Excerpts from Writers Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know Excerpts from the Writers Tricks of the Trade book | Page 16

MORGAN ST. JAMES
their regular job, or say they know they can sell your novel because
their first cousin’s wife’s friend is in the business, all I can say is: be-
ware. What training, contacts or credentials do they really have?
What qualifies them to take your precious baby—the one you’ve
nursed along and pinned your hopes to—and toss it out there wait-
ing to see if it lands somewhere? Pitching a novel to a publisher or
editor is a one shot opportunity—one shot only. If you burn all
those bridges with the wrong representative, you usually can’t go
back to the well.
More about editing service referrals
“You have a wonderful, compelling manuscript and with a little edit-
ing it will be a blockbuster. Now let me recommend a great editor
for you…”
Red flag number two. The agent may recommend an editor, packag-
ing company, or book doctor. The title means nothing. What it
means is that if you are foolish enough to proceed that way, the
“agent” will receive a gratuity from their pal, and you may receive a
mediocre edit. I’ve been shown some editorial commentary and a
review from alleged “New York editors” that could more easily win
an award for fiction than the novel itself. The authors were innocent
pigeons, truly believing their book received an excellent edit or re-
view (and an expensive one at that) because the editor was highly
recommended by my agent.
One of those authors showed me her review and asked if I would
read the manuscript and give her a quip (a one or two-line review or
comment.) I did look at the editor’s review. The first several para-
graphs extolled the magnificence of this novel, but the glowing re-
view contained spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. It went
on and on about the possibility of a publishers’ bidding war because
the novel was so good. Curious, I decided to read the first chapter. I
6