First write a good story, then make it SHINE! That's the beginning of a career as a successful author.
I met Jennifer Gracen almost two years ago in PubWrite. Since then, we have had the pleasure of meeting in person at conferences and talking online, on Spreecast, and by phone. We share very similar philosophies about life and, relevant to today's post, the future of the professional writer in a changing market. She is a talented person and has more energy than most people I know. I had the amazing fortune of having her copy edit Dark Dealings and the final result is better for her sharp eye and diligence. I asked her to share her thoughts on copy editing with us today.
Take it away, Jen!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was asked
if I wanted to write a post about my “Pet Peeves in Copy Editing”, and said
sure, okay. But here’s the thing: I don’t want to get down on anyone about
making mistakes in their writing. Hey — if people didn’t make mistakes, I
wouldn’t have a job. I really only have one major
peeve about editing. Hear me out first before I reveal it.
Everyone has their strengths. One
of mine is seeing grammatical errors, typos, and other types of mistakes in a
written document. To me, it’s as if they’d been written in neon. That makes me
a born editor. Sometimes a client does this strange thing, where he/she
apologizes profusely to me for their mistakes as they give me their work to
edit. I can’t help but smile as I remind him/her: I expect to find mistakes — that’s why you hired me, right? Stop
apologizing! Believe it or not, most of the best writers do NOT have clean
manuscripts. But the best writers know this, and seek out an editor to make
her/his work the finest, cleanest, tightest work it can be. This goes for getting
both copy editing and content editing. Some editors do both types. I don’t most
of the time, but do delve into content editing on occasion. Yes, there’s a
difference. But that’s a whole other blog post.
I worked as a full time copy editor
for a big company when I was younger, before I had kids. I loved that job. I
now do it on a freelance basis, and I like that even better. There are pros and
cons, of course. First, the cons: I don’t get a steady paycheck, I’ll never
make a lot of money doing it, and I’m basically performing a service on a leap
of faith, assuming (hoping) my client will pay me when I’m done, as promised. But
the pros? I get to pick and choose my clients and the projects I work on. The
flexibility of working on my own timetable, and working from home, is a
necessity. I’ve been a stay-at-home mother for a decade now, so being able to
work from home while juggling two kids, my own writing, and life in general is
key for me. I’m totally committed to my editing work, and I honestly love doing
it. I get paid to read, basically, if you think about it. Paid to read and make
work shine. For a lifelong voracious reader, what’s better than that?
If you’re a writer who is smart
enough to hire a copy editor, or an editor in general, you’re showing your true
dedication to your work. It means you’ve done your homework, and know that the
reading public won’t take your work seriously if it’s riddled with mistakes.
You’ve also admitted to being human and knowing that EVERY writer makes
mistakes. I’m not only a copy editor, I’m also (first and foremost, actually) a
writer. And even I make mistakes. We all do. Good for you for admitting you’re
a flawed human, and a writer who cares about her/his work enough to ensure its
quality.
So what’s my big peeve about copy
editing? Writers who don’t have it done.
Writers who think they’re above editing and don’t need it, or are too lazy to
take the time to have it done before submitting it or self-publishing. Everyone needs a sharp second pair of
eyes to go over their work. Show your commitment to your craft and respect for
your readers: have your work edited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer recently
resumed her freelance copy editing/proofreading career after a few years’
hiatus. She has an AA in Music from Dean College, attended Berklee College of
Music for two years, and received her BA in English from Molloy College. She worked as an editorial assistant
& proofreader for PRR Publications, then as a copy editor for Bookspan, before
choosing to stay home to dedicate herself to being a full-time mother in 2002.
She did occasional freelance work over the time since, but now that her children
are older, she is able to dedicate more of her time to freelance copy editing
again, and has done so with a vengeance.
Jennifer also writes
contemporary romance/women’s fiction. She has completed three novels and has
agent representation. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the
Long Island Romance Writers (RWA Chapter 160). Her women’s fiction manuscript, Shades Of Denial, placed 3rd
for the Single Title Category in the Launching a STAR 2011 contest.
Born and raised on Long
Island, New York, Jennifer currently lives there with her husband and two young
sons. She is a self-professed social media addict, and is hoping to stave off
an intervention for a while longer.
Contact Information:
Email:
jennifer@spellcheck70.com
Copy
Editing Website http:/jgce.wordpress.com
Author
Website: http://jennifergracen.wordpress.com
Twitter:
@JGCopyEditing OR @jennifergracen
Jen, I couldn't agree more with that pet peeve. When I first started reading self-published works, I just thought it was par for the course. It annoyed me, but I thought it was just me. Then I realized that many self-published authors care enough to get their work edited. Any more, I set aside any book that has a lot of errors, regardless of the publication method.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! If I had sought out an editor sooner, my book might already be published. But I didn't. I'm not exactly sure why. Since in my past career I was the person who did the proofreading, maybe I thought I'd caught any/all mistakes I had made. I was wrong. Whenever you write anything, it is always helpful to have a second or third set of eyes look over your work. I've seen the error of my ways, and my book has been professionally annotated, proofread and copy edited. Just wish I'd done it sooner.
ReplyDeleteSusi and MaryAn, thanks for chiming in. I have dubbed 2012, the Year of the Professional Indie. Those who have learned that it may be easy to publish but not so easy to be successful will either fall by the wayside or decide to pursue this "writing thing" more seriously. We have an obligation and an interest in producing and promoting quality.
ReplyDeleteI am an editor/proofreader, and I am aghast at some (some, not all) of the self-published works on the market that are riddled with errors. Or just plain poor writing. I have had my share of writers who asked me for an edit/proofread, then came back and said, “I’m insulted” – after they read my suggestions and comments. A writer, if serious as you said, needs to prepare for a critique and be open to suggestions. As an editor, I realize I too need help with my writing - I have my own editor.
ReplyDelete