THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!

easyreaderediting.com/blog

For those who haven't read the fine print under my banner:

I moved my blog in early 2019 so I could have my website and blog for editing services all in one spot. Most of my regular readers have found me there, but if you've ended up here and you're not sure how, please click HERE to be redirected to easyreaderediting.com, where you can find:

• editing services (includes line editing and copyediting packages)
• biweekly blog posts with writing tips for authors
• paid beta services
• partial manuscript evaluations
• proofreading services for blog posts, query letters, websites, newsletters, and more

You can also find a list of writing and editing resources and Amazon links to a selection of the books I've edited (fiction and nonfiction).

See you there!

Lynda

WRITING MISCONCEPTIONS: We Don't Want to Steal Your Book

At least once a month, I see a question on writing or editing forums that sounds roughly like this:

"I am almost ready to hire an editor for my manuscript, but I'm scared of someone stealing my work. What legal measures do you all have in place to make sure this doesn't happen?"

I'm going to generalize quite a bit here, so if you don't feel this way or haven't run into this before, please don't get indignant. I understand that every writer doesn't think like this. However . . .

I've found that if there are only writers in the group, there are always at least a few who "have heard of this happening so often" and that's why they either self-edit only, copyright their work beforehand, or have a recommended editor sign a nondisclosure agreement.

If there are a lot of editors in the group, the general response runs more along the lines of this:

• I have never considered stealing someone's work.
• I have been in this business for over twenty years and have never heard of this actually happening to anyone.
• I have never met anyone who can give me a real name of someone they know who has had this happen to them.
• The people who need the NDA the least (e.g. new/inexperienced authors) are usually the ones asking about theft, and those who have the most experience typically don't ask. Those who insist are also the people who are generally difficult to work with and don't deal well with changes or criticism.
• I already have a confidentiality clause in my contract and if that's not good enough, I don't want to work with that person. An NDA request from an indie fiction author is often a red flag that they don't understand how the publishing process works.
• I'm a writer myself and have my own story ideas to worry about, and don't have the time or energy to redevelop yours . . . OR
• I'm not a writer. I'm an editor. Editors are not "frustrated writers" who need to steal ideas to feel validated in the writing world.

I saw it pop up again just the other day as I was working on this post. This time, the author was asking about beta readers and how a writer can feel safe, sending their work off to strangers who might steal it. Yet, he was having trouble getting friends and family to beta for him. (The whole "friends and family" thing is fodder for another post. No worries, you'll read about it here.)

The general concensus among experienced writers and editors is that some authors spend a lot of time on author-only pages, and the misinformation they come away with in regard to publishing is astounding. It reminds me of the Yahoo Answers boards where a bunch of people "answer" a question with "I don't know," or "I've always thought [fill in the blank]." There are no legitimate answer-givers and no one to contradict anyone with actual facts.

Here are some facts—from real editors I interact with—that will hopefully reassure any skittish writers:

• If I stole people's work, I wouldn't be in business very long.
• Anyone who knows anything at all about copyright and intellectual property laws knows it wouldn't be worth the risk.
• No self-respecting professional would even think about it.
• Most of stolen books are stolen AFTER they're published. They are stolen by people who have never had contact with the author, and who don't care about copyright.
• Even if you are the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, we would still not steal your work, but we'd be very happy to make your acquaintance and be your editor. VERY happy.

It's the End-of-Year Reflections Post!

The end of the calendar year signifies a particular thing to each person; it's a natural thing for people to reflect. It may mean the end of a nightmare year of bankruptcy for one person, or it may celebrate a major life change like having a baby or getting married.

It's a good habit to reflect as the year comes to a close, to learn what worked and what didn't, and to plan for the future. I like to do this personally, but in the past couple years I've been doing it for my business too. 

One of the big lessons I didn't start to learn until a few years into the business was that there is more than just working for the business. There is working at the business. Working to ensure that there will be more business, in fact—something I didn't have to think about in the first year because clients were somehow finding me. I was busy and didn't even have to try to stay that way. 

