What Are the Different Types of Editing?

So, you've written a book and you've gone over it a thousand times. You've shown it to your friends and family and maybe they caught one or two typos, or suggested different wording here and there. But, is it good enough to submit to a publisher? Probably not. You need to give your work to a professional, so that they can bring the added polish you need to your manuscript.

I knew exactly what I had to do if I wanted my book to succeed. After talking to several members of The Word Guild and attending a Write! Canada conference I chose Word Alive Press to help me polish my book and get it into the hands of the public.

Yes, I went the self-publishing route again, however this time it wasn't just a matter of printing off a certain amount of books, now it would get distribution and promotion throughout Canada and into the United States. I wasn't on my own, the wonderful people at WAP worked with me, made suggestions and encouraged me as I made changes to my book.

The new book would have the same title, but a different cover. One that was more generic so that it would sell not just at Christmas, but at any time of the year. I also added more to the story, so that the book ended up with 100 extra pages than the original. Since I added more to the book I knew it once again needed a substantive edit. After finding someone suitable for that job I then sent everything to WAP (Word Alive Press) who did a copy edit.

Perhaps you are now wondering what the difference is between a copy edit and a substantive edit. How many different types of editing services are out there? The following may help you with your next project.

• Developmental/Project Editing - a developmental editor assists the author as a writing coach by taking the rough draft of your manuscript from its initial concept and makes suggestions about content, organization, and presentation. A developmental editor will incorporate input from the author, reviewers and consultants. Plot and characterization will be analyzed and reworked if needed. Suggestions will be given for rewriting confusing and awkward areas to create better flow. Sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and spelling may also be considered. This type of editor is basically with you from the beginning, helping you to develop your manuscript.  You would probably have a developmental editor under contract with a publishing company. I don't know of any self-publishing companies who provide this type of editor.

• Substantive or Structural Editing - many times this type of edit may mean rewriting your entire manuscript! So, don't take it personally. I rewrote my manuscript at least 12 times. A substantive edit can involve marking errors in punctuation, grammar and spelling, editorial comments on style, structure, content and flow. It will involve reorganizing sections and paragraphs for better flow of content. Heavy editing will check URL links,  captions, references, foot notes, quotes, bibliography,etc. to make sure permission has been granted to use copyrighted material. It will check your formatting, page numbers, index, table of contents, etc., to make sure everything is where it should be. This is where you have to let go of your book and trust your editor because many times they will want to change something that you don't want changed. You need to keep in mind that they are trying to present you with a clean manuscript, so trusting your editor is important.

•  Copy-Editing - A copy editor will check for grammar, style and punctuation. They will also make sure your work is complete and consistent. Usually, a copy-editor works on a manuscript that has already been heavily edited. Formatting styles, such as headlines in bold, are checked for consistency as well.

• Proofreading - is not done by your mother after you have written your manuscript! Proofreading is done after your MS has already been heavily edited by a professional. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two different stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques. Basically, copy editors get involved in the book production process at an earlier stage than proofreaders. Typically, once a book has been commissioned, a copy editor will work with the author to bring it up to a publishable standard. The proofreader comes in once the typesetter has set the book. Their job is to read the typeset 'proofs' and mark up any errors they find. Unlike the copy editor, the proofreader is not concerned with improving the text, and it is not their role to make stylistic changes. Their job is simply to look for clear mistakes (typos, omissions, etc.) and ensure that they do not make it into the finished book.

One more word on editing - just because someone hangs out a sign and says they "do editing" does not make them an editor. Editors - good ones, will have had special training and should be certified. If they aren't certified and can't show you the proof that they are, just say "thanks, but no thanks" and be on your way. The same goes for proofreaders. You may love to read and might catch the occasional error in a novel here and there, but that doesn't make you a proofreader. Again, they have training and are certified as well. Investigate your editor/proofreader before you place your work in their hands. You'll be glad you did!

Until next time!

Should You Self-Publish?

Should I self-publish my book or find a "real" publisher? That is a question many people seem to have on their lips these days. With the advent of  technology we are seeing more books self-published than we ever have before. There are so many pros and cons to self-publishing though, that you need to step back and take a serious look at what is right for you, before you proceed any further.

