Who Needs an Editor?

If I hear one more author claim they don't need an editor, I'm going to scream. No, I won't actually scream, but I will put their name on my 'list' of authors not to buy. Pretentious? Elitist? How about thrifty? Yes, thrifty. Books cost money, and I, for one, am not willing to download a million books to find that one author that 'doesn't need an editor'. Not even if the books are free.

I have an MFA and I don't think that qualifies me to edit my own work effectively. Sure, I do a great job on other peoples manuscripts, and a decent job on my own. But decent isn't good enough. I've never read a review for a New York Times bestseller that said, "It was decent." And I've never heard a New York Times bestselling author say, "my book would have been so much better without an editor."

Maybe, however, some authors don't have a desire to be a NYT bestseller. Maybe an Amazon ranking is enough for them. That's fine for them. But not for me, and I won't be one of those buying their books to get them that coveted Amazon award.

Don't get me wrong, I am not demeaning self published authors. I have several whose work I love and I wait patiently for their next novel.  But I guarantee you those are authors who understand the value of an editor and don't just slap their name on a book they wrote last night that their dog and their mother thinks is the Great American Novel. In fact, most of them will be the first to tell you that the unedited excrement that is published online is a detriment to the business of self publishing. And that is what it is: a business.

Maybe Amazon could have a system that tells a reader what books have been edited? Or maybe a section of 'hobbyist' authors, those that don't take it seriously as a business? Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Here are some of the reasons I've heard in the past week for not hiring an editor:

1. It costs too much- So does my landscaper, but I like my yard to look professionally done.

2. An editor is no more than a co-author and should be listed as such-If your book requires so much work that the editor becomes a 'co-author' then maybe you should consider listing them.

3. They change your work and it is no longer 'your book'-I think it's important for an author to have an editor that 'gets' their book. Editors make your book stronger, saleable and see the entire picture as well as the fine details. They didn't write it, so they can 'see' it from another perspective.

4. I have a BA in English. I don't need one-Great. You can spell and make a complete sentence. It takes more than that, really.

5. I have an MFA and can edit my own work-Getting my MFA was one of the best things I ever did for myself; as a writer and as a human being. But edit my own work and call it done? Not a chance.

They Call Me Crazy went through 10 critical readers, my agent and two editors. Ragtown has been through four mentors, 20 critical readers, my agent and two editors. Every one of these people brought something of value to my work. Do I consider them done? No. I am chomping at the bit for an editor from a publishing house to chime in. Are the two novels still my work? Most definitely, but they are a lot stronger than they were.

And lastly, why would I spend money, go through all the readers/mentors/editors, subject myself to the criticism and the time involved in edits? Because this IS a business to me. And because my goal IS the bestseller list. 

 

Lofty, I know, but I've never been satisfied with a participant ribbon. I'm in it to win it.

The Wizard of Seattle

This week I leave for the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in Seattle. I've never been to Seattle, and as much as I would like to take in the city, I am going for a reason. I can feel the tornado churning as I type.

 It's been a while since I've been to a conference. My first time, I didn't have a completed manuscript and basically, I was there to learn a few things and be in awe of the 'real' writers that I was surrounded by.

This time is different. Not only do I have a completed manuscript, I have two, and one of them is a finalist for the PNWA literary contest in the category of historical fiction (GO RAGTOWN!). I also have an agent. In other words, this conference is not as much about fun for me as it is about work. This time, I am one of the 'real' writers, and I need to sell myself and hopefully, raise interest in one of my manuscripts.

So what does a good Kansas girl do when she needs to really work it? Channel the wonders of Oz, of course.

Regardless of my ability to seem like the Great and Powerful Oz at times, remember, behind that facade was a little old man who had no real powers at all. Sometimes, I do feel like a naive farm girl, whisked away by a tornado into a land of wonder, trusting the Good Witch (my agent) who tells me which road to take. Thanks to the many friends I've met along the way, I have the heart, the nerve and the brain to make this journey. I think I could take the Wicked Witch (it rains a lot in Seattle, so she probably won't show) but, there are those pesky

flying monkeys to worry about. And in the world of writing and publishing, I've discovered that those flying monkeys are everywhere.

