What kind of an editor do you need? What can an editor do for you?

At the conference in Blue Ridge Georgia this weekend, I had a conversation with C. Hope Clark, Ellen Schofield, her husband Paul, author of the Trophy Saga, and Ronda Birtha.

We discussed the enormous numbers of errors we find in published books today. Like me, Hope is often asked to read manuscripts or books and write a review. We talked about the biggest mistake most authors make. They don't get a professional editor for their work before they self-publish or they publish with a small press that doesn't edit their work.

We heard from speakers today that some well known writers refuse to let an editor change more than one word or two of their books. Now that is the height of arrogance to me. Perhaps that is why many readers in the audience piped up with how many errors they find in the books by these authors. More and more I find that, reading like a writer as I now do, I am stopped by the mistakes I find in books, even those by NY publishers. 

In an article by David Kudler, he says that J.K. Rowling's first book was too long, had long passages that repeated itself, and needed work, but it was published. He says her future books showed more concern for the way the book was written and had the evidence of a good editor at work. Suffice it to say, Rowling was a good writer before she published a book, but I see far too many writers who are not that gifted who think they can let their sister or some other person who has a college degree,  read over their book and that is enough.

In Kudler's article he points out the myths writers believe about editing and editors.

I suggest to all my students who want to publish a book, find a good professional editor. And don't be so stubborn you won't listen to what you are told. 

Clark said she is continually asked to review mysteries since she published Lowcountry Bribe which is a very good read. She is dismayed at the manuscripts she receives that are so poorly written. I don't mean incorrect punctuation or sagging dialogue. Some books start off with a bang and after two chapters the whole story slumps and when that happens the reader wants to put it aside and never finish it. His sister won't tell the author about this, likely, but she will say what she is expected to say. "You did a great job, Brother." Perhaps sister doesn't know what needs to be fixed anyway. So she can't be helpful.

But a good editor cares not for your feelings so much as she cares for your book. She wants to help make your book the best it can be. That is why she is in the business. 

I could never be a good editor. I hate to edit my own work. But I will do the best I can with my writing before I send it on to someone else. And I want that someone else to tell me the truth. I can sit down with my students' stories and point out the grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, and how to rearrange paragraphs to move the story along, but I would not attempt a book of 200 plus pages.

I made a big mistake when I published my family history book fifteen years ago. I did not hire an editor. Now I am ashamed for people to see how poorly it was written. I had not taken enough writing classes to know what I was doing. 

Please read this article by David Kudler if you are writing a book, fiction or non-fiction, and if you want to know just what an editor can do for you.

If you have problems with the Word Verification for comments, just send your comments to me by email: nightwriter0302@yahoo.com
I can post them on this blog.

You might find this article interesting:
Common Grammar

Books, Writers and Poems on My Mind Today

Blue Ridge, GA covered in fog on Saturday morning

Having had such a stimulating weekend at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blue Ridge, GA, I can't settle on one subject to write on today. I'll just mention a few ideas, books, people, and moments that grab me.

1. Rick Bragg's essay in Southern Living. In the very back of the magazine (the present issue is not online yet) he writes a column called Southern Journal. Some of you know that I have strong feelings about saying thank you. Rick, spurred on by his wife to express his gratitude with thank you notes, sent letters to Mr. Airline Executive, Mr. Fancy Restaurant Owner, and my favorite, Mr. Satellite Television Service Operator. Rick is one of my favorite authors. If you like southern literature by a Pulitzer prize-winning writer, find his books and begin reading. And if you have ever had a gripe with the airlines, a restaurant, television service or computer and Internet service, you might want to read Rick's letters in the April 2012 Southern Living magazine.

2. A book called Writing in Style by Bobbie Christmas, writer and editor for more than 30 years. She not only answers questions about grammar, but her advice is current, 21st Century. She incorporates contemporary technology. 

