The Real Costs of Editing. Here we go again!

Within my various editing groups, there seems to be a common complaint among editors, and it revolves around the issue of appropriate rates to charge. We editors seem to be in this "damned if we do, damned if we don't" position.

Most of us encounter those who look at our quoted rates and balk at the price — but as one said to me the other day, it's not necessarily the people we think either. (She sent out two quotes the week before, with the same rate quoted: one to a lawyer and the other to a retired gentleman. It was the lawyer who complained about the cost. The retired gentleman smiled as he paid the bill.) The flip side of this coin is that some look at our rates and compare it to the rates offered by others, and go, "Oh, you mustn't be very good. You're not charging anywhere near enough for what you say you do."

What are we editors to do?

Most of us encounter the former type of writer more than anything. Let's face it, there's this inherent nature that people have to be stingy with their finances, complaining that they can't get something for free. There's not a lot I can do about the second category, but with the first, I can educate writers about what it is they really face when working with freelance editors.

The publisher wants double hyphens & triple dots…

Recently, I found myself in a Facebook conversation about ellipses and em-dashes. There was a whole thread about spaces or no spaces and the merits of each, along with the side effects associated with different practices and typesetting issues.

The original question was with regards to Scrivener and the way it handles ellipses. Obviously, this is something that I can comment on as a regular user of Scrivener. So, I piped in.

Within Scrivener, you can convert ellipses into triple dots at the time of compile, just like you can convert em-dashes into double hyphens.

My comment was a bit longer than that (just a tad), but it sparked another thread of conversation.

“Why would you ever want to convert em-dashes to double hyphens?”

My answer: “Some publishers require it.”

What Exactly is VOICE? A Literary Term Defined

I love your voice. You need more voice. We're seeking a strong voice.

I don't know how many times I've seen strong voice listed among the desirable traits on an agent's wish list, or comments on those critiquing blogs about lacking a distinctive voice. Meanwhile, the comments from various writers climb: What exactly is voice?

To put it simply, voice is the personality in the writing. It's about understanding how to get your personality, or that of your characters, to shine through on the page. Everything else is meaningless.

Here's the thing about voice: it's something that develops over time as you become more confident with writing. Basically, there really is only one way to develop a strong voice: write, edit, write, edit, write, edit, lather, rinse and repeat.

Is First Person Really More Intimate?

Some time ago, a writing buddy of mine received a “Revise and Resubmit” (R&R) on her crime novel, with an attached editorial note stating that the editor thought it would work better in first person.

For a moment, I want to reflect on the simple fact that she got an R&R. People, this is an awesome thing for a writer to get.

It's not a rejection.
The acquisition editor saw something in your story and writing that has great potential, but they felt the manuscript wasn't quite ready to take before the powers that be who issue and sign contracts. The editor is giving the writer another chance.

If you get an R&R, celebrate! Then take the time to look over the editorial notes and seriously consider their merits.

Okay, so after we finished celebrating the fact she got an R&R, she told a group of fellow writers about the editor wanting the manuscript in first person. There were roughly ten of us around the table that day, and several piped up quickly to say, "first-person narratives were more intimate." There I was, sitting on the other side of the table, biting my tongue. The others in the room were so adamant about their view, and nothing I could say would change their point of view. More importantly, my writing buddy agreed with them.

Taking Weapons Overseas: Guest Blog Post

Fast Write Now! Edit Hell Later!

It's November. All around the world, writers are embarking on the NaNoWriMo challenge — aiming to write a minimum of 50,000 words in 30 days. The writing community often finds ways to come out of random hidey holes to write in groups, both online and offline. To some, the whole challenge is a daunting task, but trust me, by taking part in NaNoWriMo, you'll discover aspects of your own writing habits that you either need to change or enhance, making writing a habit.

Every year, I share my thoughts about how aiming for the high word counts shouldn't be your ultimate goal. Yes, to win the prizes from NaNoWriMo, you need to complete 50,000 words, but with the award system being 100% honesty based, anyone can reach 50,000 words. Sorry, folks, but I stand by my view: the real goal of NaNoWriMo is to develop writing habits that will carry you through into your future writing career.

With that in mind, we need to address certain practices that will help you write fast now, but avoid the editing hell later.

Spy Toys: Seeing in the Dark

When writing our stories, we need to understand all aspects of our characters to help bring them to life on the page. Sometimes, that all important characterization is not about the way a character thinks or acts, but rather the toys that they have at their disposal. Let's face it, James Bond wouldn't be the captivating creature he is without all the gadgets and specially designed toys given to him by Q. Maxwell Smart would be nothing without his shoe phone. Batman would be just some spoiled billionaire without the famous gadget belt. And Judge Dread... Well, Judge Dread is Judge Dread, and he can do whatever he wants, even if it's blow up half the city.

But what about the men and women who are the real counterparts to our favorite spy-like fictional characters? Sure, they have their guns, the knives, and whatever other weapons they can get their hands on, but some gadgets at their disposal feel like they come out of science fiction. I'm talking about the toys they use to help them see their targets.

Facebook: Is it time to panic about security?

Facebook has hit the news once again with yet another security breach. This time, the breach was a flaw in the View as... feature built into the platform to give users the ability to see their profiles and pages as another user would see them. It had to do with some combination of settings between this feature and the uploading of videos that gave some hacker access to over 50 million people's data.

News of the breach is EVERYWHERE! There is even a public statement about it on the Facebook site.

To be honest, I'm not surprised this has happened. As much as people like to pretend otherwise, the internet and social media are still new technology. Yes, sites like Facebook have been around for a while, going public in 2004. However, what Facebook looked like in 2004 is NOTHING compared to what it looks like today. Social media as a whole is dramatically different. Same too with the internet.

More and more people are joining the world of the internet. For much of the Western Society, it has become a massive part of our lives. My children are now required to sit certain school exams or submit assignments online. This is the world we now live in.

With the changes in the world, we were bound to face issues surrounding privacy and security. The question is: is it time to panic?

In a one-word answer: No. In a longer answer: No, but it is time to examine our practices and take steps to protect ourselves.

Here is a list of steps you should take to protect yourself on the internet, not just Facebook.

The Must-Have Website

When I first started down the road towards publication myself, I did an extensive amount of research trying to understand exactly what I needed to do to make it happen. There was this one thing that kept cropping up, time and time again. Platform. Website. Website. Platform.

When I saw this constant theme of website for writers, I wanted to run screaming. There was no way I wanted to stress myself with having to do all the coding associated with having a website. And the cost... I could barely afford my internet bill. But if I wanted to make a name for myself as a writer, I was going to have to suck it up and just do it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how simple — and cheap — it all was.

I created the first iteration of my author website, with all the bells and whistles, within 30 minutes. I kid you not. And all it cost me was time. That website was FREE.

A Synopsis is NOT a Blurb

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been helping writing buddies prepare submissions for various writing contests. From PitchWars through to RWNZ’s Great Beginning, each of these contest required a synopsis as part of the submission packet. PitchWars required a query letter too. However, there was one thing that seemed to be a constant theme: there was confusion about the difference between a synopsis and a blurb.

To put it simply, a blurb is the short teaser that snags the interest of a reader, enticing them to read more. This is what is typically used on the back cover of a printed book. It’s a blurb that one will find in a query letter.

A synopsis is the spoiler alert, containing ALL plot points from the main thread of the story from start to finish, including the ending. It’s an editing tool that the public will never see unless you let them.

Let’s break this down a bit further.
Read More→