After I foolishly self-published 30 copies of my first book, I was surprised and a little afraid at what happened next. Once I realized what I had gotten myself into, I did some research and didn't like what I found. It seems that books don't sell by themselves. Who knew? Apparently, if you have a book that is published you have to market it too! What a concept! So I started with who I knew and presented my book to my local Christian Bookstore. Fortunately, I knew the owner and she was so lovely and supportive of me that she gave me shelf space and even put my book in a beautiful display at Christmas. Remarkably, I started selling books! Woohoo! 

But, I learned that was only the first step. I needed to do something more and get my name out there. I needed to take some classes on marketing. But where? With whom? That's when God introduced me to The Word Guild, Canada's largest community of Christian writers, editors and publishers. I signed up right away, especially when I found out they were going to have a conference in London called Write! London. One course I took was lead by award-winning author Donna Fawcett whose pen name was Donna Dawson. She suggested during her course that book reviews are something every author needs if they want to sell their books. So, immediately after class I handed her my book and asked if she would review it. Hers was the first review I ever received and she has been a source of inspiration to me as well as a dear friend ever since.

As I got to know the people, and talked to more experts, I quickly realized that not only did I need to think of a marketing plan, but I needed to have a book signing. Once again I went back to my local Christian bookstores and much to my surprise and delight both stores in my city agreed to host me and yet I found myself in a difficult position. I needed more books printed. 

Suddenly, self-publishing was becoming inconvenient and too expensive. There had to be a better way!

More on that next time!

www.laurajdavis.com

Are You Ready for What God Wants to Do?

Sometimes God requires us to step out of our comfort zones. This is not an easy thing to do when we become so comfortable with certain aspects of our lives.

As I've shared in previous posts, after 30 years in music ministry God decided that it was time for a change. I don't like change. I would suspect not many of us do. I like my routines. They are as I've said - comfortable. I know my limits and where I excel. But God decided quite unceremoniously to take me out of my comfort zone and plop me into a new one. 

I was like a fish out of water, flopping around for air until someone rescued me. The great thing about God is that when He does make changes in your life, He's there to show you what to do and how to do it - if you listen to Him.

Unfortunately, when I get an idea in my head that I think "sounds good", is directly from God, or is the easiest way, sometimes I run with it - believing with all my heart that "God wants it this way." So, when I realized that God wanted me to publish Come to Me, I looked at my options and thought self-publishing was the way to go. I thought this because it seemed to be the least painful, easiest way to get my book out there. I also convinced myself that God wanted me to get about 30 copies printed for friends and family only. So that's what I did and everything seemed to fall neatly into place once I started down that path. I saw each and every success as confirmation from God that I was doing the right thing. 

For example - I "happened" to run across an incredible photographer on the internet who just "happened" to be a Christian. When I told him what I was looking for as a cover for my book, he sent me these gorgeous photos (with my vision perfectly captured) - for free! My daughter then designed the cover, front and back. This is what the first edition of Come to Me looked like. 

If you can't tell, there is a crown of thorns on the top of the manger. I thought the cover was beautiful and I gave most of my copies away as Christmas gifts to my family and friends, the others I sold. The self-publishing company I went with had put my book up on Amazon, so if anyone else was interested in it, I reasoned, they could buy it there. I then washed my hands of the whole thing, patted myself on the back and said, "There you go God, I did what you wanted. Book published."

That didn't go over too well.

God had other plans - harder plans, which I unsuspectingly set in motion. You see, when I realized I could no longer sing I contacted Moira Brown of 100 Huntley St.. I did this because I had sung on the show a few times and I thought they might be interested in knowing what had happened to me. They were. 

I received a call from the producer, who interviewed me over the phone and then invited me to come on the show. I explained that my book was self-published (thinking that would put them off). It didn't. Within a couple of weeks I was on TV being interviewed by Moira Brown and I realized half-way through the interview as they kept showing the cover of my book, that I was going to need to get some more books printed. I thought maybe 30 more should be enough.

It wasn't.