3. A Memoir: Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler whom I met Saturday at the Writers Conference. I attended both her sessions and found Jessica who lives in Atlanta, to be extremely knowledgeable about writing. She teaches Creative Writing and hopefully we can host her at Writers Circle soon. Her story is about losing both her little sisters from illness, and growing up the only surviving child in a family torn apart by devastating loss. I have only had time to skim the book, but I feel it will help me make decisions of what I need to include in my own memoir which I continue to write. A writing exercise in class became an Aha Moment for me.

4. My Grandfather's Hands, poem from Scott Owens' book, For One Who Knows How to Own Land. I was immediately in love with Paternity, the first of Scott's books that I ordered, and I feel that way about this new book, but in a different way. One poem is so graphic, Slaughter, that it was hard to read, but the poem about his farmer grandfather's hands takes me back to my roots, to my father's hands. I studied Daddy's hands when he didn't know. Burned by sun, so brown they didn't seem to belong to his white arms beneath his shirt sleeves, his nails that never could be completely clean, and the south Georgia dirt that embedded the cracks in his fingers -- I could see them in Scott's poem.

Changing Life Moments - Good Subject for Personal Essays

I spent most of my time today driving alone and thinking. I thought of numerous subjects I wanted to blog about. Perhaps I will -- tomorrow.
Today, I am happy that Writers Digest editor, Robert Brewer, posted one of my personal essays on the subject of a moment that changed my life. Visit his blog, My Name is not Bob, www.robertleebrewer.blogspot.com

 I could write on other moments that changed my life, but the subject of this essay was one of the most important to me personally. I hope you will visit Robert's site and read it. Leave a comment, please.

I have said before, Robert Brewer and Hope Clark are two bloggers who give so much to writers. Take advantage of their tips. I met both of them last year at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference. This conference, although a local event for us, is one of the best writers' events you can attend. This year it will be held on March 30 and 31. Friday night and Saturday. Friday night is a reception for the speakers, but Saturday is the day to take part in the workshops. Carol Crawford has directed this conference from the beginning and she has brought some excellent speakers to Blue Ridge, Georgia.
When you go, talk to the speakers, introduce yourself and if you enjoyed their sessions, write them a note when you get home and tell them what you enjoyed about their class. Take notes in class and when you get home go over your notes, you might want to type them up and file them where you can get to them easily and often.

Hope to see you there this year.

 

Writers' Conference

I spent the day in Blue Ridge Georgia at the Arts Center where Carol Crawford pulled off yet another flawless writers’ conference. This event was number fourteen sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and this time it was held at the magnificent old building now used as an Arts Center. My eyes feasted on the paintings and photography on the walls as well as carvings and sculpture displayed. I arrived late and missed Sally McMillan’s opening remarks, but I did not miss Hope Clark’s session. I subscribe to Hope’s free newsletter at http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ Her handout was jam-packed with Internet sites to contact for funding for writers. She had not planned to make her living this way. Her talk about her own life and how she came to be in the business of helping writers find grants, proves you just never know how your plans can change and often for the best. Hope is from South Carolina. Her warm smile and easy manner with an audience comes through on her blog. She enjoys helping her readers. She is the kind of person you know you will like the minute you see her. It was so good to see my good friend, Scott Owens, editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review, and hear the compliments heaped upon him. He was a big hit, and I am happy to say he will be back here in the fall at Writers Circle to teach a workshop. Check this site for the date: http://www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com/ All the presenters talked about online publishing and social media’s importance to a writer. Attendees came away realizing their need to catch up with technology. I recognized that deficiency some time ago. That is why we asked Ronda Birtha to teach us how to best use social media to promote our writing and she will do that at Writers Circle on May . It is not too soon to sign up now. Space is limited. Echoes across the Blue Ridge, the Netwest anthology published last year, sold well as did all the books on the table manned by Melinda of Cowan’s Book Nook in Blue Ridge. http://www.hellonorthgeorgia.com/Shopping/CowansBookNook.html I picked up a couple of books I’ll write about later. Except for the air pollution caused by all the people who wore perfume, it was a perfect day. Tonight I’m nursing a sore throat and headache, and praying I won’t end up with bronchitis or asthma from networking with all the delightful writers there. It would not be difficult to print on the Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference application a little line that says, “Please do not wear perfume or fragrance of any kind. Some of our guests are extremely sensitive to the chemicals.” If you did not go to the conference, I urge you to put it on your calendar for next year.

