tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post2431756108687459761..comments2024-03-17T07:55:51.361+00:00Comments on Help! I Need a Publisher!: MYTHS ABOUT WRITING: 1 - I CAN LEAVE IT TO EDITORSNicola Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-17128765820799239492009-10-09T16:45:57.151+01:002009-10-09T16:45:57.151+01:00I'm one of those who keeps editing, but doesn&...I'm one of those who keeps editing, but doesn't send the manuscripts off. <br /><br />Shall take note and get on with it.Deborah Carr (Debs)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03223653554549707595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-45387148122764795752009-10-09T15:18:53.454+01:002009-10-09T15:18:53.454+01:00first impressions count.
I love you. Authors ofte...<b>first impressions count. </b><br />I love you. Authors often lose sight of that because it's very hard to put oneself into someone else's shoes. But when I see a manuscript filled with what can only be described as sheer laziness, I see that as a lack of respect for me, and for themself. <br /><br />Given my druthers, why on earth would I chose someone with that little regard for Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-82320287708236415202009-10-09T09:15:22.293+01:002009-10-09T09:15:22.293+01:00As an editor I couldn't agree more with this p...As an editor I couldn't agree more with this post. I don't want to see your manuscript until you feel you have taken it as far as it can possibly go. Only then will I be able to add real value to your work.BubbleCowhttp://www.bubblecow.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-46336451890297246882009-10-09T01:07:15.187+01:002009-10-09T01:07:15.187+01:00As an unknown, I had always assumed what I sent in...As an unknown, I had always assumed what I sent in had to be as perfect as was humanly possible. First impressions count, right?<br /><br />Great post and more food for thought. Thanks!Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01686142500678187823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-69384376821257795982009-10-08T18:50:46.514+01:002009-10-08T18:50:46.514+01:00I only just found your blog after reading your int...I only just found your blog after reading your interview at Nik's blog (great BTW). Last night I sat down to read this post and got to voice slippage- skipped to that post and then became very depressed. I have seven published books and when I read that I felt like I knew nothing at all. Sick head. Sick stomach. Only remedy- bed. <br /><br />Today I'm back and better and have accepted Laurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112458658109887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-2440528888172805082009-10-08T07:23:05.179+01:002009-10-08T07:23:05.179+01:00You wouldn't present a half cooked cake (if yo...You wouldn't present a half cooked cake (if you can help it) for a special event. Getting your manuscript as professionaly presentable as you can should be a matter of pride. Of course you will be edited but I found it rather pleasurable, all these clever people combing over my baby. I presented it as well as I could and was pleased to say my publisher told me I needed a 'light edit' Phillipahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00264700263885367373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-13524058927232338422009-10-08T05:27:23.636+01:002009-10-08T05:27:23.636+01:00Wow...I wish I read this before I sent my transcri...Wow...I wish I read this before I sent my transcript out!! But in all seriousness I was proud when my editor told me that she could not find any fixes (that made me worry!) and my first book was published as is...<br />Do it right or not at all is the way I was taught, and always learn from your mistakes.<br />As always, thanks for your great advise.Michael Shawn Kellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18128088959247593794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-427319170760908412009-10-08T00:40:41.539+01:002009-10-08T00:40:41.539+01:00Anna - a pleasure. Hav just visited your interesti...Anna - a pleasure. Hav just visited your interesting blog and added your first comments! I hope you enjoy blogging as much as I have <br /><br />All - will get back to replying to you when I get home tomorrow evening. I should be asleep.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-91471957020323783222009-10-08T00:33:52.978+01:002009-10-08T00:33:52.978+01:00Anon - I'm new to using blogspot so hadn't...Anon - I'm new to using blogspot so hadn't found that buried in the settings. I've enabled anonymous comments now.<br /><br />Okay, hopefully ceasing to hijack Nicola's comments section now...Go away googlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00920753582190379988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-24222714753748273142009-10-08T00:01:15.667+01:002009-10-08T00:01:15.667+01:00Anna:
Your blog is v. interesting. If you enabled...Anna:<br /><br />Your blog is v. interesting. If you enabled Anonymous comments, I'd be there in a flash.<br /><br />Not sure if that's a -good- thing, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-14639078467792621742009-10-07T23:20:09.836+01:002009-10-07T23:20:09.836+01:00Thanks, Nicola. As you liked my input I'll now...Thanks, Nicola. As you liked my input I'll now do the shameless thing and promote my blog, which only has a few posts so far but which I've set up in part to discuss thorny issues in publishing, at least some of which will likely be of interest to your readers:<br />http://chocolatekeyboard.blogspot.comGo away googlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00920753582190379988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-46054100286416924552009-10-07T22:59:01.281+01:002009-10-07T22:59:01.281+01:00Very good post.
