Category Archives: Editing

Editing, Writing

There’s Always Room for Improvement During the Journey

The following are the words of M.A. Levi, author of the Beast Series. For more information on M.A. Levi or her book, find her on her website, Amazon or Goodreads. Download the Archway Publishing free publishing guide for more information on our supported self-publishing services.

There’s Always Room for Improvement During the Journey

Moreover, with such knowledge, improvements in ones’ writing is not only wise, but it progresses success further. Speaking from experience, I started writing my book ‘Beast Blood’ in October of 2013 after a lightning bolt of inspiration struck, and I became obsessed with these ideas and characters and with completing the overall story. Nine months of busy days and sleepless nights of writing and re-writing and enduring the editing agony everywhere and anywhere I went; I had completed my first book! It nearly took me a full year after to find the perfect publisher for my creation. Finally, in 2015 I found Archway Publishing my passion had become fulfilled as a published author. After several months my book was available to the public! Now, I had a solid, tangible mass that I could share with the world. Overall, Archway had given me the base knowledge that I needed to pursue my dream. However, I knew there was much for me to learn. My job wasn’t even close to done, but only beginning.

Along the Way

Compared to the more established authors, I was a newbie in the market. For my first signing, I had a few good pens, my books to sell and sign, and a shipment of confidence. Months on end I scheduled signings, meet-and-greets, Q’s and A’s and with that, I had people interested in my book and who I was. By this time, I had expanded and developed a solid reader base; it was amazing to hear such beautiful reviews for something I had created from a small thought that had much moxie behind it. Nonetheless, with the unanimous praise came the stinging criticism, and that my fellow authors, can break your confidence when you’re early in the game. It’s natural to meet such a negative comment or two with confusion and anger. Oh, yeah, there were times that I had done so. Trying to appreciate their perspective, even though it pounded against my confidence like a sledgehammer, I found that some had a touch of truth. However, it wasn’t until I wrote my second book, ‘Flames to the Beast’ to the point of such precision that I realized I made countless rookie mistakes in my writing. I finally had seen what the few had seen. Grammar issues, plot holes- the works. Determined to perfect the craft, I researched for hours on end, took classes, brushed up on everything that pertained to my weaker areas, and then I researched some more to find the elements that would amp up my game. Diligence and perseverance birthed success.

Learn from your failures but be sure to congratulate yourself for your successes. They are both stepping stones to progress.

Now, understand that some no matter how hard you to try will dislike or find something wrong with your creation. Taking on the attitude of ‘if you don’t like what I wrote, then you write a book to your liking,’ will help you with that. Also, the security and confidence that comes from knowing you had improved yourself will push you through the obstacles. Personally, proud of my endeavors, I walk into a signing assured my writing is where it needs to be, and that has helped create opportunities for success. I currently have my book ‘Flames to the Beast’ stocked in several indie-bookstores while growing the rapid reader/reviewer base. Sales and demand have increased as well. Despite all this, I know in the back of my mind, there’s always room for improvement along the journey.

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Editing

4 Creative Editing Techniques

Regan Platt is an offline marketing intern at Author Solutions, the world leader in supported self-publishing. She is currently a senior at Indiana University where she studies English. Regan is in Indiana University’s Liberal Arts Management Program, an honors level interdisciplinary program that incorporates Kelley School of Business courses with a liberal arts education. 

1. Color Coordination7a7f3aa7e1daa2c78e3342a28fac4acd

How to: When you’re working on a puzzle it helps to know what the big picture looks like. This is how you can think about color coordination. This editing technique begins with printing out a copy of your manuscript. Sometimes it is best to only print one main section if your piece is lengthy. The next step is to categorize the printed section into different categories.

For example, if your piece is about three friends (Lucy, John, and Chris) the categories may look like this: Chris and Lucy scene, Lucy alone, John and Lucy scene, Chris and John scene. Lastly, you will assign a color to each category and highlight that section with its specified color.
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Editing

The Importance of Using an Editor

By Joel Pierson
Professional Editor and Self-Published Author

Just because something is written doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right.  It’s very difficult for authors to edit their own work.  For one thing, they’re so close to the material, their eyes sometimes see what should be on the page, rather than what’s actually on the page.  For another, most authors aren’t thoroughly familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style, the industry-standard stylebook for book publishing.  Fortunately, the editors in our Editorial Department are, and they’re ready to help.

Joel Pierson has edited hundreds¬—perhaps thousands—of books during his career. He is also the author of six self-published books in The Messenger Series. You can visit his author website at www.joelpierson.com.

Joel Pierson has edited hundreds¬—perhaps thousands—of books during his career. He is also the author of six self-published books in The Messenger Series. You can visit his author website at www.joelpierson.com.

Beyond proper spelling, style encompasses grammar, punctuation, formatting, treatment of text, capitalization, use of italics, and such subtle details as when to spell out numbers in words and when to use numerals.  An editor can make those corrections, freeing authors up to focus on the telling of the tale.

Authors sometimes think that their word-processing program’s spell check and grammar check features will prevent errors, and sometimes this is the case.  But consider this: Reverse two letters in a word, and you’ve got “The loins roared.”  This is something that wouldn’t be flagged by spell check or grammar check.  Nor would sentences like “They quacked in fear” or “She startled the car” or even “The angles will rejoice.”

No software, no matter how sophisticated, can replace a human touch when it comes to editing.  Language is filled with subtle nuances, some of which are governed by The Chicago Manual of Style, others of which vary based on style and situation.  An editor strives for clarity as well as impact on the reader, and that requires a careful reading of every word of the book.

Punctuation can often be troublesome for authors.  An em dash is different from an en dash, and there are instances where one is preferred over the other.  Commas also lead to confusion.  They’re a bit like salt—how much you use can depend on your personal taste.  But there are some circumstances where commas are very necessary.  In the sentence, “It’s time to cook Grandma,” without a comma after the word cook, it’s Grandma who ends up in the entrée.

In addition to grammatical edits, the Editorial Department offers Developmental Editing for eligible manuscripts.  This three-step service begins with a book-length set of queries and suggestions involving big-picture issues.  For a work of fiction, these include plot, characterization, dialogue, and pacing.  For nonfiction, they include presentation, fact-checking, and use of visual enhancements like charts and graphs.red pen

Some common corrections made by the Editorial Department:

  • Incorrect spelling of a book’s foreword as “forward.”
  • Incorrect question mark after the word asked: “Who is there,” he asked?
  • Misuse of the word literally: It literally killed me.
  • Confusion of it’s and its: It’s a good movie, and I like its soundtrack. (Correct as shown.)

Writing a book can be challenging; following the rules and guidelines of grammar even more so.  But with the help of a professional editor, authors can take comfort in knowing their words are in good hands.

-AWP-

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