and tomorrow's bestsellers
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Discovering today's talent and tomorrow's bestsellers |
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Writing is Rewriting A lot of authors believe once they've finished writing that last page, their book is finished and it's ready to send to a publisher. Don't make that mistake. It's a wonderful feeling when you've finished that last sentence. But that's just the end of your first draft. Now you're ready to begin editing. Who's Job Is It, Anyway? Many writers believe it's the publisher's job to edit their work. Consider this: every publisher receives hundreds or even thousands of manuscripts every single year. They are looking for the cream of the crop. Your first draft is competing against manuscripts that have been edited, honed, and perfected. You only have one chance to make that first impression. Do you want it to be of a manuscript that is only in its first stages? Publisher's Lunch quoted a large New York publisher as saying it cost them an average of $75,000 to produce one print run. Would you pay $75,000 for your book? Why or why not? Common Writer's Mistakes Here are just a few of the most common writer's mistakes. Take an unbiased look at your own manuscript and see how many you can spot:
The Technical Many writers believe they are finished with a scene once they have written the creative part of the scene - what happens during that scene. But once you're done with the creative part, it's time to add the technical. The technical part can consist of the senses: what do you smell, hear, see, and feel? If your characters are talking, where are they? If they are in a restaurant, what kind is it? A Mexican restaurant, for example, is going to have a very different atmosphere from a yuppie coffee shop. What time of year is it? Why? How does the summer or the winter factor into the plot? Goals What is the goal of each scene? What do you want to accomplish with it? It isn't enough to have a scene to show "what kind of character" someone is; it must do double duty. Having a character kick a dog might show he has the potential for violence against another human being, but the scene has to do something else to propel the reader toward the climactic scene. If you can cut a scene and find it would make no difference in your plot, the scene needs to be cut. Dialogue Read the dialogue out loud. Each character needs his or her own voice; is the dialogue realistic? Is each character's dialogue unique? Is it representative of the region you're seeking to depict? Does it tell something about the character's background (educated, stuffy, earthy, etc.) Narrative Look at your scene visually. Do you have one paragraph that goes on for a page or more? That is a problem. Fix it. Do you have page after page of narration, without action and/or dialogue? Fix it. Consider when someone picks up a book in the store and flips through it. They are less likely to buy a book with lengthy paragraphs and lots of narration. They will generally flip to a page with lots of white space - usually dialogue - and read a few paragraphs. The average book buyer will look at your book all of thirty seconds before deciding whether to buy it or put it down. Editorial Services Asking a family member to read your book is not the same as obtaining a bona fide editorial service. There are different types of editorial services: content editing, in which the editor gives you feedback on the "big picture" versus micro-editing, in which an editor reviews your manuscript line-by-line. Two reputable and recommended editorial services are Rebecca's Reads and Writer's Digest Criticism Service. You can also provide scenes to technical experts. Police procedures, for example, could be provided to a law enforcement official for their feedback on its accuracy. By the time you have finished editing your book, you should be thoroughly sick of it! It is not uncommon for a first draft to take a month to write and 24 months to edit!
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