Manuscript Editing
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
A literary agent is the person who will champion your story and get it into the hands of the right people at a publishing house. But while literary agents are always looking for a great story, it’s important to remember they receive many, many manuscripts – and they can’t represent everyone. Their stack of query letters and synopses is called the “slush pile”, and you need to make sure yours finds its way out of it.
The first step is to make sure your manuscript is in the best condition you can possibly make it. This means you have redrafted it, asked friends or a critique group to read it over, and finally given it to a professional editor, such as those at Firstediting.com, to repair any grammar problems, inconsistencies, or structural issues.
Now that your manuscript has been reshaped and in near perfect condition, the next step is to write a killer query letter and synopsis. Maybe you’ve been working on these alongside your manuscript, or maybe you will hire a professional to help you. These are vitally important – and they are the only way you will entice an agent to request a sample of your work. In addition, most agents have assistants who read the submissions for them, and only the best queries will actually get seen by the agent.
Begin your research for the perfect agent by creating a list of those who have worked with books that are a similar style to yours, and preferably books that you admire. Learn as much as you can about each agent, because finding the right person for this role means you will have someone who will fight to get your book into the marketplace and provide the vital link between you and the publishing house. If you send your work to a poor agent, your manuscript may never find its way to a publishing house.
Once you are satisfied with your list, check the agents’ submission guidelines very carefully. Like publishing houses, agents receive many manuscripts, and each may have specific requirements. While the merit of your story is the most important thing, don’t let yourself down by sending in your work in the wrong format or full of typos or awkward grammar. Contact by the method they request (i.e., do they prefer phone, email, or post?), and then send them only what they have requested; no more, no less.
If your query letter, synopsis, and sample pages shine like a diamond in the slush pile, you may just find the literary agent you always dreamed of.
Tags: editors, literary agent, Professional Editing, query letter, synopsis, writers
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Fiction Editing, Manuscript Editing, Novel Editing, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Friday, April 10th, 2009
Whether you’re a great writer or one who struggles, it is always important to improve your skills and take your writing to the next level. When it comes to writing an essay, there are 3 proven strategies that you can use to get ahead.
First, pre-planning and brainstorming is key. Although some people are able to write a great essay in one sitting or on the spot with a time limit, most GREAT essays took some time. Research your topic and write down or record any useful notes and facts. Plan out the order in which you will present your ideas in writing. It is not enough to just have a topic; it is just equally necessary to have a logical organization and presentation.
Secondly, streamlining your text can take a mediocre essay to a higher level. Simplifying your sentences and using precise grammar and structure can make your essay easier and more fun to read, more comprehensible, and more stylistically appealing. Although some people call those who have mastered these skills “professionals” or “naturally talented,” anyone can become a skilled writer with practice. Rewrite one of your old essays and see how much you can improve it. Remove any unnecessary words or phrases, change passive voice to active voice, and include more visual imagery or explanation. It is also great to utilize creative writing techniques to balance out the academic content of your essay-especially if you’re writing your essay for a magazine or website.
Finally, a surefire way to improve your essay is to hire a professional editor to go over your work and correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typos. You as the writer of your own work are unlikely to catch ALL the errors, and your word processing software’s spell/grammar check is no genius. At the very least, have a friend or colleague read and check your essay, and then revise accordingly. The advantage of using a professional editor comes in handy for those big projects-your college essays, a journal or newsletter article, a magazine or website article, or an important academic or work-related presentation. Editing can also improve your essay’s overall clarity, format, organization, and even content and style. If you’re ever in a hurry and you don’t have time to utilize the first two strategies, a professional touch can potentially make up for both.
So whether your goal is to become a better writer or to simply turn in or submit better essays, these 3 strategies will give you results. Often, all it takes to turn a good idea into a great essay is a little time. Fortunately, if you don’t have the time, you can still improve your essay by hiring a professional editor.
Tags: essay, essays, professional editor
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Manuscript Editing, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
Friday, March 27th, 2009
Revising gives you the chance to preview your work on behalf of the eventual reader. Revision is much more than proofreading, though in the final editing stage it involves some checking of details. Good revision and editing can transform a mediocre first draft into an excellent final paper. It’s more work, but leads to real satisfaction when you find you’ve said what you wanted. It is truly rewarding.
Start Large, End Small
First check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment. Look again at the instruction sheet, and revise your work to be sure you can say yes to these questions:
- Have you performed the kind of thinking the assignment sheet asked for (e.g., analyze, argue, compare, explore.)
- Have you written the genre of document called for (e.g., book review, critique, personal response, field notes, research report, lab report, essay)?
- Have you used concepts and methods of reasoning discussed in the course? Don’t be shy of using theoretical terms from the course. Also beware of just retelling stories or listing information. Looking at your topic sentences in sequence will show what kinds of ideas you have emphasized.
- Have you given adequate evidence for your argument or interpretation? Be sure that the reader knows why and how your ideas are important. A quick way of checking is to note where your paragraphs go after their topic sentences. Watch out for repetitions of general ideas — look for progression into detailed reasoning, usually including source referencing.
Now polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word choice, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You may already have passages that you know need further work. Here are some tips:
- Read passages aloud to see if you have achieved the emphasis you want. Look for places to use short sentences to draw attention to key ideas, questions, or argumentative statements. If you can’t read a sentence all the way through with expression, try cutting it into two or more.
- Be sure to use spell check. I have learned how crucial this is before and after each document! It will help you catch most typos and many wrongly spelled words. But don’t let it replace anything automatically, or you’ll end up with nonsense words. You will still have to read through your piece and use a print dictionary or writer’s handbook to look up words that you suspect are not right.
