reflect the heart of the novel and not just be a gimmick to get attention.

Andrew Buckley

1. I dislike when query letters are ‘form’ query letters.  And I’m not saying don’t use a form query but at least have the good grace to personalize it to the publisher/lit agency you’re querying.

2. I hate with a fiery passion when query letters only contain a synopsis.  We want to hear who you are, whether you’re planning more books in the same vein, how long the piece is, and why do you believe it’s a good fit for our catalog, etc., etc.  Read submission guidelines…or forever be damned to the 64th circle of hell reserved for talented aspiring writers who constantly bugger up their query letters.

Nancy Bell

1. Failure to read and follow the submission guidelines.  For example sending in docx format when the guidelines specifically state .rtf or .doc  Failing to put contact information on the top of the manuscript. Or sending a genre we don't handle.

2. Queries that claim to be the next....insert here Harry Potter, Dean Koontz etc, or telling me that this book/series will set the publishing world on its ear etc. It is fine to be confident and proud of your work, but most of the queries with wild claims are followed by a manuscript which in no way lives up to its billing.

Krystal Wade

I don't have major peeves but when people don't follow our submission guidelines (don't launch into a I've done this and that and am a member of this and that etc, and don't send the entire ms when we ask only for first five pages) it kind of annoys me. ;-)

Amy Lichtenhan

1. Definitely when authors do not follow our submission guidelines.  It tells us immediately they are not willing to put the time and effort into their submission with us.

2. When we receive the first three chapters and they are unedited and filled with typos. We don't expect perfection, but we definitely want to see authors who have taken the time to be sure their submission is in the best shape it can be.

Notice how four out of five mentioned submission guidelines? Come back tomorrow evening for a post dedicated to submission guidelines and how to abide by them.

Interview with Guest Judge Sapphire Star

Don't forget to check out the #QuerySchoolsIn chat at twitter. Join us, ask questions, let us know what you are hoping for this week, etc. All the conversation will help us improve on our next mini conference/contest.

Now, on to our lovely judges. This group gets the Team Work Award for excellent tag teaming during our School's In workshop. Amy, Katie, and the chief editor, Liz Carpenter are all helping with feedback and answering your questions.

Here's a reminder of what Sapphire Star is looking for in a manuscript at this time.

We're especially interested in contemporary romance and paranormal romance at this time, although we are accepting submissions in all fiction categories.

1. How did you decide to get into editing/publishing?
 
I’ve loved books and writing all my life. After working as a technical writer and editor in the technology industry for years, I realized I’d enjoy my work so much more if I was reading and editing fiction. It’s always best when you can make your hobby your job.

2. Why did you choose the publisher you are working with now?
 
I wanted to work with a small publisher that seeks out new authors. Sapphire Star Publishing authors write in a variety of genres so I’m not pigeonholed into working on one type of manuscript. The executive team at Sapphire really looks out for their authors and encourages their editors to supply grammar, formatting, and story comments that enable writers to improve their craft.

3. What's your favorite part of the job?
 
I love getting a new manuscript. Reading Chapter One is stepping into a new world. The pleasure of reading as an editor is that you get to ask the author all the ‘what if’ questions. Authors have a vision of their novel’s world, and I believe it is an editor’s job to reflect that image back so that authors can verify what readers are seeing. Sapphire Star Publishing empowers me to ask questions that challenge authors to craft worlds that are interesting, create characters that evolve during the story, and build plots that entertain.

4. What is your current favorite book that you could read over and over? 
 
The downside of being an editor is that you never have time to re-read a book. There is always something new and great to read. I’m a big fan of the romantic mystery so anything by Laurell K. Hamilton, Carrie Vaughn, or Janet Evanovich is an automatic addition to my to-read list. I read an early draft of Lisa Regan’s Finding Claire Fletcher and I’m anxiously awaiting Sapphire Star’s release of that in December so that I can read the final manuscript.

A little more to help you get to know A. L. Jackson:

A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.

You can learn more about this and her other books HERE.