tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post8330987303013640619..comments2024-03-24T20:54:42.846-04:00Comments on Spunk On A Stick's Tips: The Importance of a Professional Book EditorL. Diane Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-37743912432392100462010-08-27T11:52:30.500-04:002010-08-27T11:52:30.500-04:00Janet, you nailed it!
Thanks everyone reading thi...Janet, you nailed it!<br /><br />Thanks everyone reading this post!L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-36649126844625391502010-08-27T08:49:13.333-04:002010-08-27T08:49:13.333-04:00This is good advice. I've never paid for an ed...This is good advice. I've never paid for an editor. . . yet. My critique group has went over my stories and have been very helpful. I've seen books self published that should have been edited before publishing. I think we need to just scrape up the money and find a good editor if we want our book to be it's best.Janethttp://creativewritingintheblackberrypatch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-19842269708552107712010-08-23T01:44:35.814-04:002010-08-23T01:44:35.814-04:00Great advice. I'll be keeping this in mind fo...Great advice. I'll be keeping this in mind for the future.<br /><br />lee<br /><a href="http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Tossing It Out</a>Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-32410876276173217332010-08-22T08:15:35.480-04:002010-08-22T08:15:35.480-04:00What a great post, Diane. I see many people here w...What a great post, Diane. I see many people here who left comments about finding a good editor...here I am! LOL --<br /><br />It is so much more important than most people realize to have their work professionally edited. As you and others said, it can mean a big difference in book sales and reputation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-70055485904424212812010-08-20T15:36:04.596-04:002010-08-20T15:36:04.596-04:00Good editing and proofreading is an absolute must ...Good editing and proofreading is an absolute must no matter what way people decide to publish.<br /><br />JaiJai Joshihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858987106548357551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-831121361301738812010-08-19T19:46:27.379-04:002010-08-19T19:46:27.379-04:00Editors are expensive, but you can get the most ou...Editors are expensive, but you can get the most out of your money by making sure your manuscript is as good as you can make it before you get an editor involved.<br /><br />I use the AutoCrit Editing Wizard as part of my process. It finds things that I've missed. It definitely makes my manuscript better...which leaves less for a human editor to find.Janinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272527704400070501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-21971067027550942572010-08-19T19:36:26.886-04:002010-08-19T19:36:26.886-04:00Bob, as I told J Kaye, you request a sample at the...Bob, as I told J Kaye, you request a sample at the level of editing you need and let the editor do a few pages to a chapter for you - then you can judge how well they did. Also, get a list of references - other books and authors they have edited.L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-27738785611485767242010-08-19T14:06:02.626-04:002010-08-19T14:06:02.626-04:00Hiring a professional editor is a good idea, but.....Hiring a professional editor is a good idea, but...<br /><br />How do you know a good one when you find one? How do you know what is a fair price? Can you afford it? Will you get your money's worth, and how will you ever know?<br /><br />Having unbiased eyes read your manuscript is essential, though. You need nitpickers as well as people who can see the holes in your plot. And as difficult as it can be, you should be your own critic. Do the spell check. Don't get enthralled with your own story line. Make believe it's someone else's work and fix everything you can before showing to someone else. Then after you see their comments, evaluate them, because they could be wrong. Don't blindly accept every suggestion.Bob Sanchezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08350825385315155962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-49683077179700107792010-08-19T11:35:05.548-04:002010-08-19T11:35:05.548-04:00Excellent advice. I couldn't afford to hire an...Excellent advice. I couldn't afford to hire an editor but I did trade critiquing with a talented friend. And I landed an agent. So it can be done one way or another, but I'd never submit a ms without someone qualified looking it over.Peggy Frezonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11087038771857532951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-65393778853517422822010-08-19T10:06:10.502-04:002010-08-19T10:06:10.502-04:00It's excellenet advice, but I agree that the m...It's excellenet advice, but I agree that the money prevents most writers from doing this. For me it was invaluable, and I'm not published yet, but it made me a better writer and improved my wip. If it means that much to you I think it's worth doing some research and paying an editor.Simon Hayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09384384882217609761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-50845585872723891182010-08-19T09:02:16.578-04:002010-08-19T09:02:16.578-04:00Great quotes, Diane - thanks for the tips :)Great quotes, Diane - thanks for the tips :)Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-49343272521163461002010-08-19T07:56:32.230-04:002010-08-19T07:56:32.230-04:00Duly noted. I know how many mistakes I made with m...Duly noted. I know how many mistakes I made with my first book!Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-66848027172753850142010-08-19T07:52:08.117-04:002010-08-19T07:52:08.117-04:00Absolutely! There's so much that we just CAN&#...Absolutely! There's so much that we just CAN'T see because we've read that manuscript so many times. Helen makes a good point--getting the ms in good shape before sending it to an independent editor means the editing will be less expensive.Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-11778295277017036912010-08-19T07:23:45.586-04:002010-08-19T07:23:45.586-04:00L. Diane Wolfe, thank you! BTW, great post. :)L. Diane Wolfe, thank you! BTW, great post. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-44017437944239444842010-08-19T07:08:49.133-04:002010-08-19T07:08:49.133-04:00J Kaye, request a sample and ask what other books ...J Kaye, request a sample and ask what other books they have edited. Good editors will edit a small portion of your book for free. Then you can judge for yourself how well they did with your work.L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-73400127885843113252010-08-19T07:06:28.632-04:002010-08-19T07:06:28.632-04:00L. Diane Wolfe - Yes, I could always google, but h...L. Diane Wolfe - Yes, I could always google, but how do you know the good from the bad?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-23648815645597596732010-08-19T07:04:32.388-04:002010-08-19T07:04:32.388-04:00Summer, becoming an author is not cheap!
