My Journal #2

Update on Publishing and My Writing Tips

I think I'll use this time to update my publishing journey.  A couple of weeks ago I was on a facebook page for authors/writers and one of the women there has or is involved with a publishing company.

The line of posts followed the age old question "To self-publish or Not?" There were many thoughts on this subject and posts for and against. My point is self publishing is great if you have a high standard. My issue with self-publishers is there is no watermark to guide the author. If you don't belong to a wonderful group like Writing.com or something similar who keep you in your place and working toward perfection (professionalism) the ego gets in the way.

This being said one of the poster's put another poster Elizabeth on to me and we conversed. She gave me what their requirements were and they didn't charge the author. But! it was only e-book versions. We IM'd back and forth then to emails and finally I sent in my pitch, query letter and sample of my MS. She told me up front if she thought it good enough to pass on she'd do so but it had to pass her first. 

I waited and waited and finally got an email back that she thought the story had merit and the first part had been edited well enough. I sent the whole MS to her and then waited another two weeks (almost) for some sign.

Wednesday May 28, 2014 I got an email they liked the MS and would be sending a formal contract. I asked about POD and she said she'd look into seeing what that opportunity would cost. (I don't mind paying or doing it for free with one of the other publishing houses.)
Last night I got a note about what I was thinking for a cover. I gave her some ideas and some photos from the internet and hope to see what their cover designers can do. I have an idea but putting it into words with no drawing is tough.

I want to put this out there. I appreciate those on Writing.com who take time to show you what you need to do to make your work better. All the time, I have reviewers who cut wasted words I put in and dead words I forget and write. They show me and in turn I see those words pop out of work in other writers.

I just purchased a couple of e-books that were self-published. The plot sounded interesting and if they were good I'd suggest the story to my book club. As I begin to read I am slammed with the word "was", "went", "got", and the dreaded, over used words of "The" and "That."  When I pointed this out to the author there was an immediate reaction of resentment.

"I had it edited by a reputable editor." I didn't tell her, but her editor sucked. I understand we all need help. I've had wonderful people here read and edit my first three chapters. When I sent them in for a sample edit by their editors, they came back with all kinds of markings that needed to be fixed.  That's not saying the people here didn't do a good job. It takes more than a few people to read and see what needs to be done. Even re-reading this I had more the's and that's than I should and deleted them, writers need to set aside EGO, your personal attachment to your work and see it through the eyes of the reader.

In saying that I've seen readers have no idea, as they read, there are too many of those dead words in the work.  To be honest, when I gave the rough draft to my beta readers and they loved it, I said it needed editing. They said there was nothing wrong with it that spell check and grammar check on WORD couldn't deal with.  That made me feel good for a moment. Sadly I realize, at one time I would have said the same thing. I read for plot. I wouldn't know if there were too many dead words in a book or not.  Now I do, and it makes reading a book, especially self-published ones a bit harder to finish.

I'm also realizing when one writes, the author needs to turn off the conversation or voice. When you write, you aren't "talking" to your reader as you normally talk to a friend. In conversation you can use all kinds of slang, short cuts and dead words without even thinking about what you're saying. When you write you can't. Maybe I should say "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." 

Writer's don't be lazy. In WORD there is a neat program that lets you LOOK-UP words. You can quickly search out words you might use too often. If you can't rework the sentence leave it. As I said before, I went back and re-read what I'd written above and found I'd used three "the's", "that's" and a "just" I deleted.  Sometime I write the word and realize it isn't needed and delete it.  I'm learning, an I hope that shows in the work I post here.