Writers On The Move: Book Editing

Showing posts with label Book Editing. Show all posts

The Work of Editing

So you have probably all seen the images showing how much time is spent actually writing. Sad but true, that even when we, as writers are working at our best capacity, we still find ways to be distracted.

I work in an office that is almost exclusively used for my writing, yet, still I find myself moving containers, getting my tea where it is handy, straightening books, etc. Moving, organizing, and preparing are as much a part of the writing process as actually putting my fingers on the keyboard.

Of course, I must do a bit of thinking - although sometimes this is done well before I make my way to the studio to work. It is done in a bathtub, hammock or even in bed. Sometimes while walking, doing dishes or making beds.

Finally, I get words onto the screen.

All too soon, the creative process is over and its time to edit. And that part of the process is exhausting - both in time and intensity of work.

Recently, I was asked to edit an autobiography. The original had been published in Guatemala and now the author was prepared to publish in the U.S. She had searched for an editor, someone who would edit lightly so as to leave her voice. I apparently made the cut and was trusted with the work.

Editing a piece of writing that is being translated is in itself interesting. Verbs are generally inconsistent due to tense issues. Present and past tense met and merged throughout the document and had to be fixed. As she had requested, I was mindful in my editing to her voice as a native Guatemalan. One thing I found immediately, editing lightly allowed me to be less ruthless than I am generally with my own work, especially with word choice and in particular regarding verbs.

Another challenge was homonyms. These were varied and kept me on my toes. I was also made mindful of cultural differences in how individuals referenced each other.

As I worked to finished the initial portion of the project, I gave much thought to the amount of time, but also to the final product. Editing is a must, but with this project there was no need to agonize for word choice.

I came to realize that the editing process is really made up of several different evaluations.

1. General grammar:

Checking for correct spelling, capitalization, and sentence structure.

2. Format:

Line spacing, font and size type

3. Story or plot line:

Does the story flow? Does it keep the reader's attention?

4. Word choice

Strengthening verbs or other descriptions, reviewing metaphors and similes.

Editing is in itself an effort of love, a love of the process.

__________________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, House of Glass, Book 2 of The Exodus Serieswas written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole, and Perception.The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook.

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Part 5: Adjectives and Commas

Image by Peter Arkle

I'm back with more punctuation tips!

Commas between two adjectives

When you have two adjectives in a row, sometimes you put a comma between and sometimes you don't. The fancy grammar explanation has to do with whether the adjectives are coordinate or non-coordinate, and their underlying semantic categories, but you don't really need to know all that. All you need is the rule of thumb.

Rule of Thumb:

If you can REVERSE the two words or put AND between them, and it still sounds okay, you need the comma (to show that the adjectives are equal).

If you can't reverse or put AND, you shouldn't put a comma.

Example 1:

The slippery, slimy frog (good)

The slimy, slippery frog (good)

The slippery and slimy frog (good)

You need a comma between

Example 2;

The big foreign car (good)

The foreign big car (sounds weird and unnatural)

The big and foreign car (sounds a little weird)

Don't put a comma

NOTE: If you've done the tests and it's still not clear (maybe one test sounds a little awkward, but not totally wrong), it can probably go either way, depending on what you want to emphasize. Just make the call and then don't worry too much about it.

Practice

For each sentence, insert or delete commas between adjectives as necessary.

1) I hated the stupid iron bars on the windows.

2) She worked twelve hours a day in a cold wet cave.

3) He sang to his laughing, gurgling baby.

4) They ate delicious, ham sandwiches in a bright airy diner.

5) The sleek, silk dress must have cost a fortune.

6) The fluffy purring kitten softened his hard unyielding heart.

7) We suffered through the long boring meeting.

8) They all understood the complicated, geometry problem.

9) No one wanted the old, beat-up, lawn chair.

10) Samantha's wide, happy smile shone like the warm summer sun.

Practice ANSWERS (Highlight everything from here to "End Practice Answers" to reveal them.)

1) I hated the stupid iron bars on the windows. (Correct as is)

2) She worked twelve hours a day in a cold, wet cave.

