How to Break Into Freelancing

I’d like to introduce you to Nikolas Baron, who’s guest-posting today on Straight From Hel. Nikolas discovered his love for the written word in Elementary School, where he started spending his afternoons sprawled across the living room floor devouring one Marc Brown children’s novel after the other and writing short stories about daring pirate adventures. After acquiring some experience in various marketing, business development, and hiring roles at internet startups in a few different countries, he decided to re-unite his professional life with his childhood passions by joining Grammarly’s marketing team in San Francisco. He has the pleasure of being tasked with talking to writers, bloggers, teachers, and others about how they use Grammarly’s online proofreading application to improve their writing. His free time is spent biking, travelling, and reading.

How to Break Into Freelancing

Breaking into freelance writing can be challenging. With the plethora of blogs and online publications, it may seem as if everyone is writing online. Job boards can make the writing scene seem even more depressing, with ridiculously low rates offered for high word counts. Freelancing is a business, and like any other business, it requires commitment, dedication, and a certain level of expertise to achieve success.

The writer who approaches freelancing as a business will succeed more readily than one who is passionate about writing but doesn’t understand the difference between writing for one’s self and writing for publication. Writing for publication requires the ability to channel one’s passion into topics that others want to read and create valuable content. Professionalism requires a constant pursuit of quality in the craft. Using tools like writing courses, books, critique groups, and an online spelling, grammar, and plagiarism checker can help the writer improve his or her technique to the level of producing publication-worthy material regularly.  

Writing every day is important to success. Guest blog posts are an excellent way to get started. The aspiring writer should seek out blogs that are open to guest posts and send the owner a query, or a “pitch”, asking about the possibility of writing a guest post for the blog. These jobs don’t often pay well, or sometimes at all, but they can be an opportunity to collect writing samples to use when querying larger markets. Most freelance writers spend about half their working time actually writing and the rest on seeking out markets for their work. While it is possible to write first and sell later, it’s more economical to write queries and secure approval from an editor before beginning to write. By using queries, the writer can save him or herself a lot of time writing generic articles that don’t capture the fancy of any one blog or publication.  

A solid query is a valuable asset. After all, the editor is evaluating the writer’s skill in putting together words into coherent sentences. If the query is sloppy, poorly written, or not carefully checked for grammar and spelling, the editor is unlikely to be interested in the writer’s work. The query should receive as much attention and care as the actual article or blog entry in order to make a solid impression. Even if the first query is turned away, a writer who presents a professional image is more likely to have a later idea picked up.

Pricing is one of the most challenging aspects of running a freelancing business. There is a strong temptation to accept very low pay in order to establish a presence online. Although it may be wise, occasionally, to write for little or no pay, this should be done very judiciously, either in support of a cherished cause, or for the chance at significant exposure. Freelancing is about earning a living by writing. It’s difficult to pay the bills with likes, comments, and online interactions with readers. While the fanfare that comes with a well-received blog article is gratifying, it doesn’t buy groceries. It’s important to set a reasonable price on work done.

Building a freelancing business, just as with any other enterprise, requires an investment of time and effort. Maintaining professionalism requires attention to detail and a dedication to constantly making personal improvements. In addition, deadlines are critical to the freelancer. Competition is fierce, and writers who do not meet deadlines will soon find themselves out of work. Writing is also a passion for most aspiring freelancers. As such, keeping a regular schedule helps keep deadlines under control and also creates a sense of purpose. The schedule should include both regular, focused writing time and time for marketing, reading, and seeking out new markets and clients.

Freelance writing can be a fulfilling career for the one who is able to maintain focus, self-direction, and motivation. Certainly, passion for a particular subject may be the driving force that motivates a writer to begin freelancing. However, sustaining a career as a writer demands knowledge of running a business, an attitude of professionalism, and a firm dedication to quality.

Leave a comment or question for Nikolas. Have any of you used Grammarly’s online proofreading application?

Setting Goals

A few days ago, I set my writing goal for the week.

I also told the followers of my weekly newsletter about the goal I had set. That goal was to beef up three characters with at least one extra scene for each in my work in progress.

Did I accomplish my goal?

I did. Partially. I did go back into the book I'm working on and add in a couple of scenes that better define the characters. And I, of course, re-read the entire manuscript several times.

I'm not finished yet, though. I still think there's more work to be done.

If you read your work and when you finish you feel as though something is missing, don't dismiss that feeling. Ask yourself, what's nagging me? Is it a not fully developed character? Is it a feeling that the timeline is off? Is there a secondary character who is interesting, but has nothing to do of importance? Why is that character here? Should I cut that character? Give him something to do or contribute that adds to the story?

Maybe you have a feeling something's off but you can't put your finger on the problem. Get a friend, editor, or  second reader to read the book. Have them look for areas in the book that bother them, pull them out of the book, leave them wondering about a character or event. Don't  tell them what to look for. 

Sometimes you can set aside your WIP. Then when you come back to it, you see it with fresh eyes.

I've found that it's always good to trust my instincts.

Do you ever set writing goals? Does that help you?

Beyond the Wall

As I was reading an article in the Huffington Post by attorney and bookseller William Petrocelli, I kept thinking this guy is in his own cubicle world and can't see beyond the wall. He feels that writers and readers see publishers and bookstores as a hindrance and they would prefer to cut out the editors, designers, distributors and promoters, and make more money.

He does say that "alternative publishing" is "an essential corrective for authors who feel shut out of mainstream publishing." But he feels this is not an alternative to traditional publishing and those writers going their own way don't understand all that publishers do. He also puts forth that eliminating publishers and booksellers would "run the risk of discouraging authors and leaving many future books unwritten…. Without the services of publishers and bookstores, the books that readers want to read are not likely to be available to them in any reasonable fashion."

He believes that publishers are the key because "they make it financially worthwhile for authors to spend their time and energy writing books." And the publishers' and the bookstores' okay on a book is the only way buyers can become aware of books they might want to read. "Without such a system, only the very famous or the very wealthy would be able to write books and reach a wide enough audience to sell those books and make a living. And without such a system many, many writers would be discouraged from spending the time to write books that they knew they would have no reasonable prospect of selling."

His rant is aimed at those who feel publishers and bookstores are obsolete. Personally, I think he would have done better at getting his point across if he had NOT attacked indie authors. I don't think publishers and bookstores are in danger because of writers publishing their own books. I think it's because publishers have for so long relied on certain authors to sell large numbers of books and readers waiting months for the next one to come out. And now readers have many choices to read while they wait on their favorite author. I think they're discovering some poorly written e-books, but also some great writers. And they're coming back to download more and pay less.

I think both publishing systems can survive. For now. And perhaps forever. We can cherish our print books while we embrace e-books.


What do you think?

Blood-Red Pencil

Today, I'm posting over on The Blood-Red Pencil. I hope you'll join me in discussing Mapping Your Manuscript.

Your Editor is Your Partner

An editor is someone who makes your work more readable, more salable – better. An editor doesn’t change the voice or direction or meaning of your words.

Your editor is your partner. Everyone needs an editor. Doesn’t matter whether you’re going the self-publishing route or signing with a regional or small publisher. At some point, an editor will need to look at your manuscript. Even if you sign with an agent who liked it enough to add you to her stable, she will probably suggested changes or edits. Then when one of the major publishers takes you on, they will have an editor go through it. Getting to that point, though, is a long road. Hiring your own editor BEFORE you send it to an agent or publisher will up your chances of getting your book in the queue with both.

If you’re self-publishing, either in print or e-form or both, you’ll need that independent editor even more because that will be your one chance to get it right. People may be reading more and more e-books, but they haven’t changed their standards. They still want a well-written book and while they may skip over two or three mistakes, they won’t buy your next book if your first has too many mistakes.

Yes, editors cost money, but they pay off, too. In the short term, you have a much better book that reads smoothly. In the long term, you learn from seeing what the editor did to improve your manuscript. I’ve known authors who have said that hiring an editor was like taking a one-on-one class in writing.

What are your experiences working with an editor?

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Disclaimer: I don’t often post about editing. Mostly because, as a lot of you know, I’m a freelance editor and I didn’t want my blog posts to sound like I’m trolling for clients. Now, however, I feel I can write a post about editing every now and then since I’m no longer taking on new editing clients. Since taking over as the Coordinator for Story Circle Network’s Editorial Services, I’m only working with existing and returning clients.