If I had to sum it up, I'd say this is the year I tried to make the best use of my time. I looked through my analytics to see what was working and what wasn't. I kept a spreadsheet of completed jobs and how much time I invested in them. I used a timer app to break down where, exactly, my computer time was spent. (I was shocked to know that sifting through and answering email was one of my biggest time sucks.) I decided to learn everything I could to make my work more efficient and to broaden my skills so I can provide a wider variety of services someday. I took some classes, and I read an awful lot of books. I'm proud to say that I'm a better editor today than I was four years ago, or even two years ago. 

The happy result of this has been that 2018 has been a year of growth, and I'm pretty excited to look over my job list and note how many new clients I've gained and where I've gotten them from. Some have become friends and others are simply clients I've enjoyed getting to know while working on their projects. It's been a lot of fun to work on a handful of nonfiction projects this year as well.

I've done beta reading for a few authors, numerous line edits and copyedits, worked on doctoral dissertation papers, and even proofed someone's website. All that variety kept me fresh.

So THANK YOU, J.T. Buckley, Marcia Caton, Ciofki, Raylene Demeester, Adam & Peggy Dresden, Darrell Haemer, Rhonda Denise Johnson, Heidi Love, Carol Mills, Kim Mower, Kristen Snarski, Jack Tyler, Kim Watt, and Stephanie Workman. You've helped to make this a great year!

F = Feedback Is Needed Before You Publish

Welcome, A to Z bloggers, visitors, and of course all my faithful regular readers! This year's theme for my A to Z:

Short & Sweet Reasons Why You Need an Editor

So without further ado . . .

Feedback—the helpful kind—should always come before you publish, not after. Feedback from your readers in the form of book reviews is a wonderful thing . . . unless it isn’t wonderful feedback.

Everyone’s reading preferences are different, but if a book has not been edited, you can almost predict the type of feedback you’re going to receive on Goodreads, or Amazon, or any number of reviewing sites. Get your feedback nice and early from beta readers and editors, and at least you’ll know you’ve paved one more avenue toward a positive review later.

It never, ever hurts to have more sets of eyeballs on your work before the paying customers have their turn with it.

Editor's Notes #16: How a Beta Reader Works

Today, I thought it would be nice to have an opinion other than my own for you to read. Don't get too used to it.

As much as I love the editing process, my specialty leans more toward line edits. I make sure your commas and semicolons don't get mixed up, I fix your odd quotation marks so they're all facing the proper way, and if you're using a homophone, I will ensure it's the correct one. But what about all the tweaking that happens before the manuscript comes to me? Sometimes a book has more global issues that need fixing. That's when a beta reader can come in handy.

There are those for whom beta reading simply means, "I'll read your book and tell you if it's good or not." Those are usually the people who want to read a book for free before anyone else sees it, and you probably want to avoid them. Other betas will give stronger, more specific opinions, or will answer a set of questions from the author. Many of them do the work for free because they love to read and have the time. The person you're hearing from today is a professional beta reader whose thoroughness rivals that of any developmental editor, and one of the few people whose work I trust completely enough to recommend. 

Allow me to turn things over to Sarah from Your Beta Reader.
[Note for 2018: Sarah is currently on hiatus as life does its thing, but as soon as she's available for recommendation again, you can bet I'm going to have her name all over the place.]

As a professional beta reader, I’d like to share with you a little of how I do my job. Why? Because maybe you can take something from my process for when you swap manuscripts with your author friends. Helping others and each other never hurt anyone, after all.

In my line of work, I see manuscripts in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re only a few chapters; sometimes I’m the last eye on a full manuscript right before it goes to the copyeditor. Each author has his own set of strengths and weaknesses along with his own process. Some need help when their MS is in the roughest shape, because they don’t like to spend time fixing something they’ll end up deleting. Others like me to double-check inconsistencies only. Either way, if I see something that needs addressing, I bring it up in my reports. It is my job, and if I don’t mention things, I’m doing my client a disservice. 

