Magic Thursday: Editing Tips for Indie and Traditional Hopefuls Alike

by CM Simpson

Bio: C.M. Simpson has been writing for as long as she can remember, but writing with an eye for publication since at least 1991. She has been a submissions editor for Aurealis magazine, a copy editor for the now defunct Dark Eden Press and the still-living Lyrical Press for three years, and edited for roleplaying companies for almost 10 years. She is also the author of two published dark fantasy novels, one full-length romance, over 20 short stories and poems of varying genres, and four anthologies. She can be found at: http://cmsimpson.blogspot.com.au/. Here are some of the things she has learned about editing along the way.



So… one of the things high on the list of things Indie authors have to get right is editing. Given that editing your own work has been described as ‘trying to do emergency surgery on yourself’, how does an Indie go about it? And do any of the techniques below have any relevance for those submitting work to traditional publishers?

I’ll answer the second question first: YES. Why? Because any author submitting their work to a publisher, editor or agent needs to submit their work in the best condition they can manage. Editing your work prior to submission is something every writer should do, whether they are submitting their work to someone else, or uploading it to a distribution platform.

As with publishing, there are no longer any right, or wrong, ways to go about editing… unless, of course, you decide not to do any. That would definitely fall into the ‘wrong’ category. As an independent author, you owe your readers the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability, and as a traditional author, you owe the editors, agents and publishers you expect to work with the respect of editing your work to the best of your ability.

So: Editing Tips. You can incorporate any or all of these into your work process. These are what work for me:

1. Make editing part of your daily writing process. Reading over the previous chapter and any work on your current chapter enables you to pick up the threads of the story and reduces the chances of continuity errors in your work. This is a light edit or read over. It should be no more than ten or twenty minutes, though, or you could get sidetracked into an editing session you don’t need to do yet.


2. When you finish your first draft ‘nuke’ your manuscript and reformat it. This will give you a clean manuscript to work with. ‘Nuking’ consists of:

a. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function in Word to Find <space><space> (not literally, you know, all the places you hit the space bar twice. Replace ‘<space><space>’ with ‘<space>’.

b. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.

c. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘<space>^p’ (and again I’ve typed <space> instead of just hitting the space bar; otherwise you won’t see it). Replace ‘<space>^p’ with ‘^p’.

d. Repeat that step until the number of replacements reaches ‘0’.

e. Use the ‘Find and replace’ function to Find ‘^t’ and replace it with nothing (as in don’t put anything at all in the Replace box)

f. Once that’s done, use ‘CtrlA’ to select your entire manuscript and do the following:

i. Copy the entire manuscript, and then Paste it into a blank Notepad document

ii. Copy the entire Notepad manuscript and Paste it into a fresh Word document.

iii. Change the font to ‘Times New Roman’ OR ‘Arial’ or a similarly easy-to-read font.

iv. Change the font size to 12.

v. In the ‘paragraph’ box make sure the alignment is ‘Left’

vi. In the ‘paragraph’ box, under ‘Indentation’ make sure you select ‘First line’ in the ‘Special’ box and ‘0.2’ (if working in inches) in the ‘By’ box.

vii. Go through the manuscript and use the Insert function to put in chapter breaks

viii. Format chapter headings and scene breaks

ix. You now have a clean document to work with.

3. If you are independently publishing it, add your title page, dedication page, Table of Contents, acknowledgements and Author Page in as complete a form as possible. If you are submitting it, go to the formatting guidelines, and make sure you have formatted the document as required.


4. Once the formatting is done, go through the document, line by line, reading each sentence for meaning, and looking for spelling and grammatical errors. Keep an eye out for story inconsistencies, also.


5. When you finish your first pass, leave it for a week, and then repeat Step 4.


6. Once you are happy with the story, give it to your beta reader or readers, and have them go through it, or submit it to a professional editor to check. I prefer to do this one reader or editor at a time, if I can. That way I’m only working with one manuscript version at a time. DO NOT WORK ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT while you wait for the beta reader or editor feedback, as this can lead to multiple versions being out there, and can create problems in tracking what stage you’re at, or what version you’re working with. Work on something else. This gives you a clean mental break, which will help you establish a detachment to your work when you make your final pass.