Hope Clark blogs on the importance of your blog

I am a big fan of Hope Clark and I find her advice on writing to be the best. Her site is listed on my sidebar and I hope you click there and meet Hope. She will help your writing.
Hope will be a presenter at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blue Ridge, Georgia, just down the road from us here in south western NC.
This post, http://hopeclark.blogspot.com/2010/10/your-blog-is-your-resume.html is one all of us bloggers should read and adher to her words.

I hope my readers will take the time to look at the sidebar and click on my favorite blogs.

Read what Kelly L. Stone says on meditation and writing

For Writers:

Click here and enjoy a post by Kelly L. Stone, author of A Time to Write. I admire this writer's discipline. She has published two books and a third is forthcoming.



I attended a workshop she taught at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference in Blairsville, GA a few years ago. The subject was writing for inspirational anthologies. I took note of her advice and sold an essay to Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers.



In this post her subject is how meditation helps her write.

http://www.petitfoursandhottamales.blogspot.com/

A New Year and New Beginnings

2009 , tonight less than one hour old, is as new and as innocent as this beautiful baby.

It is now 2009 at 12:35 AM. No one is awake but Tiger the bob-tail cat and me. Barry was determined to make it till the Ball Drop in Times Square, but I didn't need to see a ball drop, a peach drop or as they do in Brasstown, a possum drop, to know another year has flown by and still, I have so much yet to do.

Today was windy, cold but sunny and that lifted my spirits which are not the best on New Year's Eve. I even gave myself time to be pampered with a good long massage by Linda at Murphy Mountain Therapeutic Massage and now I feel more prepared to face a new year, with new challenges and new hopes and new goals. Always new goals. Last year my goals were more for NCWN West than for me, but in 2009, my goals are more personal.

Number one is to help my husband and partner heal and be well. Secondly, I want to submit more of my writing and possibly publish a book. This will take more discipline, more time given to myself, and a writing schedule such as Kelly L. Stone advises in her book, Time to Write..

When the Christmas tree, the few decorations I put out and the cards are put away, I look forward to beginning the new year with my class at the John Campbell Folk School in January. February will hopefully mean the end of Barry's chemo treatments and the beginning of a few weeks in Florida. We will both be ready for that down time.

March brings on the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blairsville. I have not missed this annual conference since it began and I've enjoyed every one. My good friend Carol Crawford has created an excellent event for writers.

April weather inspires me to garden even though my planting usually takes place on my deck with pots of geraniums and in my yard, impatients line the bed beside the driveway. Thanks to Robert, a wonderful man who does the heavy work, our daylilly beds, our shade bed and our azaleas will pop with color and our twenty five dogwoods will brighten our wooded areas like left over snow mounds.

So now I go to bed and wake up in a brand new year. I will open my new journal and begin, January 1, 2009 and I hope and believe I will fill this journal with good things, things of which I'm more appreciative than I was last year. At the top of each page of this journal I will list what I'm grateful for and why. The more we emphasize our blessings, the less we dwell on our hardships. The more we give, the more we receive and the happier we are. This year with our shortage of cash, we plan to live a more frugal life and dispose of much we have that others can use.

I know what it is to do without. I saw my parents sacrifice and I can do the same if need be. Material things that have no active purpose are unnecessary if we need food and shelter. I see the country moving away from the greed and keeping up with the Joneses, and embracing a simpler life which will make for a kinder more compassionate society.
Happy New Year to you, my readers , to those who leave comments and let me know you enjoy this blog, a special thanks.

May all the best be yours in 2009.