Showing posts with label Editor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editor. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Limited Editorial Services for CLG Entertainment
As of February 1, 2013, I will be limiting my editorial services to a small set of longstanding clientele. Freed-up time and energy will be channeled into personal literary endeavors.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Finding Agents & Editors
OK, so you have a great book that’s been revised, rewritten. You have had your book professionally edited [link to Editor article: http://www.apooobooks.com/finding-editor-literary-baby-shonell-bacon/]. You have a query letter that sings [link to Query Letter article: http://www.apooobooks.com/writing-query-letter-shonell-bacon/]. You have a synopsis that succinctly tells your tale [link to Synopsis Writing article: http://www.apooobooks.com/writing-synopsis-shonell-bacon/].
Now, you’re ready to try to enter Publishdom by looking for an agent or an editor. The journey is arduous, but it’s not impossible.
Unlike other articles, what this post does is highlight some places on the Net that offer excellent advice, resources, and databases to help you find a literary agent or editor.
What you will notice, once you’ve checked out these resources, is that several key components seem to resonate:
1- You need to have a solid product – must have a compelling story, a well-developed story, an edited story.
2- You need to have components that help sell this product – must have a query letter that hits each component [intro, story, bio, etc.] well, that is written to appropriate editors and agents who publish the type of book you’ve written, and that gives these editors and agents a reason to want to read your work. Also, must have a synopsis that tells (not reports) your story, the whole story and nothing but the story—including the ending. No cutesy “Will she survive to find the love of her life?” questions.
3- You need to have done your homework – must research editors and agents. Don’t just open up the latest Guide to Literary Agents and send to the first 50 agents. Agents and editors receive piles of query letters and submission packets every day. Don’t let yours get dumped because you failed to follow directions and submit to those agents/editors who are looking for the type of work you write. Also, pay a visit to your local library. Skim the acknowledgment pages of those books that fit within the category to which you write. Take note of editors and/or agents that are mentioned. These could be potential agents, editors to submit work to.
4- You need to persistent – must accept that rejection could be a part of your journey to Publishdom. Learn what you can learn from the experience and move on to the next letter to be (e)mailed to the next agent or editor.
5- You need to think outside the box – must think beyond just writing pretty query letters and sending them to agents/editors via snail or e-mail. Author friends (reference to an agent, editor anyone?), conferences, author chats, readings – NETWORKING – can help you get the big toe inside the door so that you can slip that pretty little submission package to your potential agent or editor.
If you have experience with looking for an agent or editor and capturing (or not) an agent/editor, share those stories here. This is a great opportunity for all of us to learn from one another.
Agent Query
AQ was recognized by Writer's Digest in its June 2009 issue as one of the best websites for writers--five years in a row. Not only is this a site to find an agent; AQ offers a plethora of information for writers, such as info on major publishers and small presses, literary magazines, conferences, and grants and foundations.
SFWA
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) has great information about literary agents, especially discussion on dishonest agents and amateur, marginal, and incompetent agents. It's just as important to know what NOT to choose in an agent as it is important to know what TO choose in an agent. Worth the read.
ACFW Conference
"The Premiere Christian Fiction Conference"-- American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) will be coming to Indianapolis, Indiana, from September 17-20, 2010, and on their site, they have a list of the editors and agents that will be in attendance.
Larry Brooks
Larry Brooks, author of psychological thrillers and great books on writing, offers a truthful look at what agents and editors are really looking for at his blog, StoryFix.com.
Tara Lazar at Jacket Flap
Last year, literary agent Colleen Lindsay hosted "QueryFail" on Twitter, where agents and editors got together and shared the worst query lines from their slush piles. Tara Lazar at Jacket Flap took notes of some of the things learned from checking out QueryFail.
Poets & Writers
Last year, Jofie Ferrari-Adler wrote the feature for Poets & Writers--a Q&A with four literary agents.
BookEnds, LLC – Literary Agency
The blog for BookEnds, LLC, a literary agency, has great advice on all things writerly--including, of course, those staples that can help you get the attention of an editor.
Guide to Literary Agents
This excellent blog is developed by Chuck Sambuchino, editor of Guide to Literary Agents-Where and How to Find the Right Agents to Represent Your Work through Writer's Digest.