3) He sang to his laughing, gurgling baby. (Correct as is)

4) They ate delicious ham sandwiches in a bright, airy diner.

5) The sleek silk dress must have cost a fortune. (This one's a little iffy, but probably you don't want a comma because "silk dress" is one unit. If you think "dress" is independent, and "sleek" and "silk" modify it equally, you can put the comma. If it were "silky," you'd surely put a comma)

6) The fluffy, purring kitten softened his hard, unyielding heart.

7) We suffered through the long, boring meeting.

8) They all understood the complicated geometry problem.

9) No one wanted the old, beat-up lawn chair. (the comma between "old" and "beat-up" is correct, but you can't reverse "beat-up" and "lawn" (The lawn, beat-up chair), so you don't need a comma there.

10) Samantha's wide, happy smile shone like the warm summer sun. (Correct as is)
End Practice Answers
Any you disagree with? Let me know below. Because we all know punctuation can be slippery.

For more:

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Pt 1: Commas Save Lives; the Vocative Comma

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Pt 2: Commas and Periods in Dialogue
Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Pt 3: Commas with Participial Phrases

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Pt 4: The Mysterious Case of the Missing Question Mark

Melinda Brasher currently teaches English as a second language in the beautiful Czech Republic. She loves the sound of glaciers calving and the smell of old books. Her travel articles and short fiction appear in Go Nomad, International Living, Electric Spec, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and others. For an e-book collection of some of her favorite published pieces, check out Leaving Home. For something a little more medieval, read her YA fantasy novel, Far-Knowing. Visit her online at http://www.melindabrasher.com.

Midwest Review: "Highly Recommended" Book for Writers

Title: The Frugal Editor: From Your Query Letter to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
First Edition Published by Red Engine Press, Branson, MO 2007

A multi award-winning book including USA Book News best professional book
Second Edition Published by HowToDoItFrugally, 2015
ISBN, Second Edition: 978-1505713117
Available The e-book, available from Kindle, was given a nod by Dan Poynter’s Global E-Book Award.
Also available as a paperback, published spring of 2015

Reviewed by Christy Tillery French for Christy’s Bookshelf at Midwest Book Review and featured in Jim Cox’s Midwest Newsletter

As the literary market continues to tighten its proverbial belt, today's writer must assume more of the responsibilities surrounding book publishing than ever before. No longer can a writer depend on a publisher or agent to accept a manuscript in need of editing, and submitting a manuscript that isn't as near perfect as possible will, in all probability, result in rejection. To the rescue comes acclaimed author Carolyn Howard-Johnson with The Frugal Editor, the latest in her How to Do It Frugally series.

This little gem is a must-have for any writer, published or not, bestselling or unknown. Filled with valuable tips, The Frugal Editor touches on all aspects of self-editing, such as how to spot common grammatical errors, from superfluous adverbs to confusing dangling participles, as well as how to organize the workspace, format the manuscript, and use Word's tools to the fullest. Also included are sample query and cover letters, and pointers on correcting intrusive taglines, when to use an ellipsis, and correct spacing, to name a few. The book takes the reader step-by-step through the editing process, from rough draft to galley. No questions are left unanswered, no topics left uncovered. This generous writer goes so far as to recommend resources through other books and websites, with plenty of advice from agents and editors.

The Frugal Editor is one of those reference books every writer should have by their computer for constant use and study. Highly recommended.

Christy Tillery French
Reviewer

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the classes she has taught for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program.

The first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book” and won the coveted Irwin Award. Now in its second edition, it’s also a USA Book News award winner and received a nod from Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards. Her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success was also honored by USA Book News and won Readers’ Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards. The second edition e-book was honored by Next Generation Indie Awards in the e-book category and by Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards. The second edition paperback will be released in spring of 2015.

What I've Learned from NaNoWriMo

For those of you who don’t know about NaNoWriMo, it’s an event that takes place in November every year. Hundreds of thousands of dedicated writers all over the world each pledge to write a rough draft of a novel (at least 50,000 words) in one month. That’s almost 1700 words per day: a serious commitment and an exhilarating one. I wrote my first Nano novel in 2009, starting at midnight November 1 in my pension in Znojmo, Czech Republic. I wrote all the next day on foggy train rides in South Moravia, the perfect mysterious setting for writing my tale.