I worked very hard on the second n...Very good post.<br />I worked very hard on the second novel and gave myself time to leave it alone for a few months, came back at it, made it the best I could and delivered it two weeks ahead of deadline.<br /><br />My editor called me a genius, and my main characters were divine. Then she went on to give me two pages where she suggested 'room for development' as she so nicely put it.<br Ebony McKenna.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02724727996270658767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-45659537436002884102009-10-07T22:42:49.860+01:002009-10-07T22:42:49.860+01:00I'm a perfectionist, too, so this post made me...I'm a perfectionist, too, so this post made me cheer.<br /><br />Actually, it reminded me of your very first post, Nicola, about unexcusable ignorance. You said a question was stupid if you could Google it and come up with an answer. That stupidity really boiled down to laziness- an unwillingness to do even basic research.<br /><br />To me, grammar and punctuation are the same sort of Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06909176210194176373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-15979428756713253122009-10-07T20:21:17.991+01:002009-10-07T20:21:17.991+01:00That's not just a blank bullet point, Nicola, ...That's not just a blank bullet point, Nicola, that's a reflection of the essential emptiness of my prose, and I stared into the void and wept bitter tears. <br /><br />ProeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-62623131333358191162009-10-07T19:27:46.703+01:002009-10-07T19:27:46.703+01:00Ooh, finally something I can comment on usefully (...Ooh, finally something I can comment on usefully (maybe) – because I am a copy editor (of non-fiction, but still).<br /><br />In your section about copy editors’ duties, there’s a telling omission. You’ve neglected to mention the most important aspect of any copy editor’s job (in my opinion anyway): to pick up text that just doesn’t make sense. Text that you read and think ‘Eh? What the hell doesJaneFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03920957855661479676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-79155980428578605612009-10-07T18:09:29.653+01:002009-10-07T18:09:29.653+01:00Having first been an editor--and now an author, I ...Having first been an editor--and now an author, I agree entirely with what you say, Nicola. My editor has just left for a sabbatical and I am now working with another who has taken over the project(a reissue of a very long previous book in a new 12 book series format). She doesn't know the original book (not her fault), so I am having to be extra careful and pick up all sorts of things that Lucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774389681477698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-19394291608537766112009-10-07T17:45:48.542+01:002009-10-07T17:45:48.542+01:00Anne--I love that advice, and will have to take it...Anne--I love that advice, and will have to take it!<br /><br />I am a total perfectionist (and it seems I'm in good company) so I have a whole team of wonderful people helping me before I send my manuscript out. My husband is King of Anachronisms and busts my chops on anything that doesn't quite add up. My Mom is in charge of "this scene is boring--amp up the tension!" My Rebecca Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15214077952378770753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-5058031700841371352009-10-07T17:42:12.029+01:002009-10-07T17:42:12.029+01:00Thanks all - am still on trains so difficult to co...Thanks all - am still on trains so difficult to comment fully. Marisa - thanks for pointing out the typo but it'll hav to wait till I can properly access it! Proof-reading from the blogger desktop before posting is hard and I scheduled the post for while travelling!<br /><br />Anne - v good tip. <br /><br />Proe - are you referring to my rogue typo bullet with no point attached?!<br /><br />Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-64443506184554586322009-10-07T17:22:26.271+01:002009-10-07T17:22:26.271+01:00Frightening the number of times I've heard thi...Frightening the number of times I've heard this 'the editor does it all' attitude from unpublished writers!Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-21324230399990313872009-10-07T17:06:32.422+01:002009-10-07T17:06:32.422+01:00My tip would be to find an eagle-eyed friend (a wr...My tip would be to find an eagle-eyed friend (a writer or other word-conscious person) to give your manuscript a final read-through, to try and catch any lurking typos. One of the first things I learnt when I worked in non-fiction publishing was "You can't proofread your own work". Doesn't stop me from trying, of course...<br /><br />If you can't find a suitable proofreadingAnne Lylehttp://www.annelyle.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-76431290014130831202009-10-07T16:47:40.743+01:002009-10-07T16:47:40.743+01:00Oh yes. And increasingly, with staffing levels goi...Oh yes. And increasingly, with staffing levels going down, time is a deciding issue. A good manuscript which can be polished with a bit of back and forth between the editor and the author is going to win over a manuscript with flashes of genius but a lot of muddle to sort out.<br /><br />When I was last working in-house I did actually enjoy sorting out text that was bad enough to need significantGo away googlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00920753582190379988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-42834716433252943292009-10-07T16:35:07.954+01:002009-10-07T16:35:07.954+01:00Sally:
Of course the problem isn't with my ag...Sally:<br /><br />Of course the problem isn't with my agent. The problem is with the triple-cursed publishers! (And surely you're not suggesting the problem is with -me-. I assure you that I neevr err.)<br /><br />Actually, I just got off the phone with my agent. He's a pretty big agent who likes making pretty big deals. The book is currently a horror novel. But he says if I rewrite Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-75567811699100441792009-10-07T16:14:22.221+01:002009-10-07T16:14:22.221+01:00Sorry for the meaningless opening to the last para...Sorry for the meaningless opening to the last paragraph. I meant 'Many' not 'More.'Sally Zigmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07520579251842006765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-51096668404814334932009-10-07T16:10:34.418+01:002009-10-07T16:10:34.418+01:00I was going to write something about how grateful ...I was going to write something about how grateful I am to my editor, copy-editor and proof-reader(s). Without them I would have had egg all over my face and more. I am typo-blind. Also, an historical novel is littered with potential anachronisms and even the slightest historical reference my editor queried I had to justify--with named sources.<br /><br />But what I feel I must do is answer our Sally Zigmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07520579251842006765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2488887316391780144.post-146359871144938952009-10-07T15:30:47.039+01:002009-10-07T15:30:47.039+01:00Thank you, Nicola. I now know I am obsessed for go...Thank you, Nicola. I now know I am obsessed for good reason! "Don't over work it," say my well meaning friends who are not writers. <br /><br />"Arrrrrgh!" say I, every day, not just Talk Like A Pirate Day. "It's not <i>ready</i>. I'll know when it is."<br /><br />And, blog readers make great proofers!Patience-pleasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13262203054740351060noreply@blogger.com