Writing that first book is exciting. We get to pour our hearts and souls out on
paper and watch as our stories, buds and blooms. There is nothing quite like
seeing the finished product for the first time, or cradling it once it’s printed out. But after the first draft is completed...
What then?
Editing for submission is an unknown quantity for many when
first embarking on finding a publisher. What do you do? How do you "tighten it up" or make sure you are in the right POV? (Point of View)
Some make the mistake of thinking that when the first
draft is completed it is ready to send off, while others look and fiddle for months and even years, hoping that their editing will prepare it for submission.
Over the next few months, I’m hoping to present some ways
new authors can work through their manuscript, to whip that piece of writing
into shape, ready to submit to a publisher.
I intend to focus on a couple of important factors including,
writing dialogue, knowing when and how to edit your paragraphs and even basics
such as, spelling & punctuation.
I’ve also asked some of my good friends to weigh in and
give their thoughts on each subject as well.
Grappling with Spelling and Punctuation
A friend of mine recently was taken to task for her
spelling and punctuation. As an author,
this is something you should be hyper aware of. So below, I'm outlining some things to consider when editing.
These are all starting points, and not in any way should
they be considered comprehensive, but hopefully new writers will find something
in the following, which will give them a place to start.
Imogene’s suggestions for pre-submission editing:
- Slow down your production rate for a while as you work through the steps. Keep to the old adage... More haste, less speed - it will really help you to get your book ready for publishing.
- In terms of the spelling, it's quite simple. Use the auto correct on the computer to guide you in the first instance and have a good dictionary. This isn't foolproof, but you'll learn to become less reliant as you go along – so long as you take into account the suggestions of the computer and check the meaning of doubtful words.
- For dealing with tricky apostrophe's and commas, you could invest in a good primer. William Strunk, Jr. produced The Elements of Style – it’s a very well respected resource. You could go with something like, Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Neither are "read it through" kind of books but if you scan through them, when you are looking for the information you will have an idea where you can refer to, as needed.
- Get a good critique partner. One who will be brutal with your work, but that you feel comfortable with. Ask them to work with you to find your weaknesses, then actively find a way to address them. Become aware in your writing of these problems so you can attack them when they crop up. Same with spelling, if you have certain words that continue to be an issue, highlight them and work on learning the correct spelling.
- Join a writing group - if face to face is your thing, then find a group nearby to pass your work to for some basic pointers and critiques. If a critique partner program is available, sign up. Just remember that your partner may work fulltime, have children or other commitments. So be fair with the workload you give them. Start slowly and work up to full manuscripts.
- If in doubt, it’s worth paying for an expert editor to pick through your work, you'll get timely feedback and hopefully suggestions on what to look out for next time. Just remember to check they are registered with the Australian Publisher's Society.
- Remember your target audience. If you are targeting a US publisher, ensure your spelling is Americanized. If you intend publishing UK, Aus or even NZ then be aware to use english spelling.
Image courtesy of [Arvind Balaraman/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A word from: Khloe Wren
I've always been a poor speller, without spell check I
never would have survived as a secretary for nine years or been able to write
my books. As Imogene said, it's not always right, but it's a good start. I
Google words too, if I'm unsure on its spelling or meaning. There are some
great websites www.dictionary.com or www.thesaurus.com are two I use regularly.
When I wrote my first book, I hadn't met many authors yet
so I didn't have anyone who could critique my work. I got a friend who has
studied English Lit at Uni to look over my manuscript. She picked up a lot of
things, once fixed I got a group of good friends to read over it for me. I got
about ten people all up to read it. I gave them all highlighters with the
printed manuscript and told them to be brutal, I told them I didn't just want
to hear how much the loved it but wanted every spelling and grammar error
removed. They all did a great job, some better than others of course, but in
the end my manuscript was accepted on my first submission.
I now have a wonderful small group of author friends who
help me with my work, as I help them. Never feel like you can't ask for help!
Just remember every author started out as a newbie at some point and had others
help them, we all like to 'pay it forward' and help other new authors. All you
need do is ask!
Getting your manuscript ready for submission is not a
quick process. One of the worst things an author can do, I think, is rush the
process. I'm a bit of perfectionist so go over my manuscripts many, many times
before I let it out into the world. Your manuscript is your professional image,
it's how a publisher will determine how serious you are as a writer. Make sure
you make the right statement, first time, every time.
xo
Khloe Wren
AUTHOR BIO& LINKS
Khloe Wren started writing her first novel in high
school, until it mysteriously disappeared from the family computer (her older
brother was the lead suspect but nothing was ever proved). She didn't put pen
to paper again after that for a number of years but she did keep reading. Khloe
has always loved all things paranormal: sexy vampires and sultry shifters have
always been her favourites. So when she picked up writing again, it seemed only
natural to write paranormal romance.
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