I now have five Nano novels under my belt. It’s a great experience and I highly recommend it. Here are some things I’ve learned from NaNoWriMo that can apply to all writing, not just crazy novel-in-a-month challenges.

1) Have Concrete Goals and Record Your Progress. “Write a novel this month” doesn’t work as well as “Write 1700 words today.” During NaNoWriMo, I update my word count daily on Nano’s cool website so I can get a visual of how well I’m doing. It’s really motivational. You can create similar charts on your own, with spreadsheet graphics, other computer applications, or simple paper charts above your desk. The very act of physically marking off your progress (or realizing you haven’t done the work to allow you this satisfaction) really helps.

2) Band Together with Other Writers. In Nano, depending on where you live, you can join regional groups that host in-person planning sessions, parties, and write-ins throughout the month. Even if you don’t have an active regional group, there are virtual write-ins and word wards (where you compete to write the most words in a set time limit). NaNoWriMo forums are fantastic places to go for inspiration or to do research for your novel. Ask what arsenic poisoning feels like, or how much beer costs in Germany, and you’ll get answers. It’s amazing. In non-NaNoWriMO life, writers’ groups are just as important. I am and will be eternally gratefully to my writer’s critique groups, who not only help me become a better writer and catch my stupid typos, but who motivate me to write, write, write, so I can submit regularly.

3) Lock up your Inner Editor. When you’re trying to get a story down on paper, try not to re-read and edit as you go. It slows you down and may kill your inertia once you get going. I used to edit a lot as I went. Every time I sat down to write, I’d go back several page sand re-read and edit before I started writing. Sometimes I’d run out of time or creative energy and never get to the actual writing part. In Nano, if I wanted to reach 50,000+ words in 30 days, I couldn’t afford this, so I would open up my document, read maybe two paragraphs, and then start writing. And my rough draft wasn’t as rough at the end as I supposed it would be. Now I try to implement this “just get it down first” style of writing even when I’m not in a time crunch.

4) Plan Plenty of Time to Revise Later. My first NaNoWriMo novel is in print and available. I’m querying my second to agents. But my third, fourth, and fifth? They’re in the trunk, not completely finished and mostly unedited. What I’ve failed to do is commit as much (or more) time to polishing these novels as I did to writing the first drafts. They say, of course, that writing is 1/3 of the work and revising is 2/3. So plan for this and don’t let your drafts languish in Rough Draft Land.

So this year I’m not writing a novel during NaNoWriMo. Instead, I’m rewriting and revising a trunk novel—still in 30 days, still a huge challenge. And though I’m a little sad not to be writing something new, I’m excited about readying my old work for public eyes.

It’s not too late for you to start Nanowrimo:

Click here to sign up or learn more about NaNoWriMo

If you want to read my first NaNoWriMo novel (on sale now in honor of Nano), here’s the Amazon link: Far-Knowing

Far-Knowing is also available at other major online bookstores.

Melinda Brasher loves visiting alternate worlds through books and exploring this world through travel. Check out her newest article on Go Nomad: “Hunting Mushrooms in Wallachia.” For some free short fiction, read “Stalked” on On the Premises or “A Learned Man” on Electric Spec.. Visit her online at melindabrasher.com

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Part 4: Question Marks

The Mysterious Case of the Missing (or Gratuitous) Question Mark

Missing Question Marks

Everyone knows that you should put a question mark after a question. Sometimes, however, it simply gets forgotten. This happens more frequently in the following situations, so keep an eye out for them, and be sure to end them with a question mark, as shown below.

-Long and convoluted questions

What is the best time of year—and I’m talking about a normal year, not like that crazy one we had in 2012, with hurricanes in winter and snow in July—for mushroom hunting in France?

-Questions with downward intonation, making them feel more like statements.

Do you prefer red or blue?

We aren’t in Kansas anymore, are we?

-Questions that were statements in your first draft, and which you since reworded. It’s easy to forget to switch the corresponding punctuation.

One way to help catch these missing marks is to read aloud. This is especially useful in discovering overly long or complicated questions (and sentences). Train yourself so that when you see the beginning of a question, you automatically look ahead to see if you have the required punctuation.

Gratuitous Question Marks

Perhaps even more disturbing than missing question marks are question marks where they don't belong. Just as you've trained yourself to look for questions and make sure you have the accompanying punctuation, train yourself to stop when you see a question mark, go back, and decide whether or not you need it. As you revise, look for the following common places to find gratuitous question marks, and make sure that you cut them out, as shown below.

-“Wonder” statements

I wonder if bears get hot in summer.

I often ask myself where my life is going.

I was wondering what time I could come by for a consultation.

-Statements of uncertainty.

I don’t know where the president is.

I’m not sure if you’re supposed to add butter or flour first.

-Commands that feel like questions.

Tell me where you stashed the money.

Guess who I saw today in the supermarket.*

Let me know if you need anything.

-Reported and indirect questions.

The cop asked us what we were doing out so late at night.

The question is whether or not we should open a new branch office in Detroit.

I need to know who that man is.

None of these are questions, grammatically, even if they have a sort of question feel. They should thus not take question marks.

If you really want a question mark, sometimes you can rephrase.

I wonder: do bears get hot in summer?

I’m not sure: are you supposed to add butter or flour first?

The question is: should we open a new branch office in Detroit?

*Gray Areas:

1) “Guess what?” This is debatable. Some experts say that it’s a command, and should always be punctuated as such. Others say that it depends on the intention. If your character is just excited, and doesn’t really expect someone to guess, stick with the more correct period (or judiciously placed exclamation point). If your character pauses for someone to actually guess, demanding a response like a regular question, consider breaking the rule and using a question mark.

2) Polite requests. “Would you shut the door?” vs “Would you shut the door.” Again, many experts claim that this is actually a command, not a question, and thus should be punctuated with a period. Others say that, grammatically, it’s a question, and should thus take a question mark. Very long, complicated requests like this do well with periods. With shorter requests, however, you’re less likely to jar your reader if you simply use a question mark. Now if you want to jar your reader, that’s a whole other story, and a great use of a period. See below.

Punctuation can help your subtlety

Example 1:

You have a scene where one character says, “Would you come in and shut the door.”

Now look at the same scene punctuated differently: “Would you come in and shut the door?”

See the difference? Without actually saying so, you’ve indicated in the first scene that your character is serious, or the situation’s serious, or he’s the type of person who never actually asks, but only demands.

Example 2:

“John isn’t leaving, is he?”

“John isn’t leaving, is he.”

In the first scene, your character is worried because she hasn’t had the chance to say goodbye yet. In the second, the shady punctuation hints that your character has just discovered that John isn’t leaving after all, and he’s disappointed. You could also write this:

“John isn’t leaving, is he?” Lionel asked dejectedly.

But which one is more subtle?

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Part 3: Commas in Participial Phrases

Commas with Participial Phrases

Good writing is about more than grammar and punctuation. It's about great characters, difficult decisions, high stakes, and insight into the human condition. But...it's also about good grammar and punctuation. Sometimes, important marks gets omitted, like the poor little comma in the illustration here. Perhaps the omission is in the effort to make writing smoother. Unfortunately, it often has the opposite effect. Here's one type of common omission..

When you have an independent clause (“Nathan stumbled along in front of the guard”), followed by a dependent clause starting with an "–ing" verb (“looking for ways to escape”), ask yourself whether you can stick who was/that was in the middle. Does it still make sense?

Example 1:

Test: Nathan shuffled along in front of the guard WHO WAS looking for ways to escape. Um…the guard was looking for ways to escape? No, Nathan was looking for ways to escape. You therefore need a comma in the middle to indicate that the subject of the first clause is also the one doing the second clause.

Correct: Nathan shuffled along in front of the guard, looking for ways to escape.

Incorrect: Nathan shuffled along in front of the guard looking for ways to escape.