After that show I realized God had bigger plans for me than I did. Emails started coming from various people, asking where they could buy my book. I even had a phonecall from a young lady in New York, who wanted to contact me so badly she phoned 100 Huntley St., who contacted me to get permission to give her my phone number. After that conversation I realized I had made a huge mistake. I needed to get my book properly published. It needed reviews, it needed promotion - it needed to be in bookstores! So I began the painstaking process of finding a publisher and all that entails.

Until next time!

Visit me at www.laurajdavis.com

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone - Laura J. Davis

Going from a music ministry into the publishing industry was not only a leap of faith for me, it was a learning experience. I knew where to send any songs I had written for copyright and I knew what organizations I needed to belong to so that I could receive royalty cheques on those songs. I also knew what I needed to do for publicity, how many songs it takes for a 40 minute concert, how long to talk in-between songs (keep it short!) and how much it costs to produce a record (not a CD, that was before my time). However, I didn't have the slightest clue on what to do with a complete novel. So, I tossed it in my dresser drawer and forgot about it. Well...I tried to...that didn't work very well, as God didn't like that idea too much and my best friend was furious that I wouldn't do anything about it. So I approached everything the way I did with my singing...I took some courses and continued to hone my writing skills. I read some books (lots of books), scoured the internet on everything that had to do with writing and publishing and realized quickly that I should have left my book in my drawer!

Nothing scared me more than these questions from publishers (which I ran into frequently in my searches): 

• What qualifies you to write this book?
•  Why did you write it?

Why did I write it? Um...God told me to? Nope! Can't say that. That was the number one rule I learned at one of the many courses I took. Don't ever say God told you to write your book. Why? Too unprofessional. 

What qualifies me to write this book? Um...I love Jesus?

Okay...so it was about there that I started to convince myself that God wanted me to self-publish and that He only wanted me to publish enough books for my family and friends. 

Big mistake. Never assume God has small plans for you, or that He wants you to take the easy way out of a situation. God wants the BEST for you and usually His best requires you to step out of your comfort zone.

I was about to learn that lesson the hard way.

Until next time!

http://www.laurajdavis.com

Before You Self-Publish: a Checklist - Lindquist

This may be a bit outside of what we normally post here, but the problem as I see it is that people frequently come to The Word Guild after they've self-published a book, when we'd really like them to come before they commit to spending their money. So maybe if I post about it in a variety of places, they'll see my thoughts before they jump into publishing.

The problem, I believe, is that Christian writers seem to be very naive about publishing. We typically see our book as inspired art, a handcrafted masterpiece made from parts of our soul, or perhaps our best chance to minister to others. And we become focused on getting this marvelous creation into print so that as many other people as possible can enjoy it with us and benefit from what it says.

What we don’t do, either because we just don’t get it or because we don’t even want to go there, is see our book as a product, and publishing as a business. But alas, it is a business. In fact, it's big business. And if you decide to self-publish your book while focusing on it only as art, or craft, or ministry, you may well get shafted by one of the many self-publishing companies out there who are well aware of the profits to be made, and more than ready to take advantage of naïve writers who are focused on the intangibles.

Companies whose product is self-published books are primarily in business to make money. That’s not abnormal. And it’s not wrong. Very few businesses don’t hope to make money. They don’t tend to last long otherwise. And the fact that they need to make money to stay in business doesn’t mean that they don’t have a vision or morals or integrity, or that they aren’t essentially nice people. But it does mean that we need to go into any discussion with them with our eyes open, filtering everything that’s said through our own business plan, and not through our ego.

Now, before you think I have something against businesses, let me explain that my father owned a clothing store in a small town, and his days were spent selling shoes and dresses and shirts and pants and towels. I worked part time in that store from about the age of 11 until I went to university. I also worked one summer in a drug store and I ran an ice cream shop another summer (during which it made the most money the shop ever made.) And for a while after I was married, I worked in a hardware store. So I know first-hand that businesses need to make money to survive. And I also know that businesses need people who can sell their products.

In other words, when you go to a self-publishing house, the person we talk to is usually a salesperson. A large part of that person’s salary comes from the money people pay to have their books published. Some salespeople are even on commission, so the more services they sell, the more money they make. And that’s okay. It’s their job. What’s not okay is for you to be unaware of this.

So, for a few minutes, put aside the fact that you think of your book as your baby, a sparkling gem, or much-needed help for a clamoring public, and focus on it as simply a product. Something you want to sell. Maybe even something you want to make a little money from.