Once the report is in the author’s hands, it’s up to him to fix things or ignore me—or most importantly, ask for more outside opinions. If, on the other hand, you’re swapping with an author or just helping a friend out, I’d suggest you stick to what they ask of you, unless it’s something major. Overstepping is easy and is a fine line you don’t want to cross.

Here are some general steps I take as a beta reader when I’m working on a job:

• I take a full week when working on a manuscript, and I read it twice. During the first read-through, I make comments and notes along the way to make sure everything is answered or to remind the author what was brought up and never addressed again, as well as for me to understand the story. I take one or two days in between to clear my head from the story, and then I go back. On the second read-through, I’ll look for inconsistencies and make suggestions based on the ending that will help strengthen the story itself. 

• I keep notes for dates, timelines, names, descriptions, facts, etc., and I make sure to point out where they’re off in the MS so the author can fix them. The note includes a reminder of the options, along with page numbers, so the author doesn’t have to go looking. 

• I help identity any problems with the readability or saleabitity of a manuscript by keeping on top of what reviewers (especially the mean ones) are looking for. How? Well, we know they enjoy bashing the overuse of storylines, clichés, and overly perfect characters, etc. I read reviews, I read books for pleasure and for work, and I share my finds with my authors. 

• I pay attention to structure, POV, dialogue, show v. tell, and more. When dealing with structure, for example, if there are scenes that would make a bigger impact in another part of the MS, I’ll make a note and explain my reasoning behind it, and make suggestions of what can replace its original location. 

• I keep on top of characters’ personalities and make sure they’re staying true to themselves. For example, an OCD or neat freak, getting bad news while walking on the street wouldn’t start littering by throwing his coffee cup on the sidewalk because he’s now under stress. Some writers would think it might show just how stressed he is by acting with such opposite behavior, but wouldn’t it be more true to himself if he suddenly stopped and started picking up garbage off the street and putting them in the cans while processing his problems? Two birds, one stone (cliché intended)—but you’re showing and staying true to character this way. 

• Most importantly, when it comes to delivering feedback, I can be brutally honest . . . but tactful, always tactful. I’ve said this in the past, but its true: I’d like to think I’m a very sweet—but serious—defibrillator . . . I shock my authors with nice (truthful) praises until they’re too numb to know better when I’m gently crushing their hearts. Honestly, it’s tricky to find a balance between being too kind and being too cruel. In the end they really do need to hear the truth; that’s why I also bring up their strengths and make sure they know they’re on the right path.

There you have it. I hope my work process was helpful, or at the very least, interesting to read. Thank you for having me over, Lynda!

E = Editing Comes in Many Forms

Someone who's “looking for an editor” is most likely referring to the need for a copyeditor. There are, however, a few types of editors to choose from, and it’s best to know what you’re looking for if you want to get your publishing budget set up accurately.

Developmental editors work with you from the very beginning. If you have a concept or a great story idea but aren’t sure how to execute it, a developmental editor can help you organize your thoughts, give suggestions to aid your research, and help you get a handle on the big picture. They’ll spot when your writing isn’t clear, your characters are weak, when your plot has holes, and when timelines don’t add up properly.

Line editors/copyeditors come into play when the text is nearly final—or as final as an author can get it on his own. This type carefully reads each sentence, correcting structure, typos, spelling, punctuation, word usage, and grammar. They’ll alert you to stilted dialogue and inconsistent character details.

Proofreaders take the final look at your project. They ensure all the copyeditor’s changes were implemented, and fix any typos that may have been missed during the initial copyedit.

Each type of editing comes with its own price structure, so it’s best to know what you need before rushing right out there. Many authors think they only need a "light proof," but actually need a developmental editor for a manuscript that’s not yet ready for even the copyeditor. Know your strengths, but also recognize your weaknesses and set your budget accordingly.

B = Beta Readers Are Your Friends

Think of beta readers as your pre-reviewers. Would you rather have a reader tell you—in a scathing review on Amazon for all the world to see—that your book has plot holes, typos, and awkward phrases? Or would you rather have a beta reader tell you—in a much gentler, more constructive fashion—prior to publishing?