7. Once you have incorporated the beta reader suggestions and edits, go over your work once more.


8. Repeat Steps 2-3.

At this point, your work is probably as edited as it’s going to get. 

Stop. 

Take a breath. 

Check your format is right for submission, or for uploading to whichever platform you prefer. 

And good luck *grin*. 

~~~

Thanks, C.M.

Magic Thursday: The Magical World of Editing

Recently, I polished up one of my manuscripts for a competition. I knew I had wanted to enter this competition for months, but of course, that is when all the other things to do come into play. I started a course this year in graphic design (part-time), and instead of doing the one to two subjects I had originally thought, I have ended on taking the full four subjects of the part-time load.

This had definitely cut into my time. So among assignments, I had editing to do.

I needed to change the internal monologue of one of the characters. She is tough but didn't come across that way. Also a refocus on the fantasy in the first part of the book, with the romance being more prevalent and a motivating factor in the second half of the book.

The manuscript was 448 pages long, so a lot of pages needed to be done. I printed out the chapters as reading on the screen doesn't always show me my errors or changes I want to make. Still, even this doesn't catch everything, as my eye tends to read the words I want there than what IS actually there. There was no way I could get someone to read it in time. It was too big of an ask, and everyone is frantically busy right now.

What helped me get it done? - the Speech toolbar in Word. That's right. I had my computer read it out to me! What do you know, it picked up lots of bits and pieces, including repeated words, sentence structure, dialogue usage. Hearing it also made me realise that the manuscript was there with the little tweaks.

Finally. This is the book that would not end. The book that I call my 'CFS' book. The one that I have stopped and started more times than I can remember. I had entered it a couple of years back in the Golden Heart and while it was in the top 1/3, it didn't make it. And going through it again, I can see it was not quite there.

Hearing it made me use another sense, at the same time being able to read along on the screen. Yes, the computer voice is not natural, and some words (especially in my fantasy made up world) aren't pronounced properly, but that doesn't matter. You pick up so much.

I used to read out my work, but got a sore throat, so I stopped. And totally forgot about the benefits of hearing the words. Last year, I did Angela James' Before You Hit Send workshop (brilliant workshop, btw), and I was reminded of this great tool.

So will this be part of my regular editing routine? You bet.

Do you listen to your work?



~yia~

Enchanted Orb: Shona Husk

Welcome to the Enchanted Orb - a look at the inspiration behind the DarkSider's tales.

Our guest today is Shona Husk. Shona's had a number of novels published and finds her inspiration in a number of places. Take it away, Shona!

Inspiration

I get inspiration from many things. Music, movies, dreams, a picture, something someone said…the usual places for a writer. However there is always one thing guaranteed to spark an idea that is quite odd: a revision letter.

There is something revisions that not only gives fresh life into a story, but also kicks off a new ideas. I’d never stopped to think about why until I was invited to do this post, so here are a few reasons why I think revision letters make a spark. You might find them useful when you are:

A) looking for a new idea or

B) have just received the revision letter from hell and haven’t seen the upside yet.

Editors see the big picture. Step back and look at the type of stories you are writing. Do you have favourite archetypes? Maybe try something a little different—I’m not suggesting jumping to the opposite end the spectrum, just one step over.

Play to your strengths but challenge your weaknesses. Look at what editors/reviewers/readers/crit partners say you do well (it won’t be everything and they won’t all agree but there will be a theme). Now look at that revision letter(s) and see if there’s a common theme of things that aren’t working, then set out to stamp on it.

Thinking about how to fix/tweak/re-write one story seems to set the creative juices on boil instead of the usually simmer. Maybe because the mind is searching for solution and while most won’t make it into the book they will find a use by being a jumping point for something else.

Finally let’s face the truth that there is nothing more tempting than a sparkly new idea when neck deep in edits J

 

Magic Thursday: Editing - Why I both love it and hate it.

It sounds painful doesn’t it? Many authors talk about heading into their “cave” for the editing process and knowing that next week I will once more retreat into mine for The Star of Ishtar, it rather made it an excellent topic for today’s Magic Thursday. I thought I would share some experiences in editing with the super Samantha. (I am sure she won’t mind – ‘cause she wonderful!)

