tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post6727760486339336935..comments2024-03-18T01:49:03.153-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Get Ready for Your Own Super Bowl at the Ask the Editor Free-For-AllDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-54507934398078714382011-02-01T17:42:45.474-07:002011-02-01T17:42:45.474-07:00Thanks so much ladies. I appreciate your insight.
...Thanks so much ladies. I appreciate your insight.<br /><br />CherylCherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-52598124846991724662011-02-01T17:17:35.315-07:002011-02-01T17:17:35.315-07:00As for looking for an editor who won't mess wi...As for looking for an editor who won't mess with your voice or style, yes, get a sample edit first, as the other editors here have suggested. Also, make sure the editor enjoys and reads your genre.<br /><br />I offer prospective clients a sample edit of about 10 pages, and if I think their writing is nowhere near the copyediting stage, I'll offer some advice or suggest they take advantage of one of my initial critique packages. Then they can use the info and advice given on the first 20-50 pages of their manuscript to rework the rest, fixing the opening, point of view, pacing, characterization, dialogue, etc., etc.<br /><br />I won't do a manuscript critique or an edit of a ms in a genre I don't read myself, as I don't feel qualified to give "big-picture" or style advice on, say, horror or sci-fi.<br /><br />On the other hand, I feel much more comfortable giving advice on genres I enjoy and read a lot, like thrillers, romantic suspense, mysteries and YA fiction. I know what sells in these genres, as I devour the bestsellers myself.Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-78133203033237222552011-02-01T17:01:03.973-07:002011-02-01T17:01:03.973-07:00For years, I considered the Chicago Manual of Styl...For years, I considered the Chicago Manual of Style (956 pages) and Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (1622 pages) indispensable when I was editing mostly magazine articles and nonfiction books. However, the last few years I've been editing mostly fiction, so I place a lot more importance on the writer's unique voice and style. <br /><br />Now, although I still want the "mechanics" to be correct, (grammar, spelling, punctuation), I find I'm often trying to help fiction writers get away from too-formal, too-perfect writing and relax their prose a bit, to suit their story world. <br /><br />Who wants to read a novel that reads like it was written by a professor or a PhD student? Give me one that reads like Huckleberry Finn or Janet Evanovich any time! And of course there are many, many other examples of fiction writers who have learned to loosen up their too-correct diction and lengthy, erudite sentences to "cut to the chase" and capture the mindset of their characters and immerse us in their story world!Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-53853701156524543122011-02-01T16:40:33.873-07:002011-02-01T16:40:33.873-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-81850915295538880712011-02-01T15:43:49.084-07:002011-02-01T15:43:49.084-07:00ReaderWoman, I have two questions for you. 1. What...ReaderWoman, I have two questions for you. 1. What do you like to write and 2. why do you like to write? If you're writing non-fiction because you want to influence public opinion, then online articles on blogs and websites, as well as notes on Facebook will get you an audience. If you like reading books and writing reviews about them, then you could contribute to book review sites. If you like to write fiction, then contests might be a good starting point for you. Do you see the different venues in the above scenarios?Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-54063978422074975062011-02-01T15:14:59.474-07:002011-02-01T15:14:59.474-07:00Maggie asked: Do you consider sentences like this ...Maggie asked: Do you consider sentences like this to be passive writing:<br /><br />Hope hummed through him.<br /><br />Heat steamed up her collar.<br /><br />Her curiosity flared.<br /><br />It is passive in the sense that the reader is being told something, as opposed to seeing how it is happening. How does the reader know hope is humming through him, or her curiosity flared. What were they doing to convey that.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-43437883584540173342011-02-01T15:14:26.205-07:002011-02-01T15:14:26.205-07:00I am interested most in being a writer, not in bei...I am interested most in being a writer, not in being an author. My blog is one step on that path. What are other ways to satisfy the itch to write, without the flow into publishers, editors and the like? I want to be read, want to enjoy the process of writing and sharing what I write, but not interested (or not ready!) for a published book type effort...<br />www.readerwoman.wordpress.com/ReaderWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17224984272971446819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-31907751373266635652011-02-01T15:10:45.991-07:002011-02-01T15:10:45.991-07:00To J.D. and all who asked about how to pick an edi...To J.D. and all who asked about how to pick an editor who won't change your meaning, or style or voice, I would encourage you to get a sample edit from a prospective editor. I offer a free 10 page edit, so clients can see how I work. I would also check references. As some of the editors have already said, it is not our place to change style or anything else, it is to help the writer perfect that.