Example 2: I sat on the sofa sagging in the corner.

Test: I sat on the sofa THAT WAS sagging in the corner. Makes sense. No comma.

Example 3: I sat on the sofa massaging my ankle.

Test: I sat on the sofa THAT WAS massaging my ankle. Cool sofa! I want one. But really, that’s not what you meant at all. The sofa wasn't massaging your ankle. You were. So you need the commas before the –ing.

Correct: I sat on the sofa, massaging my ankle.

Example 4: “Come pick me up,” Sarah demanded through the phone looking in horror at the fire.

Test: “Come pick me up,” Sarah demanded through the phone THAT WAS looking in horror at the fire. Hmm…that's a really smart phone.

Correct: “Come pick me up,” Sarah demanded through the phone, looking in horror at the fire.

Use the "THAT WAS" test:

If you can stick that was in the middle and it still makes sense, no comma.

If you stick in that was and it changes the meaning, put a comma between the clauses.

Note: It works in other situations too. Other adjective or participial phrases modifying a subject earlier in the sentence have this same comma pattern.

Example 6: She continued pushing dirt down around the seedlings oblivious to the threat at her front gate.

Test: Liz continued pushing dirt down around the seedlings WHO WERE oblivious to the threat at her front gate. Technically, the plants were oblivious, but you probably mean that Liz was oblivious.

Correct: Liz continued pushing dirt down around the seedlings, oblivious to the threat at her front gate.

Often this mistake just requires that your reader pause a moment and re-evaluate, but sometimes it leads to mass confusion. "John walked up to the man kissing the belly dancer." Obviously the man was kissing the belly dancer. If you meant that John was kissing the belly dancer, your readers aren't going to understand, so put in the comma.

NOTE: If you're a person who doesn't use any commas unless absolutely necessary, you can sometimes omit this comma. However, if there's any possibility that your reader will misunderstand, it's best to follow the rule and include it.

Want more punctuation tips?

Avoiding Incorrect Punctuation Pt 1: Commas Save Lives; the Vocative Comma

Avoiding Incorrect Punctuation Pt 2: Commas and Periods in Dialogue

Melinda Brasher writes mainstream short stories, science fiction, fantasy, and travel articles. To find her work online, in print, or as e-books, explore her website: melindabrasher.com

Avoiding Common Punctuation Errors Part 2: Dialogue

Commas and Periods in Dialogue

We all love dialogue in books, but your readers will love it less if it’s punctuated awkwardly. Here is the solution to a common error in dialogue punctuation.

First, make the distinction between what I call “dialogue tags” and “action tags.”

A dialogue tag uses said or another similar speaking word. For example, “he said,” “I asked,” or “she whispered.” As long as you don’t get carried away with attention-grabbing synonyms like ordered, commiserated, murmured, contradicted, these dialogue tags are good because they’re short and almost invisible. They let the reader focus on the dialogue itself. However, you don’t want to use them with every line of dialogue, or you’ll sound repetitive and choppy.

An action tag does not contain a synonym for said. Instead, it’s simply an action the character performs before, during, or while speaking. Example: “Magda slammed her fist on the table,” or “Simon carefully untangled the knotted rope.” These are great because they break up the dialogue while giving either a better insight into the character or a better image of the scene as a whole. When using an action tag, you don’t have to put in the dialogue tag—and usually should’t—because the reader understands that the person doing the action is the same person speaking.

Magda slammed her fist on the table. “I’m not going to ignore this any longer.”

“So, you think I’m manipulating you.” Simon carefully untangled the knotted rope.

In good writing, you use both dialogue and action tags. But in good writing, you also remember to punctuate them correctly.

Rule #1: Use a comma with dialogue tags.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He said, “That’s unfortunate.”

Rule #2: Use a period with action tags.

“I love you.” She twined her fingers through his.

He coughed. “That’s unfortunate.”

Miscellaneous Rules:

When combining the two types of tags, you’ll usually need the comma.

He rose to his feet and shouted, “Not guilty!”

“Order in the court,” the judge demanded, slamming down his gavel.