What should you do before you knock on the door of a self-publishing company?

Here's a checklist:

1. Make sure your book is actually ready to be published. Family and friends usually aren’t good judges of that. Friends and family normally like you. They love your talent. And they should be encouraging you. But even if they read a lot – even if they work in a bookstore – they still aren’t experts in publishing. Oh, and in case you’re still wondering, salespeople from self-publishing companies aren’t necessarily good judges of your book’s quality or market potential either. :)

2. Connect with published authors and editors who can mentor you and help you make good decisions. Maybe you can have someone critique your book, or hire a professional editor. Yes, I do recommend joining The Word Guild. and coming to Write!Canada.

3. Talk to authors who have self-published. Don’t get starry-eyed by the fact they have books; ask for numbers and prices and things to avoid and what they would do another time. Ask to see their business plans.

4. Talk to agents and editors and royalty published authors. Ask what they think your book's potential is. Try to identify your target audience. Learn how to create a one-sheet. Begin to create a platform.

5. Talk to several booksellers. Learn all you can about how books get sold. Find out what kind of books are selling right now, what covers are working, what a distributor is.

6. Buy books on self-publishing and look for websites that will give you good information on the process. You can do a search for blogs on "publishing" or "self-publish" on my Write With Excellence website for starters.

7. Buy books published by respected publishers that are similar to yours in content or audience. Read the books. Mark them up. Study them from cover to cover. Look at the covers, the title pages, the layout, the fonts, the amount of white space…. Then buy some self-published books or books from small independent publishers and compare them to the books from major publishing houses. Look for differences and similarities. Look to see where the books were published, who the printer was...

8. When you approach a publishing house, realize that the job of the salesperson from the publishing house is to sell the company’s services. That doesn’t mean salespeople have no integrity - selling is their job! But it does mean that if they tell you they love your book, you need to take it with a grain of salt. And you also need to realize that salespeople are typically friendly and personable people – that’s why they’re in sales!

9. Get quotations from at least three possible publishing houses. Then get quotations from several editors who could help you walk through the publishing process on your own. Investigate working directly with a printer and hiring a layout person so you can publish your own books. Consider all the options.

10. Put together a budget and a marketing plan.

11. Then, and only then, decide what you're going to do.

Of course, you need to pray through this whole process that God will lead you to the right people and the right plan for you. And it you end up blowing it the first time round, assume that God will use it in some way for good, and learn from your experiences.

Ultimately, you are the only person who can determine what’s best for your book. Only you can decide whether to hold out for a royalty publisher, self-publish a small number of books for friends and family, or try to publish for a wider audience. Just recognize that publishing anything beyond a few copies for family or friends is not a hobby but a business, and you need to treat it as such. No more naïve Christian writers - please! :)

N. J. Lindquist

www.writewithexcellence.com

Self-Published and Proud of It - Meyer

I was recently asked to be on a panel at Write Canada! – “Self Published and Proud of It.” This has caused me to reflect once again upon my choice to self-publish.

The very first book I did with Infinity Publishing was a bit of an experiment – to test the self-publishing waters, as it were. I took my smallest book because I’d rather risk something I put weeks into - not months. The book was called “A New Friend for Christmas.” I did it on a print-on-demand basis so received one copy and then people would presumably flock to Amazon and buy the rest. I gave away the one copy of “A New Friend for Christmas” to a friend of ours, aptly named, Mr. Christmas (true story!).

After reviewing my one copy, I decided to change the title to “The Mystery of the Lost Friend” to match a book I was writing entitled, “The Mystery of the Missing Pilot.” I ordered a bunch of copies and, like the newbie I was, gave pretty much all of them away, although I did sell a few – to bookstores – yeah! My total run for “The Mystery of the Missing Pilot” was about 50 copies. As an experiment, it failed rather dismally but as a learning experience, it was a roaring success.

My biggest problem with this book was the cover. I had used a photo of my own that when blown up was very “pixilated” – one of many terms I learned along that rough road of experience. There was nothing wrong with the text itself – just the presentation of it. Three years later, this same book was published under the title: “Get Lost!” and won the best children’s book award for 2006 from The Canadian Writing Awards (hosted by The Word Guild).