Beta readers can be literal friends: people you know well, who are willing to take a look at your book and tell you what they think of it. Beta readers can also be strangers: perhaps fans of your previous work, if you’ve already published. They might simply be fans of the genre in which you’re writing, and love to see books before anyone else does. Either way, they’re your golden opportunity for honest feedback in order to iron out any problems prior to showing your work to the world.

Whether you use a paid beta or a freebie, keep in mind that the closer someone is to you emotionally, the harder it will be for them to tell you if there are flaws in your manuscript. Family and close friends are wonderful cheerleaders, but an uninvolved party will probably yield better results for the work itself.

Editor's Notes #5: The Importance of Beta Readers

Statler and Waldorf: two of the most popular Muppets ever, because they say the things we wish we could say. 






W: That was wonderful!
S: Bravo!
W: I loved it!
S: That was great!
W: Well, it was pretty good.
S: Well, it wasn't bad.
W: There were parts that weren't pretty good, though. 
S: It could've been a lot better.
W: I didn't really like it.
S: It was pretty terrible.
W: It was bad.
S: It was awful.
S & W: Terrible! Eh, boo!

As much as we might laugh at those two, I believe many authors are worried that having a beta reader might yield the same results. After all, beta readers are supposed to be brutally honest while they tell us everything that's wrong with our books, right? And we just know the focus is going to be on the "brutal" part. It's much easier on our hearts and more convenient overall to have our friends and family read our manuscripts. Nobody wants a stranger to tell them they stink.

Thankfully, good beta readers won't tell you that you stink. Allow me to adjust that a bit: good beta readers might tell you that you stink, but they'll do it in such a way that you want to take their suggestions and improve, rather than tell them not to let the door hit them on the way out.

Beta readers work much in the same way as substantive/content editors. A skilled beta reader will pay close attention to your plot and whether it held his attention. Is your voice consistent? How's the pacing? Did he force himself to keep reading?

I'm reminded of the people who are chosen for a movie's advance screening: they watch a completed movie and give feedback on its good points and bad points, what might have slowed down the action, whether the characters were likable, and whether the movie-watcher was willing to stay put with a full bladder because the story was too fascinating to leave the theater even for a moment.

Betas offer that same kind of feedback. And much like a movie screening, if enough people hit on the same problems/negatives, the author is forced to recognize that there may be an adjustment needed here and there. A good author will take the feedback, mull it over, and sift the objective truths from the opinions. A good beta will try to keep opinions out of the equation to the best of her ability.

The advantage of betas who don't charge a fee is obvious: it's free. One less thing on which to spend your money. The trick there is to find someone (or a handful of someones) you trust with your manuscript. I've heard authors complain that they've tried betas who didn't "get" their genre, or worse, who never gave an evaluation at all, basically using the "I'll beta for you" game to get free reads. I'm hoping this is not a frequent—or even regular—occurrence. 

The advantage of betas who evaluate for a fee: you will get an evaluation, and in some cases you'll get input similar to that of a content editor for a fraction of the cost. They know what to focus on without having to be guided through, although they're open to any specific things the author wants them to look for. I occasionally beta for people, though it's a challenge sometimes to take off the editor hat and ignore specifics in favor of the overall package. The disadvantage of a paid beta is that you don't get the eval for free, but to my eye, that seems to be the only disadvantage.

Authors, don't be afraid to use betas, whether paid services or free of charge. It's their job to keep things professional and to be as objective as possible, whereas using only family or friends as your betas may get you many attaboys but not nearly enough of the type of critique you may need. Doing the tough thing now might save you from having to face the tough critics later.

S: Boo!
W: Boooo!
S: That was the worst thing I've ever heard!
W: It was terrible!
S: Horrendous!
W: Well, it wasn't that bad.
S: Oh, yeah?
W: Well, there were parts of it I liked.
S: Well, I liked a lot of it.
W: Yeah, it was GOOD, actually.
S: It was great!
W: It was wonderful!
S: Yeah, bravo!
W: More!
S: More!
W: More!
S: More!

[Statler and Waldorf skits taken from actual Muppet Show transcripts.]