Yes, it seems as though you are attempting a juggling act when you discover all of the tasks involved with being a published author, right?
Over and over again, I hear new authors say, in so many words, “I didn’t know that being an author was such hard work. I just didn’t know what was involved.”
Most of us spend long days and nights during the research and writing process. We tell others, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done—the details, the learning curve, the mental (and sometimes emotional) drain… It’s grueling. It’s fun. I love the writing. But it’s also grueling and demanding.”
Many of you reading this are saying, “YES!! She has nailed it! Writing a book is darn hard work.” And no one, except another author, can fully appreciate the sacrifices we make, the hours we put in and the challenges we face.
Ah, to finish the manuscript—then you’ll have your life back, right? Well, let’s look at your checklist. Have you written a book proposal? What about a publisher? Do you have a list of appropriate ones? Do you know how to approach publishers? And is your manuscript ready to be published? Have you turned it over to a good editor?
That should be your next step—finding a good editor and spending the $550 to $5,000 (depending on the size and condition of your manuscript) to have your book edited.
A good editor can make the difference, for you, between rejection and acceptance. Think about it. With the enormous amount of competition today, doesn’t it make sense to present the absolute best manuscript package possible? And if you’re going with a POD or you will self-publish (establish your own publishing company), don’t you want to give your readers an excellent read rather than a mediocre one? I’m sure you prefer to receive good reviews rather than critical ones. And the difference, for many authors, is in the final editing of their manuscript.
How do you find an editor? Word of mouth is often viable. Read testimonials and check references. But be sure to choose someone who is embedded in the publishing industry—someone who knows books—and, preferably, someone who is familiar with your genre and/or topic.
Who to avoid:
• Someone who has never written his/her own book.
• Someone who has never edited a book before.
• Someone who has been out of touch with writing and publishing for years.
• Someone who offers proofing or simple copy editing only.
Most editors will offer a free or inexpensive manuscript evaluation and give you an example of their editing style with regard to your manuscript.
A good editor will:
• Offer line editing along with copy editing to make sure that your story or instructional book (for example) works.
• Make suggestions only. You make the final decision.
• NOT change your voice or your intent.
Hiring editorial assistance isn’t cheap. Good editors get $30 to $100/hour or $ 3.75 to $20 per page, depending on the work needed. A 200-page manuscript could cost between $750 and $4,000 to have professionally edited, with the average, for a manuscript that is in pretty good shape, being around $1,500.
Actually, I didn’t mean to go down the editing path again this morning. My intent was to discuss what happens after publishing. But my intuition stopped me here. There must be an author out there who is reading my blog and who needs to hear this message today.
I’ll talk about what comes after publishing tomorrow.
In the meantime, I have one client who is using my self-editing tips in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (2007 edition), pages 179 – 187 to clean up his manuscript himself. Then his wife, who has a good eye, looks at it. And then he sends it to me for the final edit. It isn’t costing him as much money as it would had he not made the effort to learn some self-editing techniques.
Order your copy of this book (which should be on every author’s or hopeful author’s desk) at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
And remember, my next online book proposal course starts Monday, September 15. Sign up now and have a completed book proposal ready to show around by Thanksgiving. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm