Writing and Publishing News

Do you wonder where to begin when it comes to self-editing? Do you sometimes feel as though you are going in circles when you read and re-read your manuscript? If you’re like many authors, you also change your mind a lot. Oh, the damage we can do when we change our minds in midstream while editing or proofing our manuscripts. You ought to see some of the problems that occur when an author decides to tweak his or her story even just a bit. Often, they neglect to change all aspects of it and something is mistakenly left in or erroneously taken out…

And, despite the author’s editorial diligence, he only knows what he knows and he will often overlook some serious editorial problems.

What do you know about self-editing? Do you make some of the most common mistakes in your manuscript or are you a fairly savvy author? For example, you may not realize that

• It is now one space between sentences—not two.

• The em-dash connects the two words. It does not dangle between them.

• There is no apostrophe in “the 1970s.”

• Parent’s indicates belonging to one parent.

• Parents’ indicates belonging to more than one parent.

• Than is used in comparisons—“Tommy is taller than Bobby.”

• Then has many meanings related to a point in time, progression of time, etc.

• You can make your writing more interesting by varying the words you use.

• A sentence that is connected by two or more “ands” is probably a run-on sentence.

• Clarity is vital, yet muddy writing is way too common among new authors.

• Few authors recognize their own editorial weaknesses.

• Age should be indicated by numerals, most other numbers under 100 are written.

Would you like to save thirty to fifty percent on your final professional manuscript editing? Learn how to more effectively edit your own work and lower your final editing bill. Work alongside an experienced editor. How? Sign up for Patricia Fry’s newest online course—Practical and Effective Self-Editing for Authors. Email me for the course description. This course is so new, it isn’t even posted at my website, yet. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Catscapades Update
Copies of Catscapades, True Cat Tales are starting to fly off the shelf and out of my office. I think it is the Mother’s Day frenzy that’s generating sales. I’m autographing a lot of books for special birthdays, as well. Order your own copy and those for friends and family today. If you like cats (or, like some of us, are cat-obsessed), you will fall in love with Lily—the kitten who almost didn’t make it past her three month birthday. Thankfully, gentle Lily lived to charm everyone who crosses her path, especially small children. You’ll enjoy reading about Gus, the reluctant babysitting cat and Frigie, the brown and white kitten who was cat-napped. Read more about Catscapades, True Cat Tales here. And place your birthday and Mother’s Day orders. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Yes, I think that’s going to be the title of my upcoming online workshop—Common Sense Self-Editing for Authors. I already told you I am in the process of designing an online memoir-writing workshop and I am also considering this self-editing workshop for authors, as well.

The concept of editing intimidates some authors. Those who are not intimidated by the thought of editing their manuscripts to perfection, probably don’t, yet, understand much about writing a book for publication. If you aren’t aware of the importance of good writing, you may not actually recognize it when you see it.

I know authors (or shall we call them would-be authors) who cannot distinguish between good and poor writing. They seem to believe that, because they “get” what they’ve written, others will, too. They know what they are attempting to say and they think that everyone else will also grasp it. These people cannot see problematic sentences. They know what the sentence is supposed to say and they believe that everyone else will, too. They don’t notice when they use incorrect words. If it works for them, it must be right. And if their spell-check doesn’t kick in, then they know for sure it is correct.

I wonder if some of these writers even care if they are connecting in a meaningful way with their readers. Or do they simply want to make a statement, say their piece, spill their guts, get it off their chest and/or experience the prestige of being a published author?

I believe that even these authors have some inkling that they need at least a little help with their way of writing. And what better method of improving your manuscript and learning techniques to apply in the future, than from the comfort and in the privacy of your home with the personal guidance of an experienced writer/author/editor/teacher. Yes, I think that Common Sense Self-Editing for Authors would be a welcome and valuable course (and maybe later, a book). But then, reading a book is far different from the hands-on process of learning that you can receive through a personalized, on-line, email course.

So what do you think? Is it something you’d like to do for yourself in order to improve your writing and self-editing techniques? I doubt that you’ll find this sort of on-hands process anywhere else. What an opportunity!

An expression of interest will prompt me to put this project on the front burner. Just let me know your thoughts: PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Catscapades Update
We received the proof for the new cover of Catscapades, True Cat Tales from 360 Digital Books yesterday and it is SCRUMPTIOUS. Love it! If you want copies of this charming book of true cat stories for Mother’s Day, order them now. Specify to me via my email address whether you want the book with the original cover—it has hot pink in areas where it is supposed to be black—or if you want to wait for the newly bound book. It will be here in time for Mother’s Day giving. These copies are limited, so reserve yours now. Learn more about this delightful book at: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Bobbie Florio Graham, and her cat, Terzo, introduced Catscapades in their Meow Newsletter yesterday. Thank you, Bobbi.

