PAINLESS EDITING!

As I'm sitting on the beach this week....YES! I'm at the beach!

But I'm in my most least favorite part of the publishing book process. . . EDITING! It's the second book in A Magical Cure Series, A Charming Cure. And if you don't write mystery, you should know that I write my mystery novels backwards.


And my editor would be more happy to tell you that she has to go over my work at least twice!

I have come up with some great tips to help me and YOU get us through the editing process with a little more with ease.

1) Take your time.

I know that we have our muse and want to start writing on the next project, but if you don't slow down and take your time, your novel will suffer by not becoming the best novel it can be.

An easy way to do this, and what I have done while I'm at the beach, is to break my finished novel into four parts. Literally, I take the page count and divide it by four.

This helps me work on one section at a time and not temp myself to work ahead. I'm a tad bit lazy in this editing department and anything I can do to get through it I do. Breaking it up doesn't seem so daunting.

2) Don't worry with the meat of the bones on your first round of edits. Make sure that you have the story down. Make sure the story is going exactly where you wanted it to go. Don't worry about the dialogue tags, or the description at this point. I'm sure you have most of that in there, but we are just looking at the story structure of the novel.

3) If you are further into your editing process, change the font on your computer. We have a tendency to know our novel so well that we can skip through it as if you were skipping through a meadow of flowers on the most perfect day. Nothing jumps out. BUT if you edit in a different font than you are use to, things have a tendency to stick out a little more.

4) When you are in your final draft of editing, send it to one of your readers! I have two GREAT readers that I trust with my novels. I have met only one of them in person and the other I have not. I trust them completely with my genre. They are avid readers. When they tell me something is off, or a character hasn't developed enough for them, I listen.

Do you have any editing tips that will help us like the process a little more?

From An Editor to An Author

Please welcome editor Judy Beatty!!

Tonya asked me to write a blog on editing, and I’ve been mulling around what I want to tell you over and over in my mind for days now.   I have finally zeroed in on some things that I feel are important to the editor, and for the author.

In editing a manuscript, there can be a tendency to “want” to forget that the author has his or her own voice, and change sentences into how we as editors would say it if we had written it.  This is where we can make or break trust in the person we are editing for.  It’s common to try and change sentences around to our liking, but once the author’s voice is revealed, we must edit in their way of thinking, and not ours.  I had one lovely author recently tell me that she sees my grammatically correct sentences and says “Grammatically correct? What’s that?”  Also, I edited a book for an author that had characters speaking the worst English I have ever heard, but that is the way he wanted it, and that is the way I had to learn to edit his book.  Now I am highly aware and try to find the pattern and rhythm  in each authors writing, and once I do that, I can easily edit without changing their voice.

Punctuation tends to be an issue in every manuscript I edit.   Commas are by far the most overused punctuation on the planet.  Quotation marks inside or outside of the period/exclamation point/comma are another issue.  I find this rule handy: If in Britain, put the quotes outside of the punctuation, and if in America, put them inside.  Since most of us are in America, writing to Americans, then I try to keep what our readers are used to seeing prevalent.  If any of you are writing to a British audience, please tell your editor so they can edit accordingly (I say with tongue in cheek).

It helps, also, to have a wonderful daughter who teaches high-school English for a living.  AHEM…YES, I do write her occasionally when I get stumped and ask for her opinion, and thank God, she is so quick to help me.

I love working with already published writers, but am sad to say that so many manuscripts are getting edited (even [especially] by major publishing companies) and leaving so much to be desired; and you, the author, have probably paid through-the-nose to have them edited, but they are still so full of errors and have been published that way.  Since I do a lot of re-editing for authors who are already published, I feel deeply sorry for them and want to do everything in my power to make their manuscripts as clean as possible. When I read a book for fun, and it is full of errors, I tend to cringe and put it down.  Actually, that is how I got started in editing.  I read a series by a well-known author, and found so many mistakes that I wrote her and asked if she would like for me to fix them.  She sent me her manuscripts and I was on my way with a new career.

New writers are fun to edit, and a bit more time-consuming, because they are just finding their voice and a good editor can help them find it if he or she is willing to take the time to discuss issues with the writer.  It’s great fun to watch new writers evolve, and see each new book come to life with more of “them” in it.

My final thought is, no matter if you are an already published author, or if you are just starting out –edits will need to be done; sometimes over and over again, until the manuscript is so squeaky clean you can see your face in it.  I do look forward to working with many of you, and will continue to enjoy reading your works, and editing to my heart’s content.  

Until then, “Happy Writing”.

Judy is giving away a one time free editorial service to one lucky comment today!!!!

When Editing Is NOT Enough!

A couple of weeks ago I blogged on about editing, Whiz With Words. There were so many great comments! I had gotten a lot of private emails on editing software and what I use. 
I don't use any editing software, but one of my regular commenter does! She graciously accepted to do a guest blog for me!! Lets give a round of applause to author Mila Ballentine!!