Who Will Rule?

More and more authors are self-publishing, especially self-pubbing in the e-format. But traditional book publisher are not giving up. They’re still backing print, but are also hedging their bets by taking on publishing their clients’ books in e-form (and taking a percentage of the sales).

I came across an article on The Idea Logical Company that addresses this situation. Here are some snippets from it:

I think we’re going to see a US market that is 80% digital for narrative text reading in the pretty near future: could be as soon as two years from now but almost certainly within five.

Magazines and television networks and web sites are recognizing the reality that self-publishing ebooks is something they can do themselves without the complications (or revenue-sharing) that working with a publisher would require.

“… will publishers be able to persuade these non-publisher brands that it is worth giving up margin and some control to work with publishers in the years to come?

You can read the full article here.

My questions are: What do you think? Will publishers survive? Will they survive, but be marginalized? Will publishers survive because they are the ones who assure e- and print books are edited and worth the money? Or will readers be the gate keepers and judge of quality via their wallets?

I am a Freelance Editor

The title of today’s post sounds like I’m introducing myself at an AA meeting, doesn’t it?

Most of you probably already know I’m a freelance editor. And today I’ve donned my editor hat and headed over to literary publicist Stephanie Barko’s blog. I’m answering a couple of questions about editing and coaching. You’re all welcome to drop by and read my answers.

As an enticement for you to leave a comment or a question over at Stephanie’s blog, there’s a prize. One name will be drawn out of that ubiquitous hat for a free edit of the first 50 pages of your manuscript.

See you over there.

A Nice Surprise This Morning

I was surprised this morning as I traveled the Internet. I went over to the Blood-Red Pencil where I always post the second Thursday of each month and discovered I was already there. Didn't even know I was there. If you have time, drop by and tell me about cutting the boring from your manuscript. How do you do that? What have you cut and how did it make the story better?

Just link over and share how you Cut the Boring.

Beware The Devil’s Hug

 Today, as part of Marvin Wilson’s Hugs Therapy Tour 2010 to promote his book, Beware the Devil’s Hug, Marvin’s editor at All Things That Matter Press, Deb Harris, has agreed to answer my questions. My goal was to ask her questions that I thought all of you would if you had the chance. Before we get to those, however, here’s a bit about Ms. Harris:

Deb Harris, Editor-in-Chief of All Things That Matter Press, has been in love with words and books since early childhood. She’s also a believer in giving people a chance. All Things That Matter Press was born of the desire to allow promising new authors an opportunity to share their “Self” with the world.

Deb, whose prior career involved many years of work as a paralegal and legal transcriptionist/proofer/editor, and her multi-published author husband, Phil, lived for fifteen years in very upstate New York in a home they built themselves, totally off the grid, relying on solar and wind power. There, they raised vegetables, horses, and dairy goats, canning and preserving much of their own food, as well as making their own cheeses, butter, and soap. Now they raise books.

A Maine native, Deb spends her days at the computer, occasionally taking a moment to look out at the horses in their pasture, and surrounded by indoor critters as well: three dogs, a cat, 4 birds, and a fish.

Welcome Deb Harris.

1. Not only is Marvin one of the authors in your stable, he edits for other authors at All Things That Matter Press. What is he like as an editor and why would an editor need you, another editor, to edit his book?

I trust Marvin’s editing. He’s very meticulous (and being a nit-picker myself, I admire that quality), and able to work simultaneously on all of the necessary levels, not just the “does the comma go here” mechanics.

Marvin and I agree that no author is capable of completely editing his/her own work. The mind sees what the mind knows the mind meant! And, while a manuscript may be mechanically perfect, or close to, just about every author has little “pet phrases” and/or writing habits that are often, and always unintentionally, overused. For instance, one of our authors (not Marvin, in this particular case) used a certain phrase over 400 times in a less than 300 page manuscript and was astonished that he’d done so. These things are almost always invisible to the author, since they tend to be ingrained writing habits or personal ways of speaking, but they jump out at that other set of eyes.