I received my first contract with Secret Cravings and I remember I sat there thinking, “This is it. I’ve finally got a publisher.” On some level, I knew the manuscript needed editing before it was publishable, but I thought, “It’s pretty good”. Nothing could have prepared me for the process itself though. Thankfully, my lovely editor was great. She got me started with a list of words I needed to be aware of. In no particular order, here they are:

were, weren't, was, wasn't, be, been & being

Now they seem so innocuous, just little words we use every day. Right? As she pointed out to me, they are passive and not so good in a novel. Cool, that all made sense - I think. I remember telling myself, “I can do this with ease”, until she explained the rule. I needed to limit their use to no more than three altogether in one page (now I can only talk of my experiences here – other publishers may have other rules where this is concerned). She did say this is not including dialogue (phew!). Now that blew my socks off. I would never have expected that. So for several days I highlighted those words, rewriting sentences (hoping they still made sense) and pulled those words out.

It took days! All done and now I can sit back and feel somewhat smug. Unh unh! Nope – how wrong was I? That was just the beginning.

My next round of edits arrived via email. I remember opening that first message and thinking, how was I ever going to get finished in the set period and do the story justice. Page after page filled with comments. It was hard, thinking of the months of work interspersed with comments and suggestions my CP made, but Samantha encouraged me to work page by page.

Some things were easy to fix, she read the story and made suggestions about things that were unfinished – what happened to... and who is… comments flowed. The great thing about that editing process was even though we emailed back and forth using track changes, I was encouraged to explain why I had made certain decisions in the balloons. The editor knew what I was thinking and my motivations, and I understood her queries because we formed a positive relationship. I remember discussing one character: Jemma (who you will meet in Starfire), and what had occurred to her in the Starline. Her questions as to what happened to her were valid. She wanted to know the result of the actions but I needed to explain to her why I wasn’t going to tell the readers what happened to her just yet. That it was the catalyst for the second book.

I sent back the last edits around ten days after we started and thought to myself that was it. Done. Ha ha (Famous last thoughts there). I thought I was done and dusted until I received an email from the Senior Editor. More queries, questions and things that needed consideration - immediately. I sat down and went through it all again. At the end, I sent it all back, so sure that this time that was it. Nope.

The Publisher this time emailed through with queries and requests. This time, I printed it all out (again), sat at the table with a highlighter, pen in hand, and re-read for like the gazillionth time through the manuscript. Finally, I emailed the few changes, listing them in the email with the corrected proof.

Finally, that was the editing process done. I did learn some very valuable things though. I thought I would share them with you and for anyone who is reading this and about to embark on their first ever round of edits.

• If like me, you are using new or made up words – double-check their spelling every time. For me Barsha and Arturian (not to be confused with Arthurian) were words that seemed to turn up in every spell check and step of the process.
• Finish your edits on time - especially once you commit to that period. Editors do appreciate when you have sick kids, etc but they also appreciate your commitment to work with them and the time frame so that the book release in its set slot.
• Don't be afraid to say no. Just have a really good and valid reason to say it. If she/he wants you to put the heroine in a purple dress… well, unless that same heroine is supposed to be still wearing the purple dress the next day, but you somehow managed to make it green at the beginning of the scene… you can say no. Okay, so maybe that was a lame explanation, but at the end of the day, it is still your story. They just want to help you make it the best you possibly can.
• Expect to be sick of looking at your manuscript. You are going to be reading it and re-reading it and then some more before you are done.
• Have highlighters on hand. You may even find a helpful when reading through your work.

Now as a thank you for reading my thoughts and experiences, I wanted to share an excerpt from Starline:

Eyes sore and weary from watching information on the changes and major events since her own time had passed, Mellissa reached out and turned off the screen. Amazing. So much had occurred, and to think, I have a chance to be part of it. She shook her head. But so much she needed to learn. Could she manage to do that? What a question to ponder, she thought.