I have no ruby slippers. Well, I do, but every time I wear them I end up in a cornfield in Kansas (we'll save that story for another day). What I do have is the street smarts and the experience of one who has ridden the Horse of Many Colors several times. I have the determination, the strength and the sweet disposition of a Kansas sunflower. I also have my Cowardly Lion doll that I will keep in my pocket, just in case I forget where I came from.

So wish me luck, say a prayer, send me the good juju. And if anyone knows how to defeat those flying monkeys (in an animal friendly way, of course) please, let me know.

Being a Good Literary Citizen

As a writer, I have discovered that writers like to hang out with other writers and writer types. Maybe we are all a bit insane, or maybe we just understand that certain something in each other that pulls us in to the field, but whatever it is, we find ourselves in a circle, a community I will call it, of like minded souls.

But being a part of a community assumes you are a citizen; and being a citizen means responsibility. Citizens support one another, they don't just take and take, they give as well. And that brings me to the point of this post: Being a Good Literary Citizen.

Publications, ratings, obvious site traffic are important to us. It gives us visibility, which in this new world of 'marketing yourself' is very important. Granted, I don't share or comment or tweet everything I see from those in my community because it would be overwhelming, but I do as much as possible, and hope when I need a little love, it will be returned.

Fictitious Mary is a member of my community. She shares and comments and tweets and rates and buys books from other members. She reviews, she shares, she gives the love. She is a good citizen.

Now let me tell you about fictitious Rudy. Rudy likes to hang in the community, but for years, Rudy hasn't shared, voted, commented-nothing on anyone else in the groups work. Now Rudy has a book out and is finally in a position where he needs a little extra help, too. Let's see, when I'm picking and choosing what to share, is it going to be a link to Rudy's debut novel or Mary's blog post about her cat?

Sorry, Rudy, kitties rule.

Of course, there is a lot more to being a good citizen than just the things mentioned above, but these are easy and take very little of your time.

    

In the past day, I've tweeted 5 blogs, rated and commented on three short stories, one book, two blog posts, shared three Facebook stories, 'liked' an author page and edited another short story--all for the members of my community. Aside from the editing, this took me less than five minutes of my day.

Why would I do this?

Because I am a member of a literary community and I take my responsibility as a citizen very seriously.  

So the BIG question is:

What kind of a literary citizen are you?

The Pitch

Recently, a lot of my friends have been trying to write the "perfect pitch". Good luck with that. I'm not saying there isn't value in a perfectly constructed mini-summary of your book. It has its place. However, I think the key to pitching is knowing your book well enough that you can gain enough interest in a very short period of time and then be able to expand without reciting a two page synopsis.

Huh? Okay, let's look at it this way. You have developed the "perfect" pitch that you can deliver in 30 seconds. That's wonderful. But what if you only have five seconds? Ten seconds? How are you going to adjust that perfect pitch you developed depending on the situation? Personally, I get extremely bored when I ask someone what their book is about and they launch into a formal pitch. I just want to know what it's about. That's all. But how do you do that?

You have to know your book, intimately, and know what there is about it that would spark an interest. Quickly.

I have several pitches for They Call Me Crazy. The formal pitch can be delivered in thirty seconds, and of course is for a more formal setting--an actual sit down opportunity to deliver it, where a pitch is expected, or as part of a written query process, tweaked of course. Here it is:

Roland Adams was just a good ol' boy from Deacon, Kansas. When his wife, Cass, is found trying to dump his body in the Spring River, the town can only come to one conclusion: She's crazy. Certifiable. Always has been. As Cass' life unfolds, the secrets held by her worm-farming brother-in-law, her psychic grandmother and her only friend, a promiscuous fifth grade teacher, may be the key to Cass' deliverance.
But Roland is the only one who has all of the answers. And he's not talking.

Yes, that tells the story, and hopefully it gives an indication that although the book is about killing a spouse, it does have a darkly humorous tone. However, if I'm standing in a bar with several people and someone asks, "What's your book about?" do you think I am really going to clear my throat and go in to this obviously rehearsed speech? Sorry. Not me. I know my book very well, and instead, depending on the group I'm with or the specific situation, I would throw out a one sentence 'pitch'. Something like:

A Kansas woman discovers how difficult it is to bury a husband: especially when using the same shovel she whacked him with in the first place.
OR,
After burying her husband in his garden, a Kansas woman unearths his secrets and wants to kill him again.

