Do you stress and strain over every word you write? Are your sentences sometimes difficult to form? Do you have trouble writing what you think you want to say? Do your paragraphs seem a little rough when you reread them? Or do you firmly believe that, because you have worked so hard on your manuscript, it is well-written and ready to publish?<\/p>\n
If you are a new writer\u2014you\u2019ve never written anything more detailed than an office memo, letters\/emails and maybe even the church bulletin\u2014you probably need an editor. <\/p>\n
I\u2019ve met only a handful of first-time authors who could appropriately organize and write a meaningful book of any merit without extensive help from a qualified editor. <\/p>\n
You may not even know that you are misspelling words or using the wrong words\u2014such as \u201cthen\u201d in place of \u201cthan\u201d or \u201ctoo\u201d in place of \u201cto,\u201d for example. You may think that your run-on sentences give your story clarity. You may really like the way you\u2019ve over-described characters and scenes. You may not actually have a clue as to how confusing your writing is until someone shows you the difference.<\/p>\n
And what an opportunity to learn! I love it when my clients come to me with a new project reflecting what I previously taught them. Wow! To see writers break old habits, grow in the way they create scenes, improve their ability to portray characters, write better transitions and just write with more consistency and skill, makes my day. And it definitely better positions these authors in this fiercely competitive book-selling market.<\/p>\n
If you plan to write a book\u2014and why not, everyone is\u2014start saving up your money or set some aside for an experienced book editor. You\u2019ll be doing yourself and America\u2019s literary health a huge favor.<\/p>\n
As an editor, I sometimes get manuscripts after the writer\u2019s friend, a retired college professor or a coworker edits it for free. And I can tell you, I\u2019m immediately aware that this was a total waste of everyone\u2019s time. <\/p>\n
My suggestion? If you don\u2019t have the money to pay a decent book manuscript editor, don\u2019t even consider publishing your book. Go ahead and write it if you want, but keep it to yourself. If you dream of being published\u2014it\u2019s truly important to you\u2014then put on your big girl\/guy pants and find a way to hire an experienced editor. This step can make the difference between a successful or a failed book. <\/p>\n
How do you choose a good editor? Choose someone<\/p>\n
\u2022\twith years, instead of weeks, of experience as a writer, author and editor.
\n\u2022\twho comes highly recommended.
\n\u2022\twith good references\u2014yes ask for references.
\n\u2022\twhose style and work you like\u2014yes, ask for a sample of what they intend doing for you.<\/p>\n
And choose someone who knows something about the publishing and bookselling industry. You’ll get so much more for your money.<\/p>\n
I may not be the right editor for every project, but I\u2019d like to take a look at yours. Did you hear? I\u2019m dropping my hourly rate to my 2000 rate\u2014$40 instead of $50\/hour. This means that it might cost you under $1,200 for me to edit your 200-page manuscript. If you land a publisher, get a review in Library Journal<\/em> and\/or New York Times <\/em>and\/or have your book accepted by a major bookseller, for example, it is well worth the investment, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n Email me for a free manuscript evaluation: PLFry620@yahoo.com. <\/p>\n And for help getting your manuscript in good shape before hiring an editor, read the section on self-editing tips for authors in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em><\/strong>. Do you stress and strain over every word you write? Are your sentences sometimes difficult to form? Do you have trouble writing what you think you want to say? Do your paragraphs seem a little rough when you reread them? Or do you firmly believe that, because you have worked so hard on your manuscript, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"