Tuesday, May 19, 2009

EDITING A MANUSCRIPT


Someone asked Marilyn vos Savant to name the most difficult task a person could accomplish. She answered - "to write a book" - which might surprise many people, but not those who have tried their hand at writing. Marilyn, as you already know, has the highest I.Q. ever measured, plus being a magazine columnist, author, lecturer and playwright.

There are endless tasks involved in creating a work of literature, whether it is a short story or a thick volume like War and Peace. First there is the plot to wrestle with, and as the story develops, there are contentious characters we have to deal with in a decisive way. There are sub-plots, conflict, research, as well as bookkeeping, marketing, and balky software. I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

In addition to all of these tasks, there is the problem of getting rid of those annoying mistakes that crop up like crabgrass in a well-tended lawn. Typos are very difficult to find, especially when you become so familiar with your manuscript that you almost have it memorized. That old adage, 'take care of the details and the big problems will take care of themselves,' definitely applies to writing. The little things are always lurking around our unwary feet like a nest of vipers in an overgrown meadow.

Most writers rely on critique groups, first readers, or another writer to check their manuscript for mistakes. While this helps, it is not a cure all. Friends might be hesitant to point out mistakes, and there are others who simply don't know. Recently, I discovered an editing service that does not ask for your first-born in order to look at your manuscript. They found a number of mistakes craftily hiding in my manuscript and squished each and every one.

I don't ask you to take my word for it. Go see for yourself. Here is a link to VIP Editing Service. I think you are going to like their courteous service.

2 comments:

Janine said...

The AutoCrit Editing Wizard is also a handy tool to have in your editing tool box.

It saves me a ton of time and identifies a bunch of those embarrassing errors that it is easy to miss.

SassyScribe said...

I recently used VIP Editing Services for my current manuscript for proof reading and I was/am extremely pleased.

I wish I had known about her services when I wrote my first book because overall I went through 3 editors spent over $3k and I still have to get the book reedited...it will cost me more to go after those other editors so rather than bitch and moan about it, I have decided to move forward...I will and I have recommended Harriet's services to several authors.


Saundra aka SassyScribe
www.blogtalkradio.com/sassyentertainment
www.sapharibooks.com
www.myspace.com/sassyscribe
www.xcapadesofthegirlz.blogspot.com
www.asksassyscribe.blogspot.com