cj Sez: Readers, did you ever open a book, read a few
chapters (or even a few lines), and then put it down because of errata, i.e.;
those typo, grammar, and misspelling gremlins that drive a pedantic like me crazy?
One or two gremlins will make me shake my head. If a lot of them, I’ll close
the book.
I used to find that indie books were the worst. They tended
to be poorly edited if not poorly written. Now, I’m finding repetitive errors
in books by established authors and big publishing houses who should know
better. Perhaps it comes down to the time it takes to do a detailed copy edit
vs. getting the book to the market.
The problem with self-published books is that they are so
often done on a shoestring (cost-wise) that the author cannot afford to pay for
a copy editor. Unfortunately, I’ve come across some authors who simply don’t
want to go through the process.
Speaking from experience, self-edits and beta readers do
not, will not, and cannot catch everything that a professional copy editor
will. When I was gainfully employed, one of my report/column-writing rules was
to get as many people as possible to read the document . . . the more eyes on
it the better the end product. That wasn’t easy to do when I was on a deadline
of minutes, and my work wasn’t on the top of a co-worker’s list. But the effort
was so worth it.
The same thing is true about an author’s manuscript. I want my manuscript to be the best I can make it. I read the document
on the computer screen, and then I print a few pages. Because the text looks
different when printed, I have a better chance to find the missing comma, period, or quotation mark
that was missed on numerous computer-screen read-throughs. (Chances are there is at least one gremlin in this post.)
Sometimes, I make a
copy of the printed page and read that. Copying changes the size of the font
once again, and I will often find something else to correct. One of the best
ways to find those gremlins and discover plot or dialogue problems is to read
the manuscript out loud. It’s amazing how much I find.
Moral of the story: When you’ve come to “The End,” rest assured your manuscript
is not finished. It’s probably months away from being ready for publication. YOur MS needs to rest a while before you give it another read-through, and then it needs
professional eyes. It’s a personal and financial consideration for each author,
but please consider hiring a copy editor if you can afford it.
Caveat: Expect
that if your manuscript is accepted by a publisher, their punctuation rules may
differ from your copy editor’s input, and there could be more changes to be made…be
flexible.
§§
Books make great gifts, and anthologies may be an even
better option...a variety of authors and stories in one book...the gift that
keeps on giving.
 |
| Promo courtesy of http://www.poisedpenpro.com/ |
 |
| Promo courtesy of Carrie Dalby Author |
§§
cj Sez: That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on
keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.
§§
P.S. TO ORDER a book by any author on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
If you’d like me to
autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and
I’ll run by the shop.
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