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-10134526072629745832011-02-01T13:35:55.376-07:002011-02-01T13:35:55.376-07:00Max: On Amazon, for new releases, e-books are alre...Max: On Amazon, for new releases, e-books are already outselling print books. For midlist authors who can't get space in bookstores, e-books are already outselling print books. When Borders closes the rest of its stores, e-books will experience another surge. <br /><br />As an author, I've stopped focusing on promotional efforts to bookstores and for my print books in general. I still sell some print books, but they're an afterthought. I keep my books available in print only because they will always be some holdouts to the digital revolution. <br /><br />If you're an author, it's time to get your work out into the digital world.L.J. Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-51349792853728459472011-02-01T13:21:11.241-07:002011-02-01T13:21:11.241-07:00Do you consider sentences like this to be passive ...Do you consider sentences like this to be passive writing:<br /><br />Hope hummed through him.<br /><br />Heat steamed up her colloar.<br /><br />Her curiosity flared.<br /><br />...just wondering ...<br /><br />Maggie Toussaint<br />www.maggietoussaint.com<br />maggietoussaint at darientel dot netMaggie Toussainthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12011893139722870283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-66951175465874532222011-02-01T12:29:04.825-07:002011-02-01T12:29:04.825-07:00Max, I hope LJ comments about e-books since she...Max, I hope LJ comments about e-books since she's garnered great success there. I think e-books will outsell print books (maybe already have) this year, and it's undoubtedly the future of reading. That's not just my opinion, but common speculation.Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-25006058864220111372011-02-01T12:27:01.874-07:002011-02-01T12:27:01.874-07:00I'd like to comment on a couple of statements....I'd like to comment on a couple of statements. You really can't go wrong using the Chicago Manual of Style. That doesn't mean a publishing house will use it - many, like Berkley, have their own style rules - but the CMS is the industry standard and using it won't get your manuscript rejected, that's guaranteed. <br /><br />I also agree with Kathryn that an edit starts at the developmental level. If the bones aren't straight, everything else in the book will grow crookedly. That first 50 pages is crucial and just paying an editor to read your beginning can make a difference. <br /><br />I'll be in and out as I can - winter storms and power outages in my stretch of the middle!Danihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-23344339375524484192011-02-01T12:07:54.763-07:002011-02-01T12:07:54.763-07:00Cheryl, Kathryn's quite right about grammar. E...Cheryl, Kathryn's quite right about grammar. Every good editor needs to know the rules--and so should writers--but when one's writing indicates that the rules are known, then occasional deviations from those rules (not only in spoken and internal dialogue, but also other places) can be very effective. We don't always speak in complete sentences, for example, nor do we think in them. And we can start a sentence with a preposition or a conjunction. Overuse, however, can negate effectiveness and slip into poor writing style.<br /><br />So absolutely, yes, there are exceptions to the rules that make our writing even better if we use them judiciously.Linda Lanehttp://www.denvereditor.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-43472391639979203382011-02-01T11:53:12.697-07:002011-02-01T11:53:12.697-07:00Cheryl: Unfortunately, getting bad advice is a pro...Cheryl: Unfortunately, getting bad advice is a problem in every industry, whether automotive, medical, or editorial. You can't avoid it, because what one person might say is great advice another will contradict. <br /><br />So to keep it real, what I'm going to say conflicts a bit with what my fellow grammarian at this site, Linda Lane, just wrote. Certainly an editor should know how to wield the twin swords of grammar and syntax, and be sensitive to misuses that might confuse the reader. But authors toy with grammar rules all the time in creative writing, sometimes quite effectively (ack--did she start that sentence with a preposition?). It is my humble opinion that many an effective sentence has been bastardized in the interest of "correcting grammar" by rigid editors--often former schoolteachers--who don't see the big picture.<br /><br />I do think a sample edit is a great idea. A personal recommendation from an author who used that editor is also a good way to go. <br /><br />Even if you came to me asking for a grammar edit, I would start with a developmental edit. I just don't see the point in polishing up a story that is ineffective at its core. I think a good editor would tell you that.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-45089731741069972882011-02-01T11:52:13.476-07:002011-02-01T11:52:13.476-07:00Cindy, L.J. Sellers noted that style does not affe...Cindy, L.J. Sellers noted that style does not affect voice or story. She's absolutely right. Still, it is good to know whether a house prefers the Chicago Manual, AP, some other style, or has one of its own. This can save you a lot of time in making a piece stylistically acceptable to a publisher if you are targeting one in particular.<br /><br />If you're not trying to please a specific house, then just be sure you are consistent in the style you use (Chicago, AP, or whatever.)Linda Lanehttp://www.denvereditor.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-64195233079298384682011-02-01T11:45:25.513-07:002011-02-01T11:45:25.513-07:00Cheryl, this is why you go for the sample edit. An...Cheryl, this is why you go for the sample edit. And if you still aren't sure, run the edit by a former English teacher or professor or another person you know to be proficient in the use of grammar and punctuation. <br /><br />As for other considerations in the manuscript, you likely will recognize yourself whether the flow is improved, POV sharpened, etc.