To learn more about Patricia Fry and Matilija Press, spend some time here: http://www.matilijapress.com

Are you confident that you are a good writer? Is your book manuscript in fabulous shape? Do your sentences accurately portray your story, do they share your feelings/thoughts and/or do they effectively pass along information or facts? Are the words you use correct and appropriate? Are your transitions effective? Are aspects of the story or the facts in your manuscript consistent?

I know that, as an author, you work very hard—in fact, excruciatingly so—to perfect your manuscript. And then you invite some of your most articulate friends to view it. Good for you! This is what I would advise.

But don’t stop there. This is just your preliminary responsibility to your project and, by the way your readers. Now it is time to hire an experienced book editor.

I cannot tell you how many problematic manuscripts I see even after the authors have taken these important steps I’ve outlined—even after they have followed my self-editing tips.

Just this week, I convinced a gentleman to let me take a look at his manuscript before he put the money out to have it published. He was reluctant because he felt it was ready and had already scheduled a May 1st publication date.

Mama Mia, you should have seen the problems I found: muddy, run-on sentences galore; incomplete sentences; unnecessarily repeated information and misused words and apostrophes—oh that crazy little apostrophe! The manuscript lacked transitions in many places, creating definite distractions and confusion for the reader. Oh my gosh, and the inconsistencies were abundant and truly troublesome. In one instance the man in the story was huge and in another, slight built. HUH? His name was Josh most of the time, but occasionally, he was referred to as Slim. This would be okay if there had been an explanation as to the name variances. There was a dog in the story and suddenly the dog disappeared without a trace. Did the author think his readers would not notice?

What editorial problems lurk in your prize manuscript?

Present your best effort while learning volumes about writing and editing. How? Hire a reliable, experienced book editor to fine-tune your amazing book manuscript. Some of them (including myself) teach as they edit so that you know where your weakness appear and exactly how to correct them. With time, your manuscripts will require fewer and fewer edits.

I’m providing FREE manuscript evaluations. Contact me for details: PLFry620@yahoo.com.
Read some of the testimonials from my happy clients here:
http://www.matilijapress.com/testimonials.html

I’m also considering developing an online editing course. What do you think? Would you be interested in taking it?

When you write a story—whether fiction or nonfiction—do you always connect the dots? In other words, do you make sure to carry your readers along with the story or do you drop them somewhere and make them have to work to catch up?

Do you sometimes get so tired of writing that you leave things out? Does your story move along so fast in your head that you miss writing down important steps? And what about segues? Do you sometimes forget to build bridges from one activity or action to another?

These are some of the mistakes that can be caught during your thorough editing process. But, it is difficult for the author, who is so close to the story, to always catch these blatant errors. These mishaps of fatigue or mistakes due to familiarity can sure ruin a good book.

For example, don’t have your character drive up to his house, turn off the car and then climb into bed. Of course, there are methods you can use to pull this off. You can have the character deep in thought as he pulls up to the house. Once you have the character express some of those thoughts and emotions, you can, perhaps, devise a clever segue having him shut down his overactive mind, go upstairs and turn in for the night.

Read and re-read your manuscript from various points of view, not just the same old stale position. I’ve said this before—get into your readers’ heads. View the story as if you are seeing it for the first time. You’ll definitely pick up on holes in your descriptions, unnecessarily repeated words and terms, misspelled names/words (usually because you changed someone’s name along the way) and areas where the dots need to be connected in order to make the story flow.

Just yesterday I was editing a manuscript where the author described her main character twice in two different chapters AND in two different ways. Now there’s a good way to keep your readers confused—not a good idea.

Once you have completed your thorough editing work, be sure to turn your manuscript over to an editor. He/she WILL see things that have escaped your keen examination. And this is oftentimes many, many more things than you can imagine.

This might be a good weekend to sit down with your manuscript using several new sets of eyes. Read it as if you are someone from Mars. Review it from the standpoint of an eager reader. Study it from an editor’s point of view (repeated words, spelling errors, inconsistencies, etc.)

You might find the “self-editing” section in my book, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,” of use in this process. Order your copy now at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Keep this book close at hand as you will refer to it often as you consider publishing options (I provide pros and cons to help you decide the best option for your project), pursue distributors and wholesalers, present your first book signing, attend a book festival, send press releases announcing your book, seek out conferences where you can sign up as an expert presenter on behalf of your book, wonder about getting book reviews (I tell you how to get LOTS of them), develop your marketing plan and so very much more.

Do you stress and strain over every word you write? Are your sentences sometimes difficult to form? Do you have trouble writing what you think you want to say? Do your paragraphs seem a little rough when you reread them? Or do you firmly believe that, because you have worked so hard on your manuscript, it is well-written and ready to publish?