Laura has received her manuscript from an editor, after spending about $0.016/word for a 10,000 + manuscript.  She feels confident; a proclaimed specialist in editing has gone over her manuscript with a fine toothcomb. Laura accepts and rejects suggestions in the manuscript and WHALA, the book is ready for the printing stage.  The book is available for purchase and the reviews start to come in.  Her eyes eagerly read a review for the book on amazon.com, “It’s a good read, but it has too many errors.” 


Comments like this can knock the wind out of a writers sail. A writer has to have tough skin to survive in a world where everything written is critiqued.

Still, authors are sensitive and their stories are like a beloved child.  I think many writers can relate to Laura’s experience.  I found that doing a visual edit was not enough. So, I tried using  the Natural Reader 10.0 software and it has become a crucial part of the editing process.  

Arguably, the more mistakes a manuscript has the easier it is for the editor to overlook mistakes.  Natural Reader is a synchronized text to speech software that reads and highlights the words spoken.  When actively listening, you can hear when a word is missing, discover plot holes, and find out of sequence scenes.  


The software is easy to use, and reads MS Word, PDF and emails. The only down side is getting use to listening to a mechanical voice, but the benefits are priceless. Disclaimer: Reader software’s do not take the place of an editor.  Once, you have gone over the text without hearing any errors, send it to an editor.  

Now, it is up to you to test the software and experience the benefits.  I have included a link to a free Natural Reader 10.0 download. An upgraded version is available with realistic voices. http://www.naturalreaders.com/download.htm

In addition, I am including a link to my blog, http://www.milaballentine.blogspot.com  and eStore, https://www.createspace.com/3849242

I cordially invite you to visit my blog, get to know the author, and available titles.    


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WOW!! Thanks so much, Mila for coming by and telling us about the edit software that you have found useful to you! 
Will you use a software to help with edits? I know we have all been there with the ugly reviews, but anything that will help out is GREAT!!
Thoughts?

EDITS. . .sigh. . .edits. . .

People ask me all the time, "Isn't writing a book hard?"
I laugh. Writing the book is the easy part. Editing the book is the hardest part!

I don't know about you, but editing my manuscript is the number one thing I dread in the process of finishing a manuscript.

We all know that when we type THE END, that the end is NOT the end! It really is the beginning.
Some writers love it because they use the editing process to put more meat into their story, flesh it out more, and create deeper characters. Some writers are like me. . .they type THE END and it really is the end (or what we want the end to be).

Not that I don't want my story to be the best it can be, but I've written it once through blood sweat and tears. And quiet frankly, I don't want to relive that part again.

If I dive deeper into why I really don't like the editing process. . .it's hard work! I don't like hard work!

In the editing process, we have to find the plot holes, make sure the lose ends are tied up, make sure that your protag has the same color hair and eyes throughout the book, blah, blah, blah.

Guess what?

I don't want to read my novel 200 times. I don't want to check and re-check to make sure I tied up all the red herrings. BUT I want a bunch of readers to pick up my book and love it.

Then why don't I love the editing process so they do pick up my novel and love it?

Well . . .I'm learning to love the process.

How?

I'm taking my time. I've realized that the publishing industry isn't nearly as fast as I'd like it to be. It's all about getting the best product out to the readers that you can. That means that you must take your time. Read every single word, and reread every single word. Make sure you develop your characters, create that scene, tie up all the plots and sub-plots. AND remember that if you take the time NOW to create that fabulous book, that you can take the time later to reap the rewards.

In the end, there is such a great satisfaction once I can type THE END after the third...er...fifth round of edits.

Author Sarah Duncan has a great series on her blog about the editing process! Check it out!

TODAY is NEVER TELL YOUR DREAMS book birthday! Release day!!!

Superstition:  Noun

1.      An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear.

2.      Circumstances under which Maggie Greenlee lives her life.

Maggie’s life revolves around superstition.  Never walk under a ladder, don’t let a black cat cross your path, Maggie’s favorite, toss a pinch of salt over your shoulder for good luck, are staples Granny taught her. But the biggie, never tell your dreams before breakfast, is the one Maggie is sure is an old wive’s tell. But after Maggie hears that someone had a dream that Maggie was left at the altar, before breakfast-no less! –Maggie pulls out all the superstitious stops to make that dream not come true.

Until her fiance breaks off their engagement and she loses her job. . .all in one week.

Maggie goes back to Grandberry Falls where Granny's sweat tea and the annual Jubilee is just the cure she needs. Only everyone seems to be keeping a secret from her.

Mayor Mitch Dozier is busy working on the eminent domain case against Maggie's granny's farm. Maggie's granny insists that Maggie doesn't find out about the case, and Maggie is a distraction he doesn't need.His heart was broken once by Maggie Greenlee. He won't let it happen again.

Will Maggie and Mitch discover that the future of Grandberry Falls depends on them?