If your dialogue ends with a question mark or exclamation point, capitalize as if it were a comma.

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“Absolutely not!” he yelled.

Don’t be fooled by words like smile.

Incorrect: He smiled, “Welcome to your worst nightmare.”

Correct: He smiled. “Welcome to your worst nightmare.”

Be careful with "said" when it has its own direct object. That makes it its own sentence, and should be punctuated like an action tag.
Incorrect: "I'm tired," she said it with an apologetic smile.
Correct: "I'm tired." She said it with an apologetic smile.
OR: "I'm tired," she said with an apologetic smile.

The Gray Area

There is room for debate here, on some verbs like laugh, sob, spit, etc., which involve the mouth or throat, but aren’t really speaking words. For example, I think that you can sob out words, so I can use “sob” as a dialogue tag or an action tag. I also think you can laugh and talk (rather unintelligibly) at the same time, so I sometimes use laugh as a dialogue tag. When you’re really angry, I think you can spit words. Others disagree. I believe, however, that if you make the conscious decision on a gray-area verb, it’s a matter of style, not a mistake.

Examples:

“I killed him,” she sobbed. (Sounds good to me, as if she’s crying and talking at the same time.)

“I killed him.” She sobbed. (Sounds awkward to me, like she said it and only then started crying.)

“I killed him.” She sobbed into her bloody hands. (Sounds good. If I want to use these gray verbs as action tags, adding a little extra detail usually gets rid of the choppiness.)

Punctuation is a guide for your readers. Make it work for you and for them.

For more, read Part 1: Commas Save Lives; the Vocative Comma.

Join me next month for more about the exciting world of punctuation.

Note that these examples and rules are for Standard American English (SAE). Punctuation in other regions may differ. If you have any examples of difference, we'd love to see them in the comments below. Thanks!

Read Melinda Brasher's free short story, "A Learned Man," on Electric Spec's current issue. It's a bit of a ghost story based on a two-page folk tale she read in a library in small-town El Salvador. Inspiration will sneak up and whack you on the head if you're not careful. You can also find more of her work on melindabrasher.com

Special WOTM Post: An Updated Award-Winner Is Help for Anyone Who Writes

Writers on the Move subscribers, visitors, and fellow participants have been an important part of my network for a long time now. You can read "network" as "friends," if you like for that is networking should be.

Naturally, our trusted leader Karen Cioffi-Ventrice offered me a special spot to let our Writers on the Move principals and audience know about my new book because we're both convinced that reading is one of the best ways to further our professional careers. It's friends like you that qualify me to give others advice on editing. So here goes!

The Frugal Editor: Do-it-yourself editing secrets for

authors:From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your new bestseller is a New! Updated! Expanded! Second Edition of the multi award-winning first edition. It has a new subtitle, a new cover by Chaz DeSimone with a new 3D sensibility by Gene Cartwright.

I am including “Seven Editing Myths” in this post. I hope it will highlight the idea that most writers can use a little updating on our editing skills. And it never hurts to brush up on some great new editing tips like formatting your ellipses the quick and professional way, or letting Word rid your copy of those pesky two spaces between sentences. Or leaning why I believe great editing is also great marketing.

Have a wonderful 2014 including great editing and great marketing!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

http://howtodoitfrugally.com
Blog: http://SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com
Editing Blog: http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com

Seven Editing Myths Waiting To Trip Up
Your Campaign To Sell Your Work

Your submission to contest judges, agents, publishers, producers, and editors may never get read if your query or cover letter violates professional expectations. Here are seven editing misconceptions that can lead you astray:

Agents are a cantankerous lot. (Nope! In The Frugal Editor twenty of the nation's best agents tell you their pet peeves and they do it in the best of spirits.)

2. If your English teacher told you something is OK, it is. (No! Language rules have changed since you were a sophomore.)

3. If a manuscript or query is grammar-perfect, you'll be fine. (No! Lots of things that are grammatically correct will annoy publishers, agents, and editors.)

4. Always use your Spell and Grammar Check. (No! Some suggest you don't use it at all but The Frugal Editor will help you make this tool your partner instead of your enemy.)