Author Nikki Duncan
Author Nikki Duncan offers a great write-up on professionally grabbing and keeping the attention of agents and editors.
Finding an Editor for Your Literary Baby
Books completed. You’ve read through and revised as much as you can as creator, and you have formatted your manuscript according to traditional specifications.
What’s next?
Well, before you get all gung-ho and start submitting your book to publishers and agents, you should first send it to an editor.
Why?
Because as creator of the project, you are very close to the characters, the storyline, and all other components that makes your book – in your mind – sing.
It often takes a second set of eyes – and sometimes a third set – in order to see spelling and grammatical errors, holes in plot, weak characters, etc.
First thing to ask yourself is “How publication-ready is my manuscript?”
The answer to this will help you discern if your book needs proofreading, copy editing, and substantive editing. Below, I talk a little about each.
Proofreading focuses on two types of problems: 1) details that have been missed in the editing stages, such as spelling, punctuation, and serious grammatical errors and 2) glitches that have been introduced during layout, such as errors in headers/footers, page numbers, widows/orphans, and bad hyphen breaks at line ends. If you have had your book edited at least once by someone else for the “big” issues involving story development, then having your book proofread might be the way to go.
Copy editing tackles the manuscript line by line, paying attention to the small details: grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, passive voice, word choice, consistency of detail, spelling, consistency of style, clarity, etc. This process is a step above proofreading, and definitely suggested, even if your book has been edited once.
Substantive Editing seeks to achieve clarity of subject, logic, and consistency. Confusing and awkward writing may be reworked. Sentences are analyzed for structure/syntax. Long sentences may be enumerated or separated. Although some of the issues that are present in the proofreading and copy editing stages are handled in a substantive edit, it’s important to note the distinction amongst these three forms of editing. In seeking to achieve clarity of subject, logic, and consistency, an editor will be looking for holes in plot, weak characters, development of beginning and ending, strength in dialogue—essentially those components that make your book a book.
Although there are some editors, like myself, who blur these types (I’m always FIRST AND FOREMOST looking to develop the story, but I can’t help but to look at the minute details, too); it is important to know that you will probably need more than one edit.
Editing is an important process in getting your manuscript to shine; as a result, you should make sure you have your work edited more than once. In the initial stages, having a strong story is important; hence, you would look at substantive editing. As the “story” is perfected, you would look toward getting your manuscript copy edited, and in the final stage, once the manuscript is in layout form, you would seek someone to proofread your manuscript.
When you find an editor you’re thinking about using, be sure to talk with him or her before agreeing to have the person edit your work.
What kind of questions could you ask?
1- What books have you edited that have been published?
2- Do you have any clients/references that I can contact about your services?
3- What is your editing philosophy?
4- What is the process in which you edit and communicate with a client?
5- Do you have a free sample edit so that I might see your work before making a decision?
This last thought has more to do with YOU than with the editor.
I have had people in the past come to me for editing, thinking I would have their book done within two weeks and they would be ready to send it out to be printed as soon as the book is in their hot little hands.
NEVER is that the case.
Here’s a drop of wisdom – you may have finished your book, but it’s not perfect…or as perfect as it can reasonably be.
When you send a book to an editor, prepare to have it returned with revisions (sometimes major) to be done. Editors don’t write your books to make it better; that’s a ghostwriter, and he/she gets paid a lot more money to write your book than we do to edit it.
Editors, and I’m speaking from my own experience, clean up errors and make a lot of suggestions. If I see a hole in the plot, I state where I see it and make suggestions on how to fix it. If I see weak dialogue, I explain why it’s weak and offer suggestions on how to fix it. If I see an underdeveloped main character, I point this out, explain why I think the character is underdeveloped, and offer suggestions (or ask questions) that can help the writer develop the character further.
The editor’s job is to fine tune, but most importantly (and specifically) the job is to help YOU make your book the best book it can be. We offer you the advice, suggestions, and tweaks that YOU – as creator of the work – can go back and develop to make your literary work shine.
Be prepared to put in the work needed in revising and don’t be in such a rush to have a book in between covers.
You’ll thank me later.
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