2. The editing that you do is the last level of editing before publication. If an author feels strongly about something that you recommend cutting or changing, should the author fight for his/her viewpoint, give in and change, or present a compromise? If they refuse to change, would that affect the relationship?

You know what? If I find I need another doormat, I’ll go to Wal-Mart. Absolutely I want my authors to present their viewpoints. I didn’t write the book, s/he did. I try to be as flexible as possible in the editing process, always keeping in mind the ultimate goal: to have the best finished product possible. The vast majority of my editing comments, other than punctuation issues, include “How about if we …,” or “What do you think about ….” If an author feels strongly about something, unless it is so grossly incorrect that there can be no “give,” we let the author decide. This is a partnership, a collaborative effort between publisher and author. We’ve been very fortunate that our authors all tend to be reasonable people who also want their books to be as perfect as we can collectively make them. I can’t think of a single instance where an author and I have disagreed and it’s affected my perception of the relationship. Obviously, I can’t speak for how the author feels on that subject.

3. How did Marvin handle the corrections or changes you recommended?

Like the true professional he is, albeit with a little grumbling and grousing. Marvin’s goal is the same as ours: perfection.

4. How do you choose the books to publish? Are you open to certain genres or is it the writing that matters most, no matter the genre? What was it about Marvin’s book that made you decide to publish it?

We’re open to anything except sex-for-the-sake-of-sex, pornography, racial bigotry, religious bigotry, push-a-particular-religion-down-your-throat, and/or hate-driven books. We’re not particularly into children’s books or YA, although we’ll look at them. Other than that, we’re all across the board, which makes it a lot of fun.

One of us has to like it. That’s the basic decider. Not everyone likes the same genres, so I’m fortunate to have a great crew of submission editors to review things that aren’t my personal cup of tea. Sometimes it’s a decision by committee. And, while the quality of the writing most definitely matters, we strive to look beyond “the edit” to the heart, and are willing to work with promising authors who are willing to work hard with us.

A book has to grab and hold our attention, whatever the genre. Have something to say, and say it from a different angle. Take a fresh approach. Don’t write by formula, and don’t try to write like someone you’re not. Write like you. Make me want to cancel my dentist appointment to finish reading your manuscript.

I decided to publish Marvin’s book because it’s good! Of course, the bribe he sent didn’t hurt, either.

5. What about Marvin makes him stand out as an author? His writing? His willingness to promote his books? His enthusiasm?

 Everything about Marvin stands out, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by now. I love his off-the-wall kind of backdoor approach to getting his messages across by hiding them in his stories. Marvin’s books can be read for pure entertainment or for the thought-provoking insights he provides. It doesn’t hurt that he writes well, either, and his love for his craft shines through in every word.

Thank you very much, Ms. Harris!

To find out more about Deb Harris, visit All Things That Matter Press. And to find out more about Marvin Wilson, visit his blog, The Old Silly’s Free Spirit or catch him on Twitter.

Tomorrow, Marvin will be visiting Lacresha Hayes blog. There are only two days left on Marvin’s tour, so be sure to visit his Contest and Prizes page, too.

But before you do all that, leave a comment or question for Marvin Wilson or Deb Harris.

Editing

Today, I’m over on Murderous Musings answering Jean Henry Mead’s questions. She’s asking me about freelance editing.

For years now, I’ve been a freelance editor for both published authors and aspiring writers. Within the last year, I’ve also started doing one-on-one coaching.

Jean asked if I would do an interview about editing. You can link over to read my answers and ask some of your own, if you’d like.

I think it’s purely coincidental that writers, when they get their edited manuscripts back, sometimes want to murder their editors … and that Jean’s blog is called Murderous Musings. Coincidence. Right?

Author Lynne Murray

 Lynne Murray, author of the romantic comedy, Bride of the Living Dead, has had six mysteries published. Larger Than Death, the first book featuring Josephine Fuller, sleuth of size who doesn't apologize, won the Distinguished Achievement Award from NAAFA (the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance).  She has written three ebooks of encouragement for writers as well as essays, interviews and reviews on subjects that rouse her passions, many of those can be found under "Rants and Raves" on her web site.

