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Shouldn't I Care? 3/29/2014 12:38:10 PM
If you have a chance, go to a writer's workshop and take notes--lots of them! Recently a writer friend and I attended a workshop, (A two hour event), held by Jan Kardys, (Unicornforwriters.com). Jan has 35 years of history in the publishing business, formerly working at some of the big publishing houses, including, among others, Doubleday, Simon & Shuster, Scribner's & Sons, and St Martin's Press.
(Attend workshops with like-minded friends. It's more fun and afterwards you can compare notes and revisit the experience.)
One of the evenings topics was the need for well prepared works in self-publishing. Commenting on the growing ease of DIY, (do-it-yourself), and the fact of readers accepting a broader spectrum of self-published authors, she stressed the need for well written books.
Writers utilizing the DIY process should take the care to present the very best work possible. She admitted that this may mean spending money for expert advice but in the long run, selling a great book is better than not selling a mediocre or badly written book.
There are professional people for hire and it is a good idea. I have had a copy-editor read a manuscript and it did cost me but she did a good job, helping correct things I couldn't see.
Writers should research carefully all the options.
One free option to get help editing your manuscript is for people to read your piece previous to publication. These readers will give you feedback on what works, or doesn't work. They may tell you about things that need changing or give you just a plain 'job well done'. The more readers you have, the larger the overall picture you'll get in return. This is a good idea even if you're not self-publishing.
You have to be prepared for criticism. You'll have to accept the fact you may have to change something you really like but that just doesn't fit.
Grow a thick skin and edit!
I have my 75+k fiction manuscript out to readers now, getting feedback.
After finishing seven edits, I feel I have seen all I can see, so have let it out to readers for them to see what I cannot.
As the writer, I KNOW what I have written. I KNOW my characters, and what they do, and say. I KNOW what the story says, what the punchline is and all the nuances of the plot. I KNOW all this because I wrote it.
On the other hand, my reader doesn't KNOW all the ins and outs of what went on in my head while writing. They cannot read my thoughts only the words on the page. I may KNOW what was happening but if I didn't write the details correctly it doesn't matter what I thought. If my reader has a problem--then I have a problem.
This has been a success even as my manuscript has been out only a few weeks. Feedback already come to me has helped me change a few things that were problematic to my readers.
I think it should be every writer's ideal to write the best piece they can, whether a short piece or book-length.
If you're going DIY, spend the extra time, and maybe the money, on producing your best work. Why not sell a really well-written book instead of not selling a mediocre or even a badly written book?
I am considering self-publishing and as Jan Kardys said, as an author wanting to sell well, I want to produce the best book I can.
