Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 5 | Page 13

PRESS “CONTROL” THEN CLICK “BUY” TO PURCHASE THE BOOK CONTENT EDITING FRED RAYWORTH The time has come, you’ve got a contract, and the sometimes long and arduous editing process has begun. How are you going to handle it? BABY BABY BABY! There are those of you with substantial egos. What you write is perfect. When some schmuck comes along and tears the heart and soul out of your work, whaaaa??? Of course, you dismiss them as ignorant know-it-alls who don’t have a clue. They need to get with the program. Then you think about it. They dared to criticize your masterpiece and find flaws that aren’t there! How could they! The whole world is against me! Everyone is picking on me! Why did I pick this publisher! I don’t think this happens often, because hopefully, the agents and publishers filter these miserable people out beforehand, but it’s probably not unheard of. On the other hand, I’ve read some real crap by established authors that went off the deep end because they had sales. Yup, once they started making money, they could get away with throwing these little tantrums and getting away with it. FOREST THROUGH THE TREES – CHECK THE EGO Content editing is there for your own good. You have that signed and notarized contract in your grubby little hands. It’s time to suck it up and let an outside editor see the forest you can’t see through the trees. This neutral party has the expertise and experience to see the minute details and flaws everyone else, including the agent, and beta readers and writers group missed in the story. This detailed content edit isn’t a line edit, specifically, that looks for grammar and syntax, though they might point out obvious flaws. Their job is to look for structural flaws, the big picture. FRED RAYWORTH A MAN OF MANY TALENTS VISIT FRED’S OWN BLOG HTTP://FREDRAYWORTH.COM CONTRATULATIONS, FRED ON YOUR NEW BOOK! You need to check your ego at the door. Put away your pretense and prepare to get to work. You may have to read through what may be a lot of comments and organize them into a plan or format you can work with, so that you can fix what needs fixing. MUTUAL INTEREST The editor and publishers jobs are to put out a marketable story, and one that doesn’t embarrass them and you. It heeds you to listen to their advice. They’re not there to destroy you, but to work with you to both of your mutual benefit. BUY WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE PAGE 3 SEPT - OCTOBER 2015