She’s here today to talk about Revisions. Whether you love the writing stage where you revise your work or hate that part, you’ll like her take on Revisions.

Welcome Lynne Murray.

Revisions are my favorite part of novel writing.

The “dominoes falling” at the end of the first draft is a close second, but that can be so exhausting. I usually don’t sleep well during the last stages of writing the first draft of a novel, waking up in the middle of the night to add things that just won’t wait. Scribbling a cryptic note on my bedside notebook is not an option at that point. I do love how the plot all comes together. I’m not one who outlines much—I try but end up dropping through a trap door into writing the scene. One of the results of this weird process is that I’m always surprised to find that the action naturally gets faster and faster toward the end of the first draft as it speeds toward the conclusion. 

Once all the drama has unfolded and the shape of the book is in place, revisions allow me to dig deeper into the characters, the setting and the story.

Some writing teachers suggest compiling bios and even mug shots for the book’s characters as a method of getting to know them. This doesn’t work for me, perhaps because summaries of facts about people don’t spark my imagination. I learn much more about the people in the book by seeing them in action, particularly during revisions. It’s like discovering new facets of someone you thought you knew.

 Revisions can dig up important aspects of the book and characters. Daria, the heroine of Bride of the Living Dead, loves T-shirts that feature classic horror movies.  I knew that, but it became more and more important with each revision to defining Daria’s view of how both movies and clothes make statements about who she is and what matters to her.  If she’s going to please both families with a formal wedding she won’t be able to get married wearing a T-shirt depicting the poster from the 1958 classic “I Married a Monster from Outer Space.”

Daria’s not about to become a Stepford Bride. So how can she stay true to herself and still go through with the wedding?

As I dig up more questions about each character’s needs, the events of the book change too. For me it’s like driving around looking for something you didn’t know you were looking for. Once you find it, the surprise makes the reward even greater.

Too bad life doesn’t offer the same opportunities for revisions that we find in fiction.

Thank you Lynne!

Personally, I have love/hate feelings about revising. I dread it, but once I get into the process, I love the new material and the deeper understanding of my characters.

Lynne lives in San Francisco and when not writing she enjoys reading, watching DVD film directors' commentaries and spoiling her cats, all of whom are rescued or formerly feral felines. She also tweets and has two blogs, one under her name and one called Bride of the Dead (love that title!).

She’s also doing a blog tour. If you’d like to follow her on her stops, check out her schedule. And now, the Comment section is open for comments or questions about her books, her Revision process or even her cats! And be sure to keep an eye out for Daria in Bride of the Living Dead.

Invisible Lines

Today, I’m posting over on The Blood-Red Pencil.  My topic today is How To: Remove Section Breaks.

If you’re having trouble with blank lines showing up in your manuscript and trying to delete or backspace doesn’t get rid of them, then you may be having a problem with pesky Section Breaks. In today’s post, I tell you how to get rid of them.

I invite you to link over and read and comment. And if you have a How To problem with your manuscript, leave a question in the comments section and if I can figure out the answer, I’ll post it in my next How To column.

Here and There

I’m here right now, typing this, “talking” to you. I’ll be here as I post this on Blogger.

Then…I’m there. Depending on when you read this, I’m either on a plane or in a car or in a hotel. I’m off to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a conference. Unfortunately, not a writing or publishing conference. The good news is that since it’s not, I’ll have time to write and blog and edit.

Here’s what’s happening with me on those three subjects.

Blogging - I try to focus on writing and publishing (that includes hosting authors or others who talk about those subjects). Occasionally, I veer off (like today), but not often.

Writing - I’m currently ripping apart an old manuscript. It languished for a long time before my head accepted that it needed to be torn up, rearranged, cut, added to, and resurrected. I’ve done the torn up, cut and rearranged phases. I’m in the “added to” phase right now. Then I’ll probably rinse and repeat.

Editing - I have a client who has a fabulous manuscript. We’re already been through editing. She now has two agents who want the full manuscript, so she’s sent it back to me for a quick read-through. I’m doing that now. I’ve read the manuscript probably five times now and I still love it.

So, that’s me. If you live between central Texas and Albuquerque and a chill tickles up your spine this morning, that’s me, waving.

