A writer,
especially a new writer, is understandably excited and eager to get his/her
manuscript to an agent for consideration or self-published. But, it’s imperative
you submit writing that shows an agent there’s reason to be interested in you
as a promising writer, or make certain it’s ready to self-publish.
As a
writer, you are attached to your manuscript—your baby. I get that. As someone who provides services for writers, I
get attached too . . . because I care
deeply about assisting clients to have better experiences as writers, with
their first and subsequent manuscripts.
If you,
for whatever reason, don’t use the services of an editor, please let up to
three people read through your manuscript and give feedback, before you send it
to an agent or self-publish it. If this is something you don’t choose to do, or
if you do, read your manuscript aloud to
yourself—and not at a rapid pace, before you let anyone else read it. You will
catch things you didn’t see before and you’ll also hear how it will sound in the
minds of readers.
I’m not
saying this because it’s what I do, but because it’s a fact: one thing every
writer, especially a new writer,
needs is a developmental editor s/he trusts. Here’s why—and it’s something from
The Creative Penn I wish I’d written:
“My manuscript came
back covered in red ink/littered with Track Changes. I’m really upset by the
comments. How do I cope with the difficulty of being edited?
Okay,
here’s the sad fact: If your editor is not returning a manuscript covered in
red ink/littered with Track Changes, you need a new editor. That’s our job. Our
number one goal is to make your work look brilliant. We aren’t judging you, we aren’t
trying to make you look bad, and we certainly aren’t saying your writing isn’t
fabulous. We’re saying: “Hey, good manuscript—here are the things you
can/should do to make it even better.” Because that’s what you’re paying us to
do.
It’s
hard to divorce yourself from the emotional element of producing this creative
work, and to begin to view your novel as a product (I know—I used the ‘P’ word)
rather than the flesh of your flesh. The editing process, however, is a great
place to start doing that. Take
a deep breath, recognize that all writers go through this pain, and try to
listen objectively to what your editor is saying about your work.”
There are
best-selling authors who do a number of revisions before they ever submit a
manuscript to their publisher. Some do as many as ten revisions (some do more) before
they even consider it submission-ready. And there are those like best-seller Elizabeth
George who do all the preparation
first, before ever starting the draft. George explained that when the
manuscript for her first novel came back from her publisher, it was accompanied
by forty or so pages of notes, and nearly all of them addressed character
development. So she focused on improving her skill with this. Her second novel
came back with around thirty pages of notes that mostly focused on developing setting;
so she worked to improve that. She then created a system that allowed her to develop
these (and all the scenes) prior to writing the draft because, she said, she
wanted to avoid having that level of major revision, as much as possible, ever
again. When she submitted her third novel, it was accepted as it was. She’d
done the work beforehand and it paid off. (All writers have one or more people
read what they’ve written before they send it to an agent, publisher, or
self-publish it—or they should.)
Note: No
matter how ready you or your editor feels your manuscript is for an agent to
consider it, even if the agent loves what you’ve written, s/he may still make
suggestions. And if a publisher picks you up as a writer, the editor assigned
to you may make suggestions as well. It’s a fact of life in the industry.
After
providing services to new writers for going on two decades, I can tell what
level of skill and knowledge of the craft the writer has and can then base my
recommendations on this. I do what I do not only to show them how to improve
their manuscript but also to assist them to improve as a writer, which is what proper
guidance should accomplish. Not all writers want this. They prefer to write and
let their editor fix and polish what they wrote, a service that can, at times,
border on ghost writing for the editor.
If you’ve
yet to experience a revision, it’s a process of clearing out what doesn’t
belong, filling in any gaps in plot and or character (or content for non-fiction)
development, tightening the writing as needed, clearing up the technical matters
(spelling, punctuation, etc.), possibly reorganizing the structure, and doing
this until everything flows from start to finish. Sending your manuscript to an
agent or self-publishing it before you are certain it ALL works is a disservice
to you as a writer and the time, energy, and effort you put into your
manuscript so far. It’s also a disservice to readers.
Okay, I
understand that editing costs, especially developmental editing; and the cost
is always a result of the level of service the editor has to provide. The
better skilled the writer is the less time involved for the editor. But your
editor can, will, or should be able to tell you when your manuscript is ready
for either self-publishing or submission to an agent.
Too
often, new writers believe they can make one
revision to their work, based on their editor’s suggestions from that first
viewing, and then deem the manuscript done—in final form—ready to go to an
agent or be self-published. This may or may not be the case; it often isn’t. More
often than not, one revision just gets the manuscript closer to where it
deserves to go.
One of my
clients made my suggested revisions, but did not send it to me to check it or
to a proofreader before she put it into print. Not only are there major typos (and
formatting issues), but some of my notes were left in, as well. This is
something that can and should be avoided. Let’s face it: typos happen even in
best-sellers, but some things should never be included in your final product,
especially your editor’s notes to you.
One of
the best things you can do for yourself and your manuscript is find a
developmental editor you trust—whose services clearly demonstrate benefit to
you as a writer and your work—and then listen to what s/he advises. If you work
with an editor you trust, then also trust him or her to advise you as to when
your manuscript is ready to go. I’m not saying don’t trust your instincts, but
don’t send your submission to an agent or put the manuscript into print before
it’s truly ready. You don’t want to overwork a manuscript, but it is never a
good or wise idea to be in a rush with it either. Make your manuscript the best
you can before you move it forward.
I wish
you the best with your writing, process, and progress.
Joyce
Shafer
“Editor, Joyce Shafer.
What can I say? Simply put, no Joyce, no book. Part editor, part coach, part
teacher, Joyce was absolutely phenomenal throughout the entire
editing process. Working with Joyce was like taking a graduate course in
writing with your all-time favorite teacher and you were the only student. I
just can't say enough good things. Allow me a shameless plug for her services
at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/
~ Eric Berbig, Author of The People’s Will
Work with Joyce L. Shafer as your writing coach
or developmental editor. Details about her services, including The
Chapter-by-Chapter Get-Your-Book-Written Writer’s Incentive Coaching at http://editmybookandmore.weebly.com/