Inside the cramped cubicle of a Security Officer protecting her from prying eyes, she recapped in her mind the wonders she had seen. Interstellar travel—a huge technological leap there alone, she thought, and the change in the governmental systems—so much to learn about. Meeting new species and forming alliances, not to mention colonizing other planets and even inter-species marriages. How amazing was that? In her time, they still carried on talk fests about the feasibility of “some day” considering travel to the stars.

She grinned. And here she was, Mellissa Davis, in space and travelling toward a future she couldn’t possibly have imagined. “George and Eliza would love this,” she muttered to herself.

“Who are George and Eliza?” McCord peered at her, making her jump at the sound of his voice. She had missed the thud of boots on the flooring during her musings.

Mellissa gulped, wishing the floor would open and engulf her. How could she explain without him thinking less of her, not to mention her characters? George, a rough tough space Captain, and his protégée and maybe sometime lover, Eliza? Was it really something you could just blurt out? “Umm, they are characters in a book,” she said.

“A book? Of course, they were still huge in your time. In ours, only the rich have them. The rest have bookpads.” He smiled. “Who was it by? I might be able to access a copy for you.”

Her discomfort deepened. “Umm, I was writing it.” Her cheeks grew rosy.

“Really? Wow. What kind of book is it?” He looked at her, and she was sure his interest seemed genuine. She cringed at the thought of telling him it was a romance. After all, wasn’t it maiden aunts that wrote this sort of stuff anyway? Let alone read them.

Uh oh, she knew what to expect, she thought to herself. “Umm, it was a Sci Fi Romance.”

He looked at her. “You know, some of the most enduring books from your time are romances. Fancy that.” He grinned, and she could feel the air clear a little. She still felt embarrassed, but not as much as she had.

“Yeah, in my time, romance writers are sort of, well, you know, the bottom of the pack…gaining ground though. We actually have whole associations dedicated to reading romance.” She grimaced up at his face in embarrassment. What must he think of me? I’m some kind of old spinster? But wasn’t that what I was on the road to becoming? an insidious little voice in the back of her head quietly asked. Thinking how she wished her character, George, could be half as sexy as Duvall McCord, she had to mentally remind herself that here stood a real rough-and-tumble Captain and not some figment of her imagination.

“Well, there is definitely a career waiting for you as a writer of romance.” He grinned. “Come on and I’ll grab you a coffee, and you can give me the lowdown on your characters…was it George and Eliza?”

She hopped up quickly and followed him to the mess. Really, it seemed funny how quickly she had settled into ship life, she mused. “So, do you believe in romance yourself?” he asked, and he seemed just as surprised as she did by the question.

“Romance? Yes, absolutely.” Her enthusiastic answer surprised him. It radiated clearly on his face, the way it screwed up slightly. “That’s why I own a bookstore and am writing a novel.”

“Hmm, yes, but did you live alone?” His query zeroed in on a spot she didn’t really like to explore. “I mean, is there a man in your life?”

His gaze zeroed in on her again. She hoped, in fact had prayed, that there was more to the question, and then reminded herself it couldn’t be real. Her imagination still looked for the possibility of a relationship that didn’t and couldn’t exist.

“Not really. I mean, my man is really George at the moment. It’s kinda hard to explain.” She floundered a little, looking for the right words. “The way I grew up, in an orphanage, I never really got to see how families worked together, and I guess it kind of made it harder for me to work out what it looked like, so I guess…” He looked at her strangely.

“Orphanage? I was a fosterling. The Gentry’s fostered me. They were great.” His face softened. “Really good people. It must have been hard with no one in your corner. And they gave me a fabulous sister.” Gently his hand extended toward her chin and raised it until her eyes looked into his. “Really hard for you though…” The words dropped to a trailing whisper as he leaned toward her.

Her eyes fluttered closed as the distance between them melted away. She knew he was going to kiss her. Knew it probably wasn’t a good or even wise decision, but she needed to find out if he tasted as good as he looked.

“Captain, Miss Davis,” Elara called, interrupting the moment. “I see you think it is time for coffee too. Wonderful!” Then she looked again, the realization clear on her face that she had walked in on something. Then Elara seemed to mutter to herself and headed for the mess hall door.

The moment broken, they looked at each other. A wry grin on his face softened the years and hardness from his features somehow. He turned, motioning her toward the door and the coffee that lay within. It didn’t make her feel any better though. She had nearly made a mistake. A big one. Hadn’t she?

To WIN a copy of Starline, please share one of your editing experiences.