What are you doing today? Anything writing-related?

She’s Herrrreee!

Long ago there was a movie, Poltergeist, I think, that had a memorable promo. In the commercial, a little girl sits on the floor and stares at a fuzzy TV screen. After a few seconds, she turns to the camera and says, “They’re herrrreee.” Whatever she sees on the screen that we can’t, is here, coming to get us.

I’m not coming to get you, but I could easily be the little girl who turns from her computer screen and says, “I’m herrreee!” Because today, I appear to be everywhere.

First of all, I’m here -- to tell you briefly about a workshop I attended this past Saturday. The Heart of Texas chapter of Sisters in Crime had a fundraiser/workshop led by author and former NY editor, Russ Hall. It was a great workshop. Russ talked about the opening pages of your manuscript and how important they are. He handed out examples of published openings and analyzed them for us. He broke down the query letter, then had us write our own sections of a query letter and read them aloud. After which, the group discussed what we’d done. He went over the synopsis, from the one sentence elevator speech to a longer synopsis. At the end of the day, he did one-on-one consulting with each participant, discussing material -- a query, a synopsis and the opening chapter of a work in progress -- we had each submitted prior to the workshop. As I said, a great workshop by Russ.

While I’m here telling you about the workshop, I’m also over on The Blood-Red Pencil. I’m one of the editors who post advice on that blog. This month, the BRP is trying something new. In among the advice, we’re posting book recommendations. We each picked out a book or two we thought would make good Christmas presents - ones that you might not have heard of or thought of before. Today, I’m recommending Five Years at Sea by James V. Lee. The book is a memoir/travelogue/diary of the years James spent aboard Navy ships as a civilian teacher of English. From 1989 to 1994, he traveled the world, visiting nearly forty countries and going on 16 deployments with various ships. Even if you’ve never served on a ship, you’ll enjoy the first-hand look. And if you like to travel, James takes you to places you won’t find in a travel book, complete with pictures.

And lastly and bestly, I’m over at Karen…following the whispers. This past Friday, I posted on her blog about things I’m seeing repeatedly in manuscripts I edit. Karen, being the wonderfully crazy woman that she is, invited me back. So, I’m over there with a few more problems I encounter. The best thing about these “problems” with your manuscript is that you can correct them. They are not insurmountable and correcting them can make a big difference in your manuscript.

Remember to come back here tomorrow. I'll be introducing you to guest blogger, Dr. Norman German, who's going to tell us about the four years of research he did for his third book, A Savage Wisdom.

As you travel the cybersphere, watch out. I’m herrreee! And there and there.

Freelance Editors

Ever consider what it takes to be a freelance editor at a publishing house? Well, wonder no more. A post on Journalism.co.uk tells you what it takes to get hired at a publishing house in the U.K.

In case you’re wondering what publishers look for when hiring freelance editors, here’s the article’s author Mary James’ list of the qualities an applicant should have:

1. You can adhere to tight deadlines

2. You know your target market inside out

3. You're easy to work with

4. Your communication skills, particularly over the phone, are second to none

5. You provide value for money

6. You guarantee high levels of confidentiality

If you want to see what she said about each of these points, click over to the article. Maybe you qualify.

Howdy! Wanna Go With?

Howdy is the Texan’s way of saying “hello.” If you can guess where “Wanna go with?” is from, then you know where I’m heading today.

As you read this, there’s a good chance I’m on a plane headed north. Up to cooler temps. To the land where people end sentences with a preposition. To visit a sister who, when she asks, “Wanna go with?”, I ask, “With what?”

Some of you may be wondering who’s taking care of Ruffles, my 15-year old dog. Never fear. She’s not alone. She has her personal assistant with her -- otherwise known as son, house-sitter and dog-petter.

Figured out where I’m headed? No cheese curds involved.

And for that author (you know who you are) reading this and thinking, “Wait a minute. She’s supposed to be editing my manuscript,” no worries, I have it with me. As a matter of fact, right now (depending on when you’re reading this) I have my laptop open, manuscript on the screen, ear plugs in my ears, and I’m reading while swaying to the music and eating airplane peanuts.

Guesses? Nope, I’m not leaving the States.