- Don’t depend on a thesaurus. It will supply you with lists of words in the same general category as the one you have tried-but most of them won’t make sense. Use plain clear words instead. Use a print dictionary and look up synonyms given as part of definitions. Always look at the samples of usage too.
- Don’t depend on a grammar checker. The best ones still miss many errors, and they give a lot of bad advice. If you know that you overuse slang or the passive voice, you may find some of the “hits” useful, but be sure to make your own choice of replacement phrases. A few of the explanations may be useful.
Nothing can substitute for your own judgment. You will become quite comfortable with your own style and creativity.
Tags: Professional Editing, Proofreading
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Manuscript Editing, Novel Editing, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
If you’ve just finished writing your novel and you’re ready to send it off to publishers, be sure to read these helpful tips first. Although various publishing houses have their own guidelines, there are standard guidelines you can follow to ensure that your manuscript is easily readable and professionally presented.
First, be sure the font is Times New Roman or Courier. These fonts ensure that each character is the same width; therefore the manuscript looks as if it has been typed on a typewriter. Use a 12 point size, even for chapter headings.
Double-space the text, and be sure it is aligned to the left and NOT justified. Some readers will not even look at a manuscript if the text is justified.
Indent each paragraph with a 0.5 inch tab. Use 1-inch margins all around. Do not leave extra spaces between paragraphs. Chapter numbers and titles may be proceeded by an extra space (for a total of 4 spaces between title and text), but remember to be consistent. Begin each chapter of the book on a new page, and leave a space between the chapter number/title and the text.
Do NOT use bold typeface. Italics are acceptable, and underlining is always fine. It is traditional to underline all text that you wish to be italicized, but it has become acceptable to use italics since computers have replaced typewriters.
Do NOT use large or unusual fonts, bold typeface, or artwork. The style and appearance of your manuscript should be simple; it is not your finished book yet.
Place a running header including page numbers, your last name, and the title or partial title of the book at the top right of every page (except the title page).
Prepare a title page that includes the following information: first and last name, address, phone number and/or email, and word count. Place this information at the top right on the page. Place your title in the center of the page with a byline right under it.
The Great American Novel
by Jane Smith
(OR)
The Great American Novel
by
Jane Smith
If you use a pen name (alias), use that name in the byline and in the running headers on each page (but use your real name in the upper right corner).
You may begin the text of the story on the title page itself, or you may elect to begin on page 2. It is always best to begin with Chapter 1 or the prologue (rather than including dedications and acknowledgments; those can come later). Remember that your goal is to capture the reader’s attention right away.
Print on 8 _ by 11 inch white paper using black ink. Only print on one side of each page. Do not staple or bind the pages. (Use “A-4” paper if you are in Europe.)
Of course, if this all sounds like too much, you can hire professional editors to properly format your manuscript. This is especially useful if you have completed your work in a style that does not comply with these guidelines and you do not have the time or energy to make changes to the entire document yourself. In the process of writing and revising your document, you may encounter formatting issues (such as pagination) and elect to hire a professional to format the final version—this is not uncommon. In fact, many writers hire professional editors to assist them with the technical and mechanical aspects of the writing process.
A properly prepared and presented manuscript is important because it gives the publisher an indication of your knowledge and seriousness, and it makes reading as easy as possible for the person reading your work. In some cases, publishers will not even read a manuscript if it is improperly presented, so a great looking manuscript can increase your chances at publication.
Tags: Christian Publication, Christian Writing, Manuscript Submission, Submitting for Publication, Submitting to a Publisher, Writing for Publication
Posted in Book Editors, Christian Writing, Manuscript Editing, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Monday, December 22nd, 2008
You’ve written a killer research paper or maybe the next Great American (or British or Canadian or…) Novel, and now you’re ready to submit it for grading or for publication—but wait! Has your work been professionally edited?
“Why do I need a professional editor? My word processing program has a spell/grammar check—isn’t that enough?” you ask suspiciously.
Not really. Many times, spell/grammar checks are inconsistent, they can often miss really obvious mistakes, and they frequently suggest horribly wrong “corrections.” A human eye is best for the final edit of your document, and a professional editor is the best person for that job.
Why? Consider this. Professional editors are those annoying people who find grammar and spelling mistakes in books they’re reading for pleasure, as well as in magazines, journals, newspapers—pretty much anything they set eyes on—without even trying. They just can’t help themselves: the errors leap off the page at them.
Further, they’re the folks who, after reading a paragraph, will say, “That’s nice, but you know, wouldn’t it be better to put that paragraph before this one? And by the way, if you move that sentence over here and rephrase this one, it’ll read much more smoothly. Try wording it like this…”
What’s more, professional editors know the various style manuals used by academia, professional journals and so forth, and can make sure your paper meets whatever style manual your professor or journal prefers. Need all citations and references done in MLA format when you’re more familiar with Turabian?
Turn the paper over to a professional editor, who can correct all your citations and references to the required style. When your grade depends on perfection (or as close to it as any human can manage), you want to call in the big guns!
Understand, however, that no truly professional editor is going to do all your work for you: your paper or novel or whatever other document you submit for editing must be complete. Editors don’t do your research; they don’t write your paper; they don’t dig up references for you. What they do is take YOUR work and make it better through rewording awkward phrases or sentences, moving entire paragraphs around, correcting grammar and punctuation, and sometimes asking questions or making comments that force you to re-evaluate a conclusion or a scene—this is what makes them professionals!
After spending hours, maybe weeks or months, laboring over your written creation, don’t put blind faith in computer spell/grammar checks. Hire a professional editor through a firm such as FirstEditing (www.firstediting.com) and know that your work has been given the attention to detail that it deserves.
Tags: Professional Editor, Submitting for Publication, Technical Editing
Posted in Book Editors, Copy Editing, Editing Skills & Services, Manuscript Editing, Novel Editing | No Comments »
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