What I would NOT do is use a big fancy word like mariticide. Sure, that's what it's about, but it doesn't suggest the tone of the book, and showing off my smartness is not the point. I want someone to ask, "What kind of secrets?" or "Why did she kill him?" or... you get the idea. I want someone to GIVE ME more than five or ten seconds because they WANT TO.

Of course, with my other novel, Ragtown, the tone, the setting, the story is quite different and therefore, so are my various ways to present it. Sure, I have written formal taglines, blurby things, 'back of the book' stuff, etc., but, in my opinion, that is the easy part. Writing those sentences that tell 'what the book is about' should be easy for writers. It's getting that interest in a sentence, something you can throw out casually that makes someone say "tell me more." And in order to do that, you have to know your book and you have to know what it is about your book that might appeal to someone.

Now, 50% of the people that read this are going to disagree with what I'm going to say. But let me tell you, I take very good notes of people's reactions to my 'pitches' and with Ragtown, this works more than 50% of the time:

"It's a coming of age story about a construction worker in the 1930's working on the Hoover Dam project."

Boring as hell, right? Tells you NOTHING, right? Well let me tell you something I have learned over the past year; The Hoover Dam or Depression era dam building has touched so many people's lives in a variety of ways, that just by saying that boring line above, giving nothing other than the setting, more than 50% of the people I've thrown that out to want to hear more. In the past week alone, these are three comments I've had:

"My grandfather worked on the Coolie Dam. I'd love to read this."
"I've been to the Hoover Dam! How cool, that sounds great."(It doesn't sound great, they know nothing about it, however, they are familiar with the setting and therefore are interested)
"How many people are actually buried in the dam?" (I get a lot of questions about the dam itself, which in my opinion, means people are interested)

Each one of these, of course, gives me the opportunity to tell someone more about the book. And isn't that the point?

So come up with a lovely formal pitch, write it up, put it in your query, on your business cards and your website, sit back and revel in the beauty of your words. But when it comes down to really pitching, you better know your book and know what to say that is going to have them asking for more.

So, what's your book about?

Why Rejection is Good and Zola

In November, 2011, after three and a half years, including research and writing time, I finally ‘finished’ my historical novel, Ragtown. I wrote an amazing query letter and an equally awesome synopsis and began the process of querying agents. By the summer of 2012, after approximately forty rejections (and I’m sure I’m underestimating that), I realized something was definitely wrong.

It’s not that it was a ‘bad’ novel-not at all. It was well written, rich in historical detail, a great story of one man’s struggle to overcome his own past while working in the diversion tunnels of the Hoover dam, a treacherous environment, during one of the worst economic disasters in American history. It’s timely. It has a wide audience appeal. It’s American-like baseball and apple pie. But no-one was interested.

So maybe it wasn’t that great?

Rejections are hard to take. Especially when they seem to be coming at a rate of two a week. However, I’ve never been one to assume that when it comes to writing, I am always right and all those that don’t like my work ‘just don’t understand the story (or the concept, or the structure, or the blah, blah,blah)’. No, not at all. The people that were rejecting me have been in this business a lot longer than me, so obviously, they were seeing something that I wasn’t.

Yes, I kind of ate a rock for Ragtown research

So last summer, I pulled out all of those rejections and looked for common concerns. As new rejections came to my email, I started asking questions, specifics-what wasn’t working?  The majority of the concerns seemed to be in the first fifty pages. That’s where I started.

In October, I began a complete revision that included cutting almost 20K words, most from the first one hundred pages. I changed POV’s, I even gave one character a badly needed libido. I sent it through three editors and an additional twelve readers.

Last month, I again finished Ragtown.

And yesterday, I was notified that Ragtown is a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Zola Award for Historical Fiction.

Rejection is hard. It’s too easy to say to yourself, “they are right, I am not very good at this” and give up. It’s too easy to be hard headed about what professionals say about your work and claim that they “just don’t get it.” But my goal is to have Ragtown published, and in order to do that, I had to put my ego aside and listen. Rejections may be hard to swallow, but they are also a good way for a writer to see what others find difficult about your work. And by taking heed, you might make that wonderful novel sellable.

Ragtown, a historical novel

Finalist for the Zola Award

Represented by Svetlana Pironko

Author Rights Agency