Speaking of music, I figured out how to put the iTunes on my computer onto my iPhone. All you techhies are hrmmphing now, but this took me a while to figure out. I even left my laptop running all night ‘cause it said it was syncing. The next morning it was still synching, but it lied. It wasn’t syncing at all. I was not deterred. My perseverance paid off and now my 186 songs are on my iPhone and I am currently bopping to the music as I slash and cut…uh… leave supportive and soothing comments… on said manuscript.

I’m also leaving DH to finish resetting our alarm system. The other day, while DH was out of town, we had a lightning strike so close that it set off the alarm in ear-piercing screeches. Would not quit. I had to call him and scream over the squawks to find out how to unplug the system.

Adios Texas.

Okay….wait for it…I’m enroute to….Minnesota.

Wanna go with?

There’s Reasons For This

Did the title of this post stop you or did you slide on past it? Actually, it should have given you pause. That’s because it’s grammatically incorrect. It should have been: There Are Reasons For This. “Reasons” is plural so it needs a plural verb.

Tomorrow, over on The Blood-Red Pencil, I’m blogging about contractions. After I’d already turned in the post, I realized there were a few things (okay, probably a ton of things) I forgot to mention. This slip of using “there’s” when it needed to be “there are” is one of those things that I have to catch myself on. It has become so common in everyday language that it slips into our writing. It’s good to ping on it when you’re editing, break it down into the two words “there is” and see if it still sounds right.

Another problem I catch in a lot of manuscripts is “its” when the author needed to use “it’s”. (Or vice-versa.) “Its” is possessive, as in: Its claws were sharp and long. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is,” as in: It is very likely that animal is a bear.

If you’re unsure, break down the contractions you use to see if they should or should not be contractions.

Please stop by The Blood-Red Pencil tomorrow (and give me some of your own slips when it comes to contractions).

Tell me, though, do you find these kinds of “simple” errors when you start editing your manuscript?

What This Editor Does

This past Tuesday, I wrote a post called Build An Editor. In it, I asked what you, as a writer, wanted in or expected of an editor. A lot of you wrote interesting, detailed comments. Most seemed to agree they wanted an editor to do it all, but not totally change their words. You wanted an editor to catch big and small mistakes - change small mistakes but leave comments or suggestions on big ones. And just about everyone seemed to want an editor to work with them so that they would grow as a writer and learn from their mistakes. And you wanted an editor to stay with you from first edit through query letter.

Some of you who’ve been visiting Straight From Hel for a while know the kind of work I do. If not, you can link over and read a back and forth Q&A between me and author Sylvia Dickey Smith. Plus, I have a page on my website about my editing services.

But…I did say in the Build An Editor post that I would tell you about what I do as an editor. And I’ll say upfront that I don’t think I’m all that different from other editors.

When I get a manuscript, I begin reading. I tend to read about 20 pages, then take a break, then continue. Unlike some editors who make no edits on the first read-through, I do mark things and make comments. I try to catch the smallest things, like two spaces between sentences instead of one, medium things like sentences that don’t make sense, and big things like a character who has no arc. Small things like spacing or repeated words, I’ll change. A beginning that’s too slow, I comment on and sometimes give suggestions as to how it could start or where in the manuscript the book really should begin.

When I finish the manuscript, I set it aside for at least a day, then I begin another read-through. I do three read-throughs before I send it back to the author.

Although I’ve never had an author ask for their money back, I never cash their check until the manuscript is sent back to them.

Cashing the check does not mean the partnership is over, as far as I’m concerned. I’m considering that writer as “my author,” just as I hope they consider me “their editor.”

If she works on areas where I noted problems and wants me to look at it again, I do. If he does a big rewrite and wants to send the entire revised manuscript back for another read, I will. If she gets it polished and is ready to start querying, she can send me the query letter. I’ve discussed possible agents with some of my authors. Some have called with follow-up questions. A lot have hired me for their second or third book.

But as I said earlier, I don’t think I’m all that different from other editors. If you’re looking for someone to work with you on your book, do some research and then talk to your top 3 or 4 choices. Find someone you’re compatible with and who will do what you need them to do. Look at it as a long-term relationship and find someone you can work with over the long haul.

