Today at The Self-Publishing Review I look at a fantasy novel called Necromancer. I have done my best to be generous but I do so wish that writers would learn more about editing before they self-publish their work.
Category Archives: editing
Why Agents And Publishers Specialise
In order to be as effective as they can be, most agents*, editors, imprints and publishers work only in a few particular genres. And there’s a good reason for that. I don’t read much SF: but when I do, each SF book I read seems full of bright new stuff which I’ve never read about…
The Writing Business: Part III
This is the final part of the talk I gave at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival. You can read part I here, and part II here. The Writing Business 44) So, once you’re sure your writing is as good as it can be, you have to work out where to submit it. How can…
No One Edits Any More? Ha!
I just came across literary agent Andy Ross’s lovely interview with Mary Norris, copy editor at The New Yorker. There are some lovely details in it, and it shows just how meticulous editors are (and yes, I’ve heard the myths that editors don’t edit any more and I just don’t believe it). I particularly liked…
Yes, The Internet Does Count
I read two very similar blog posts last week: this one from Janet Reid, and this one from The Rejectionist. Both make the point that it’s important for writers to take care over their writing: to use the words they mean to and not ones which sound the same; and to check their work carefully…
How To Test A Copy Editor
A good copy editor can significantly improve a book in all sorts of subtle and beautiful ways; a bad one can slash-and-burn their way through a manuscript and render it almost unreadable. If you’ve ever considered hiring a copy editor to look at your work before you send it off to publishers or agents, here’s…
Dashes And Ellipses
Better late than never, we are now celebrating National Punctuation Day while simultaneously giving me a chance to indulge in a couple of my favourite obsessions: nitpicking, and dashes (and don’t get me started on semicolons or we’ll have to extend the event to last all week). This post first appeared on my other blog,…
How Much Can Writers Get Away With?
We know that writers have to get their work as close to perfect as possible to get it published: but the fact that publishers insist on paying editors to then edit those books before they are published implies to some that books don’t have to be quite as perfect as is commonly thought before they…
On Talent, Rising To The Top
If you want to know how editors feel on the rare occasion they find a good book in their slush-pile, then read this lovely post from Making Light which compares the feeling to that moment in Britan’s Got Talent when Susan Boyle began singing and Simon Cowell’s usually-cynical face lit up with joy. (What isn’t…
Trios: The Third Sign, by Gregory A Wilson: The Editor's View
Although Gregory A Wilson has already told us how he found a publisher, it’s interesting to read a corresponding view from the other side of the fence. Here, Greg’s editor at Five Star, John Helfers, discusses what he looks for in a writer, and how writers can improve the editing process. Next time we’ll hear…
Do Agents Edit? And Is It Really Their Job?
Literary agents have two main functions. They separate the best writing from the rest, so that editors can spend more time editing and producing the best books they can; and they get their clients the best deal possible—which doesn’t always mean going for the biggest advance. Is it also part of an agent’s job to…
Centralising The Slush Pile
This piece is one of a group of posts which appeared on my blog some time ago but then decided to remove themselves from public view and hide in my drafts folder instead. It was probably because I did something foolish, but I’m not quite sure what! Here it is again, for your reading pleasure….
Editorial Agencies
Suppose you’ve written a book which has received nothing but rejections, but you don’t understand how you could improve it. One way to get specific advice is to pay for an editorial assessment of the book which should point you in the right direction. Editorial agencies are not without their problems: there are plenty which…
Trios: Devil’s Gold, by Julie Korzenco—The Editor’s View
Julie Korzenko, author of Devil’s Gold, has been kind enough to round up a trio of articles about her book. Last week, Julie described how she found a home for her book; this week Emily Steele, Julie’s editor at Medallion Press, discusses the editorial process; and next week we’ll learn how Medallion Press markets its…
The Problems With Selling Self Published Books
Mainstream, commercial publishers will publish just about anything they think they can make money on. So when a book is widely rejected (assuming it’s been submitted to the right people and places), it’s because the people who know and understand the market best consider that it’s not commercial enough to sell well. That it’s not…
Grammar: Essential References
Here are two lovely books about grammar. Both are really nice and functional: they’re easy to understand, funny to read, and packed full of useful stuff; and since I got my hands on them I’ve used them both almost every day. English Grammar for Dummies, written by Lesley J Ward and Geraldine Woods, is an…
What Do Editors Do?
There are many different layers to editing a book well. First there’s the overall structure of the book. Does it work in its current form? Would the book flow better if scenes were rearranged or deleted, or if new scenes were added? Then there’s the content. Are all those scenes complete? Are there any plot-holes…
Editors On Facebook Discuss Difficult Authors
A discussion on Facebook has irritated a few author-friends of mine. I’ve been sent a link to this ongoing discussion and, while the editors involved think it’s funny, not one of the writers who have seen it seem to be laughing. I’m not going to tell you which side I’m on because then I’ll upset…
Do Your Research! (Part I)
When you write anything for publication, it’s wise to do all you can to get things right in the first place: you can make such a spectacular fool of yourself if you get it wrong, as one poor writer found out when her PublishAmerica book was reviewed. It’s harsh, isn’t it? Now, imagine how you’d…