If you are a new writer—you’ve never written anything more detailed than an office memo, letters/emails and maybe even the church bulletin—you probably need an editor.

I’ve met only a handful of first-time authors who could appropriately organize and write a meaningful book of any merit without extensive help from a qualified editor.

You may not even know that you are misspelling words or using the wrong words—such as “then” in place of “than” or “too” in place of “to,” for example. You may think that your run-on sentences give your story clarity. You may really like the way you’ve over-described characters and scenes. You may not actually have a clue as to how confusing your writing is until someone shows you the difference.

And what an opportunity to learn! I love it when my clients come to me with a new project reflecting what I previously taught them. Wow! To see writers break old habits, grow in the way they create scenes, improve their ability to portray characters, write better transitions and just write with more consistency and skill, makes my day. And it definitely better positions these authors in this fiercely competitive book-selling market.

If you plan to write a book—and why not, everyone is—start saving up your money or set some aside for an experienced book editor. You’ll be doing yourself and America’s literary health a huge favor.

As an editor, I sometimes get manuscripts after the writer’s friend, a retired college professor or a coworker edits it for free. And I can tell you, I’m immediately aware that this was a total waste of everyone’s time.

My suggestion? If you don’t have the money to pay a decent book manuscript editor, don’t even consider publishing your book. Go ahead and write it if you want, but keep it to yourself. If you dream of being published—it’s truly important to you—then put on your big girl/guy pants and find a way to hire an experienced editor. This step can make the difference between a successful or a failed book.

How do you choose a good editor? Choose someone

• with years, instead of weeks, of experience as a writer, author and editor.
• who comes highly recommended.
• with good references—yes ask for references.
• whose style and work you like—yes, ask for a sample of what they intend doing for you.

And choose someone who knows something about the publishing and bookselling industry. You’ll get so much more for your money.

I may not be the right editor for every project, but I’d like to take a look at yours. Did you hear? I’m dropping my hourly rate to my 2000 rate—$40 instead of $50/hour. This means that it might cost you under $1,200 for me to edit your 200-page manuscript. If you land a publisher, get a review in Library Journal and/or New York Times and/or have your book accepted by a major bookseller, for example, it is well worth the investment, isn’t it?

Email me for a free manuscript evaluation: PLFry620@yahoo.com.

And for help getting your manuscript in good shape before hiring an editor, read the section on self-editing tips for authors in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Professionals recommend that you hire an editor before you start shopping your manuscript around—even before you self-publish. You know this, but you balk at the idea. You say, “An editor might change my voice.” “I don’t want to spend the money—I don’t even know if I can get this book published.” “If I get it published, will it even sell?” “Is it really worth spending the money for an editor?”

The truth is, your dream of landing a publisher is more realistic if you have worked with a qualified editor. Once your book is published, your chances of attracting readers grow considerably when you can present a well-written, professionally edited product.

Okay, so you decide that you probably should have an editor take a look at your manuscript. But who? How do you locate one? How do you choose one? Here are some guidelines that might help. Choose an editor who,

• has been recommended.

• comes with good references.

• is credible within the industry.

• understands the publishing industry and what it takes to get published.

• knows the purpose and the process of writing a book proposal and a query letter.

• is familiar with your book subject and/or genre.

• will evaluate a portion of your manuscript and give you an estimate.

• will offer a sample edit on 250-500 words or so of your manuscript.

• will do a final edit/proof (after you’ve revised your manuscript based on her suggestions) for a lower rate.

This should eliminate from your list of potential editors, your son’s high school PE teacher, the retired professor down the street and your co-worker who seems to have a mastery of the English language.

Your editor doesn’t have to be someone you’ve actually met. Business is conducted via the Internet every day, including the business of editing. If it makes you feel better, you might have a telephone conversation with your editor of choice in order to get a sense about this person.

Beware of the lowball estimate for editorial work. The concept, “you get what you pay for” is true in this profession, as well. I know one author who politely turned down my editorial services and went with someone she found on the Internet. Certainly, the $340 estimate for editing her 250-page manuscript was a refreshing consideration after hearing my $1,200 bid. In the end, however, this author was extremely disappointed. She believes that the “editing” process she paid for was nothing more than a quick spellcheck. This turned out to be a costly decision, after all.

Whether your book is fiction or nonfiction, a children’s story or a reference book, do yourself and your project a favor and hire a qualified editor.

For more about self-editing and hiring an editor, read Chapter Nine of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Patricia Fry as Your Editor
Let me give you a sample edit and an estimate on your fabulous manuscript. I also work with articles. PLFry620@yahoo.com. See some of my client testimonials here:
http://www.matilijapress.com/testimonials.html