<br /><br />Morgan Mandel mentioned that the editors here are all competent. I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. If you want to contact one or more personally, please feel free to do so.Linda Lanehttp://www.denvereditor. comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87450108114248166582011-02-01T11:30:33.761-07:002011-02-01T11:30:33.761-07:00Cindy: House style versus author style shouldn'...Cindy: House style versus author style shouldn't be much of an issue, either for the editor or for the author. House styles are in place to keep a consistency within manuscripts and across books by that publisher. But the details—which numbers are spelled, serial comma or not, proper formatting for em dashes, etc.—should not affect the author's voice or story and should not be personal to the editor.L.J. Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-62308894311163885372011-02-01T11:27:34.219-07:002011-02-01T11:27:34.219-07:00Diana: Since Patricia opened the topic of agents, ...Diana: Since Patricia opened the topic of agents, I do happen to know that all agencies are not created equal in this regard. Some agencies support the founder's vision, and its agents work like a committee--a no from one is a no from them all. But other agencies are places where individual agents work alongside one another--Writer's House is one--and you can submit to multiple agents there. This is often at the website--but when in doubt, ask.Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-55950932497072101182011-02-01T11:24:57.171-07:002011-02-01T11:24:57.171-07:00Diane:
If I were you, I'd ask. I have heard th...Diane:<br />If I were you, I'd ask. I have heard that you get one shot with a house, and that submissions are computerized with name and title so that "no" is a final "no." But heaven help you if you take that advice when you could have had another shot! If you know it has gone as far as a committee decision, and the next editor is part of that same acquisitions committee at the same imprint, then I think you've reached the end of the road. But you may have a shot at another imprint. It never hurts to ask!Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-29821875537262477642011-02-01T11:23:40.724-07:002011-02-01T11:23:40.724-07:00Diana, most agents and editors say no. That's ...Diana, most agents and editors say no. That's because any editor or agent who chooses to reject a project will pass it along to another member of her firm if she feels the manuscript would be of interest.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-27278841492048670222011-02-01T11:20:58.080-07:002011-02-01T11:20:58.080-07:00Gladys: I have never once in my editing life worri...Gladys: I have never once in my editing life worried about making too much revision work for an author. I specialize in developmental editing, so if something doesn't work, I help brainstorm fixes--but wriiting and revision is ALWAYS work, and if the author isn't willing to put in the time to make the book the best it can be, they WILL NOT MAKE IT in this industry. The must love the process and much as the product, in my opinion.<br /><br />Yet. The concept of "perfection" is elusive in creative writing, since style and voice, and every little twist and turn and flower planted along the way, can be called into question. The main thing I try to do, as a developmental editor, is point out what elements pop me from the story. You mentioned POV errors--that's a good one. I say, mark 'em! Why leave in there anything that is a detriment to the telling of the story?Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-40611255374318539092011-02-01T10:46:03.826-07:002011-02-01T10:46:03.826-07:00I may be prejudiced, but I don't believe you&#...I may be prejudiced, but I don't believe you'd go wrong choosing any of the editors here!<br /><br />Morgan Mandel<br />http://morganmandel.blogspot.comMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-49206734417139371812011-02-01T10:30:17.468-07:002011-02-01T10:30:17.468-07:00I would like to follow along this lines of choosin...I would like to follow along this lines of choosing an editor. I've done some copy editing in the past, but what if you're a writer who doesn't have a solid handle on grammar? How would you know which editor to choose? It's easy to say you're an editor, but if a writer doesn't have a firm grasp on some of the essentials, they could be paying for something and not getting the right advice.<br /><br />Thanks for considering my question.<br /><br />CherylCherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-31870898480682299852011-02-01T10:19:26.166-07:002011-02-01T10:19:26.166-07:00If one editor at a publishing house rejects your m...If one editor at a publishing house rejects your manuscript, can you send it to another editor there?<br />Thank you,<br />Diana RubinoDiana Rubinohttp://www.dianarubino.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-58524892226164847712011-02-01T09:07:24.298-07:002011-02-01T09:07:24.298-07:00Anne, authors of e-books are discovering new ways ...Anne, authors of e-books are discovering new ways to promote. You're right, blogging and Facebook are two of the ways. Also look at Twitter and some of the other networking sites. LinkedIn is now offering opportunities through groups, although promotion there is done more subtly. And virtual book tours, even for e-books, are very popular now. The founder of Blood-Red Pencil, Dani Greer, offers classes on conducting virtual book tours where you learn how to find the right blogs to host your tour. A lot of people are combining their blog with their website. I'm still a fan of a standalone website.<br /><br />Don't forget to get your readers/friends to review your e-book on the sites where it's sold. Reviews can influence potential readers. If GoodReads covers e-books, there's another avenue for you. Talk to other authors of e-books and find out what they're doing.<br /><br />It's great that you're looking for those opportunities.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.com