And yes, I self-published it once again. This time with a company in Winnipeg called Art Bookbindery. They have an excellent cover design artist, text layout designer, and superior binding quality on all their books.

Because I love to teach and mentor new authors, I have done 6 anthologies so far (all self-published). Also, a resource book: Meet Manitoba Children’s Authors, a book that raised the profile of 38 Manitoba authors, promoting their work to schools and libraries.

And I’ve been working on my first love (as far as writing goes) – fiction. Colin’s Choice was published in 2005, Get Lost! in 2006, Deep Waters in 2007, Pilot Error in 2008 and coming in just a few days to a bookstore near you… The Little Ones.

I’ve developed my own publishing company – “Goldrock Press” and plan to continue to publish and promote the work of other authors, in addition to my own.
My focus is: Christian, Aboriginal, fiction, “northern,” Manitoba, Canadian, children, youth, adults, non-fiction – pretty much in that order, although every project of course does not encompass each area each time.

Proud to be self-published? Yes, I think so. The literary world has changed so much in the past few years – the big old printing presses and ink under the fingernails have been replaced with outsourcing, track changes, and electronic proof copies. Downloading eBooks has replaced wandering around in book stores (although I still prefer the latter).

In the early years, I fought technology and wrote my manuscripts by hand (something, as I recall about the creative flow) but although I still do not rush madly into the next great new technological marvel (quite the opposite actually!), we must all eventually face the inevitable. The times they are a changin’! And self-publishing is here to stay.

M. D. Meyer is the award-winning author of The Little Ones, Pilot Error, Deep Waters, Colin’s Choice, Get Lost! and Meet Manitoba Children’s Authors, and the editor of six anthologies, Prairie Writers, volumes 1, 2, 3, Northern Writers, volume 1, The Voice Behind the Mask and The Isle of Mirage. Dorene was a mentor in the 2008 Sheldon Oberman Emerging Writers Mentor Program.

The Thrill of the Chase

Writing is such a thrill isn’t it? It’s full of highs and lows, thrills and disappointments, agony and ecstasy. In a moment, our hopes and dreams become devastation and nightmares before turning once again to joy and exhilaration.

Ever since my first book of meditations, Prayer Companion, was published by Anglican Book Centre in 2001, I have pursued my dream of another such book on the shelves. That was six years ago and God has been leading me ever since towards the goal of Glorious Autumn Days: Meditations for the Wisdom Years.

Not only has God led me to this goal, He has taught me many new things along the way. The manuscript that I began in 2001 had only the bare bones of the book that was just published in March, 2007. It evolved, through daily living and spiritual growth, into the place where it can now help others to come more fully into a relationship with God.

It is true that I had hoped to be published once again by an established publisher but I got tired of waiting. Though I had always said that I would never self-publish, never is a long time. After being rejected by my third publisher in December, 2006 and being told, as if by a miracle, of a print-on-demand publisher on the internet a couple of weeks before that, I decided to put my faith in God and just do it.

I researched www.lulu.com to the best of my ability and it seemed to be a legitimate company and one that I could work with. However, I decided to publish a small poetry book as a test run to see how it worked and if I could master the technology that was needed to make a professional looking final product. The poetry book, a second edition of Grapes from the Vine, was quite satisfactory but I realised that my meditation book would benefit from a better formatting job.

I searched for and found a book formatting wizard that I could download for a price and though it meant that I would have to also buy a more advanced Microsoft Word program than the one I had on my computer, I felt it would be worth it as I would then have it for any future publishing ventures.

I now have my beautiful meditation book, Glorious Autumn Days, in hand. And with the assistance of Carmen Leal’s book, You Can Market Your Book, I am progressing at a slow and steady pace, learning as I go, to market my book to others.

My website, www.judithlawrence.ca is up and running; at N.J. Lindquist’s invitation, I write a regular blog here; I am putting myself in the way of media interviews and local speaking engagements and, all in all, I am very excited about the way God is leading me.

I have also assisted two other people to publish their books on www.lulu.com and I know that I will be publishing more of my own work in this way. All glory be to God for His enabling power and joy.