5. It's easy to avoid agent and editor scams. Just ask around. (The Frugal Editor tells you how to avoid being taken.)

6. Your publisher will assign a top-flight editor. (Maybe, but don't count on it. Besides, you can be a better partner for an editor if you know about the process.)

7. Formatters and editors will take care of the hyphens, ellipses, and all the other grungy little punctuation marks that English teachers avoided teaching because they didn't know how to use them. (Chances are, you'll catch even great formatters and editors in an error or two if you know your stuff!)

-------

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of 14 women of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

Tips on Point of View

You have completed your manuscript and now is the time for you to edit and rewrite. One of the things you should look at is your point of view. Did you choose the right perspective from which to tell your story? And is it consistent? Here are a few guidelines.

First of all, point of view refers to who is telling the story. Generally three points of view are used. First person - where the "I" voice is used and it is a character who is telling the story. This provides a level of intimacy, a closeness to the story teller. Omniscient - which is where the author is telling the story and generally provides a more distant perspective. And third person - which is almost a mix of the two, where you can tell the story from several different perspectives and move easily from one character's head to another.

Tips for editing POV:

1. Determine how much intimacy you want to create between the reader and your characters.

2. After deciding the level of closeness you want, check to see if the point of view you chose also allows you to easily tell the story in the way you want.

3. If you have chosen first person, is your character someone readers will want to spend time with? Are they likable, but flawed? Not annoyingly perfect.

4. If you chose to write in third person, review each scene and determine who's head you will be showing the scene through and make sure you are consistent in only sharing with the reader those things that particular character would know.

5. When using third person, check each passage and determine how soon you clue the reader into who's head they are in. You may want to make sure readers can quickly identify who's perspective they've stepped into.

6. To continue to create consistency in your POV, look to ensure when you are writing from a particular character's perspective you are using the words, terms and emotions that are most likely to be used by your character.

____________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, House of Glass, Book 2 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

Should You Self Publish or Not

Whether to self publish or vie for traditional publishing is a question brought to the forefront because of the direction publishing is moving today. Ultimately, the author must make the final decision.

With fewer traditional publishers, more books written, and fewer readers reading books, many traditional houses aren’t willing to work with unknown authors, or don’t have a following.

Authors need a platform with followers, a book marketing plan, and more laid upon the shoulders of authors, many authors feel that self-publishing is the way to get their book into the hands of readers.

If you self publish your book, how will traditional publishers look upon your book if you decide to vie for a traditional publishing house in the future is a question only the publishing house can answer.

Experiences from some writers is that self-published books are akin to what we call vanity press books, pay and they will publish anything as Amazon found out with blatant plagiarism of many titles that Amazon published, and then had had to remove when they finally found out what some so-called authors were doing just to make sales. Amazon’s reputation was hurt, and rightly so.

Why have reviewers been complaining about the quality of self-published books? The complaints range from editing to grammar, and poor quality.

Publishing houses once employed editors to clean up these problems for authors; this is no longer the case. Self-published book editing is now the purview of the author; and authors need professional editing. Don’t rely on software like spellcheckers and grammar checkers to find the errors because they will not find subtle errors. Grammar checkers will vary depending on the individual program.

A literary agent may cost writers thousands to have their book shopped to publishers. Many authors can’t afford these costs, and opt for self-publishing.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual author how to publish their baby. First, is to hire an editor that has no interest in the book other than making sure that they edit for typos, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, redundancies, over use of words like “and”, “or”, and “but”. Editors will notice these because they have no stake in the book other than making it the best book for the reader.

If authors such as James Paterson, David Baldacci, or Orson Scott Card want to publish a book with a traditional house, most houses will take a chance, but they are probably not willing to take a chance on previously self-published authors, or unpublished writers. Authors need to find creative ways to convince publishing houses to take a chance. One creative way is to create a well-written, well-edited book. Don’t forget a well-crafted proposal.

Robert Medak

Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader, Reviewer, Marketer

http://rjmedak.wordpress.com

http://xeeme.com/RobertMedak

Writers On The Move