Build An Editor

If you could build your own editor, what would you create? I’m asking because I’d like to know what you would want done by a freelance editor.

Are you mostly looking for a line edit? Do you want someone who looks at the overall arc of your book? Time continuity? Plot mishaps?

Do you want someone who makes the changes and sends it back to you? Do you look for someone who will edit and leave the decision of whether to accept or reject those edits up to you? Do you want an editor to comment and tell you why s/he recommends something be changed?

Do you look for an editor who catches small things like two spaces between sentences instead of one? Do you want someone who is rigid and says, never do this? Or would you prefer an editor who says, this is not the way it’s done, but you can still do it your way as long as you’re consistent?

Do you want an editor who will edit the book then get out of your way? Do you prefer an editor who’s available from editing to querying?

What are you looking for when you hire an editor? And, if you say, everything - I want everything - then are you willing to pay for it?

Later this week, I’ll tell you what kind of editing I do.

Writing Dreams

Actually this isn’t a post about writing your dreams. Or dreaming about writing. It’s about what dreams can teach you about writing. (But that seemed like too long of a title.)

First, let me tell you about a dream I had this morning. I usually don’t remember dreams, but this one I do because I woke up during it.

I’m in my car, driving. The sun is high and bright. Heat radiates off the hood, causing me to squint. Despite the air conditioning, my left arm is hot from the sun glaring in the side window. I’m alone and headed back to the house. My husband is at home with the kids. As I turn into the neighborhood, I know this is not where I live now. It is not even where I lived when the kids were babies. It is the neighborhood where I lived as a child from one month to ten years old. Even though I know the way, I take a wrong turn. A car in front of me turns down a side street and I follow. At the first driveway, I u-turn and backtrack, until I get to our street. I roll down the windows and the sharp scent of the pine trees lining both sides of the road floats in. I pass the persimmon tree that has stood there forever, since I was a child and snitched persimmons on my walk home from school. I smile.

I approach the driveway. The house is the same as from my childhood. Except instead of a front yard, there is a small pond. The ground around the pond is wet, soupy, as if there had been a big rain. The mud lies between the water and the green grass that encircles it like a bright emerald picture frame. As I get closer to the house, I wonder about the lake. Will it stay against the hot sun? Will it be overtaken by the grass? What will the fish do if it dries up? Before I reach the house, I spot something lying in the mud, next to the brown water.

A child. A very young child in diapers. Face down.

I slam on the brakes and fly out of the car. Screaming for my husband.

A baby. My daughter.

I run toward her. The mud slows me, but I push through it, gunk caked over my shoes, sucking my feet down. I must lift my right foot high, shove it forward, then drag the left. Lift, shove, drag. Lift, shove, drag. She is still too far to reach.

My baby.

And then I wake.

Lisa Logan could interpret the dream for me, I’m sure. But I really don’t need her to since I know why I dreamed it. The dream itself and the purpose behind the dream isn’t particularly important. What it says about writing is.

I tried to write this dream as I experienced it, as I felt it. Notice the flow. I’m driving. I’m aware of the sun and the heat. The smells and the memories. My sentences are long, languid.

Then something goes wrong. In a flash I know what it is and I react. My sentences (and the scenes in my dream) become short, broken, fast, choppy.

I can’t reach my daughter. My sentences reflect that. They become complicated, as weighted down as my feet. Repetitive and laborious, as I slog through the mud. I’m no longer using words like “emerald,” “bright,” or “float.” Now, it’s “gunk,” “sucking,” and “drag.”

The last sentence is two words. A cry.

As you write, look at your sentences. Make them reflect, support, become the actions. When your scene becomes tense or hurried, your writing should make your readers’ hearts beat faster, not slower. As this dream became tense, I (in the dream) no longer notice the trees or the grass. If your character is about to get shot or is the one aiming his gun at someone, he’s not likely to admire the lone petunia in a pot. He may have seen it earlier, but now his focus, his life, has narrowed to one moment, one thought. And your writing should be just as focused.

As you edit your work, look at the different scenes in your book, whether they’re tense or funny, and make your words and sentences not just fit the mood, but establish the mood.

Is this something you’re aware of as you write and edit?