J Kaye, ...Summer, becoming an author is not cheap!<br /><br />J Kaye, I have several websites that list editors I can send you and you can always Google 'book editors' (with or without your choosen genre) and pull up a bunch.<br /><br />Helen, that is spot on! The more cleaning up you can do a head of time, the lower the level of editing you will require - and less money it will cost.<br /><br />Stephen, you're right! And mid-life crisis - LOL!<br /><br />Clarissa, that is so true. And most writers don't realize how much money they will end up pouring into their book even after editing.L. Diane Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06425864276166334896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-29054623715787253792010-08-19T06:35:41.147-04:002010-08-19T06:35:41.147-04:00Great quotes. Great advice. Thanks for sharing!Great quotes. Great advice. Thanks for sharing!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-30549798413740583272010-08-19T03:10:38.180-04:002010-08-19T03:10:38.180-04:00Some very good tips and advice there. as I hope to...Some very good tips and advice there. as I hope to publish a second poetry book in the future I am taking all these tips on board.<br /><br />Yvonne.RHYTHM AND RHYMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11386975261804630799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-59218198219580938592010-08-18T23:07:10.841-04:002010-08-18T23:07:10.841-04:00I agree. I think the problem many new writers have...I agree. I think the problem many new writers have is that editing is expensive and writers are poor.<br /><br />CDAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160669603997465454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-43429872776882547532010-08-18T23:00:40.028-04:002010-08-18T23:00:40.028-04:00Great advice, Diane. We're too close to our wo...Great advice, Diane. We're too close to our work to see what's wrong with it, at least that's my case. Thanks.Beverly Stowe McClurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176195451841801819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-57504296709212561242010-08-18T22:59:28.225-04:002010-08-18T22:59:28.225-04:00I don't think compitent and reasonably priced ...I don't think compitent and reasonably priced editors, in this economy, are hard to find. Many very able editors will work for 2-3 dollars a page. <br /><br />On the surface this may seem like a large chunk of change. But I know people who spend this kind of money in a weekend getaway. Or on new clothes. Or a new toy. Or any other number of things they really do not need.<br /><br />Your sacrifice of blood, sweat, tears, and family time is worthy of the investment. This is your baby. Your mid-life crisis. Your dream come true. Don't mess it up by skimping on an editor. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.stephentremp.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Stephen Tremp</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-56012232634985061422010-08-18T22:55:44.456-04:002010-08-18T22:55:44.456-04:00Great quotes, Diane.
Freelance editors can't...Great quotes, Diane. <br /><br />Freelance editors can't guarantee you'll find an agent or publisher and, yes, hiring one can be expensive. Work on your manuscript yourself, then get a critiquer to help or a trusted reader. Do everything you can before you approach an editor. The better shape your work is in, the better your chances are that you won't have to pay as much for an outside editor. If they charge by the hour, they won't have to spend as much time on the manuscript. If they charge by the page, most likely they'll ask for a sample before telling you what they'll charge and the better shape your work is in, the less they'll charge, usually.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-62639430853173456852010-08-18T22:15:54.563-04:002010-08-18T22:15:54.563-04:00The struggle continues. I had someone offer me a d...The struggle continues. I had someone offer me a deal.<br />Nancy<br /><a href="http://nrwilliams.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">N. R. Williams, fantasy author</a>N. R. Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02174506528962095858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11634512.post-40118043457132113482010-08-18T22:03:42.086-04:002010-08-18T22:03:42.086-04:00My question would be how would you go about findin...My question would be how would you go about finding an editor for hire in your manuscript's genre?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com