tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post553628834693307759..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Inside the Editor's Den: Strengths & WeaknessesDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-46293127294585489642017-09-29T13:06:03.097-06:002017-09-29T13:06:03.097-06:00Polly, I always do a sample edit of about ten page...Polly, I always do a sample edit of about ten pages or so to let the potential client see how I work and whether we will be a good fit. I appreciate it when an editor affords me the same courtesy.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-80655993407126355882017-09-28T20:14:33.693-06:002017-09-28T20:14:33.693-06:00Thanks, Ladies. I know the first editor I had when...Thanks, Ladies. I know the first editor I had when I didn't know what I didn't know, was a ghost writer. Later I found out he didn't know what POV was, and since I didn't, I didn't know I was missing something in his edits.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-76611223655596920912017-09-28T20:01:25.839-06:002017-09-28T20:01:25.839-06:00I usually go by the genres and themes I'm not ...I usually go by the genres and themes I'm not prepared to work on (e.g., horror, romance, spirituality). But also working chapter by chapter makes it quite easy to see if our styles are just not going to mesh, or if there is a non-negotiable difference in values or philosophy that might make the project unpleasant to continue.Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-69046799534672497252017-09-28T19:31:03.296-06:002017-09-28T19:31:03.296-06:00Hi there, Polly!
I do offer potential clients a s...Hi there, Polly!<br /><br />I do offer potential clients a sample edit.<br /><br />I also have a Google form that I ask potential clients to fill out so that I can learn about them, their writing experience, their project, and their needs.<br />Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-59107670480038868562017-09-27T21:01:10.339-06:002017-09-27T21:01:10.339-06:00How do you decide whether a writer is right for yo...How do you decide whether a writer is right for you? Do you do a page or two of trial edits to see if the two of you can work together?Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-69512889495633354822017-09-26T11:22:22.508-06:002017-09-26T11:22:22.508-06:00That sounds about right, Maryann, LOL. I, too, had...That sounds about right, Maryann, LOL. I, too, had a similar experience recently.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-76143920152445783162017-09-26T11:20:14.659-06:002017-09-26T11:20:14.659-06:00Especially if they are working very fast AND have ...Especially if they are working very fast AND have multiple projects to work through.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70453846727677092642017-09-26T11:19:12.557-06:002017-09-26T11:19:12.557-06:00It is definitely worth the wait, Linda. And I like...It is definitely worth the wait, Linda. And I like what you said about writers and the tendency of some to want their books finished in lightning speed. Until they are a part of the process of having a book edited, I'm not sure they realize how much time it takes to actually edit a book.Shonell Baconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04827197354857197637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-73351960174730498222017-09-26T08:50:30.042-06:002017-09-26T08:50:30.042-06:00I was so pleased to see that I am not the only edi...I was so pleased to see that I am not the only editor who does not work at warp speed. I think that is more possible when just doing a line edit/proof, but not a content edit. Like Elle said, sometimes we need time to really hone in on just what is not working in a scene or chapter. I find that so true with writing, too. Just the other day, I got an idea for what was not working in a book I have not worked on in 6 months. LOLMaryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-20163830582994601912017-09-26T07:45:29.407-06:002017-09-26T07:45:29.407-06:00What I take away from this excellent post is the r...What I take away from this excellent post is the realization that an editor who claims to work fast is probably not the editor I'd need for evaluating big picture plot issues.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-34839464285372145092017-09-26T04:34:54.088-06:002017-09-26T04:34:54.088-06:00Your takeaway is right on the money, Shon: no one ...Your takeaway is right on the money, Shon: no one editor excels in all aspects of editing. I find it interesting that none of us are fast editors. (Even though I didn't mention it in my comments above, I'm not either.) While that likely contributes to our thoroughness, I've found it doesn't necessarily please a writer who's in a hurry to get his or her book to press and who believes we're slowing down the release of the next New York Times best seller. It's sad when writers don't understand that editors look for much more than misspelled words, missing commas and end punctuation, and capitalization errors. It takes time and diligence to create overall excellence in a finished project. As you note, no editor is perfect; however, slow, meticulous work by the right editors creates a polished manuscript that will represent its author well. The extra time and effort on the part of the editor(s) is worth the wait.Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056682992943171805noreply@blogger.com