Skip to main content

Okay Is Not Good Enough by Jean Lauzier

  
This past spring, I attended a semi-local writer's conference. One of the speakers said that it was okay to publish a book that had errors in it. That it didn't matter, because you could always upload a revised version any time you want. He also said if you were to get a bad review due to the errors, that was okay too. You just need to grow a tough skin and ignore it. Then he stated that if the reader likes your story, they will buy your next book, even with all the errors. By the time I recovered my senses, he'd gone on to promote his "how to write and publish a book in thirty days or less" book.
 
I don't know about you, but I dislike a bunch of typos and grammar mistakes when trying to read. Sure, I understand a book will never be totally error-free, but we should strive to get as close as possible. I'm an avid reader and have returned books riddled with formatting issues and errors. And I certainly won't be buying anything else from them.
Authors such as this are the reason self-publishing still leaves a bad taste in many reader's mouths. And, I understand the legacy publishers aren't perfect, but they do try.
As an editor for a medium-sized publisher, I see many submissions that really aren't ready. Even though we require a professional edit before submitting, it's amazing how many manuscripts still need editing when we get them.
 
One thing I often see at the start of a submission is page upon page of backstory. Naturally, the author needs to know their characters' past. Especially since that character's past tends to have a bearing on the story at hand. But, it needs to be woven in. A little bit here, a little bit there. Yes, it's easier just to lump it all together, but many readers are going to skim over it or will close the book and find something more interesting.
 
Dialogue tags are another area where authors take the easy way. So many times, I see "he said angrily" or "she stated emphatically".  How much better it would be to add a beat such as "He slammed his fist into the wall." Or "She stomped her sneaker-clad foot."  Yes, doing it this way is a lot of work, but so worth it.
I think a lot of the problem is many authors don't study their craft. And it is a craft. A woodcarver doesn't become a master craftsman overnight. He spends years practicing, making mistakes, starting over, and continues learning.
 
Same thing with musicians. Sure, there is the occasional genius who doesn't need to practice, but those are few and far between. Most musicians start with the basics, practice and practice, then practice some more.
 
Writers must study our craft, too. We can't be content with "okay". When I read, I want to be transported into the story, to escape from my reality for a while. If I have to slog through ten or fifteen pages of backstory before something happens, I'll find another book. If grammar issues keep jerking me out of the story, I'll find one that doesn't.
 
As writers, we can't edit our own work. At least not well. We tend to read what we think should be there, what we meant to write. Many of us don't know all the nuances a professional editor should. (I'm still trying to figure out commas.) A professional editor is a writer's best friend and worth every penny they charge.  A professional editor wants your book to be the best it can be and will work hard to make it so.  And, that professional edit will get you an acceptance letter and publishing contract. 
 
Bio:
 
 
I'm a mystery and fantasy writer who plays in a lot of different genres.  I'm also a mom and a wife. When not writing, doing social media stuff, or any of the 900 other things that need to be done, I kill bonsai trees, (not on purpose) try to train the cats, and spend time with our Doberman Pinschers, Mocha and Sonnet.

I'm also the Acquisitions Editor for White Bird Publications. I love reading submissions and working with writers to bring their dreams of publication true.
Jean Lauzier
 




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

On Writing Chase Scenes

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson Author of  The Frugal Editor,  the winning-est  in her award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers This article is excerpted from some editing I did for a writer of experimental fiction when I was on a Greater Los Angeles Writers Society panel writer of any genre can apply these suggestions to the chase, getaway, or high action scene in your script or manuscript before you send it to an agent or publisher or, better still, while you are writing the first draft.  Sometimes even the most fascinating, interesting and irresistible  detail can slow down the forward movement of your story. So as much as writers are told that detail is important, purge as much as you can from your action scenes and put it somewhere else or dribble it into narrative in other places in your manuscript. In the process, ask yourself if your reader really needs to know the color of the protagonist’s eyes. As important as detail is, some is better left to t

Ampersands: Pretty Is as Pretty Does

   By Carolyn Howard-Johnson Author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers   Have you noticed how ampersands turn to gibberish when they are entered into some blog services like Google's blogpsot.com? That is only the beginning of problems ampersands cause for editors, and publishers of all kinds. Many of the difficulties they cause go unnoticed except by the publishing pros we would all like to impress like agents, librarians, bookstore event directors, and the acquisition editors at Knopf!    That's why I added a new section to the second edition of the winningest book in my #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers,  The Frugal Editor . Because ampersands seem to be so popular these days, it's especially important for editors and authors who publish books to know a little about their history, how to use them, and how gatekeepers and readers of Lynn Truss's famous zero-tolerance a

MARGARET FIELAND INTERVIEW (guest blogger)

When did you first know you were destined to be a writer? LOL, I never realized I was destined to be a writer -- I fell into it. I'd written poetry for years, collecting it in notebooks stacked in my attic when I wrote one I wanted to keep. This led me to several online sites and ultimately to discovering the Muse Online Writers Conference where I hooked up with Linda Barnett Johnson and joined her writers forums. She required everyone to write both fiction and poetry, so, with much trepidation, I started writing fiction. Then I got hooked on it, wrote a chapter book, took the ICL course and actually learned how to write it. Then in 2010, I was seized by a desire to write a sci fi novel, so I spent six weeks or so on world building, mostly, with a bit of plotting thrown in for good measure. Who would you cite as your influences? I'm a way-back sci-fi fan, and Robert A. Heinlein influenced me heavily. I took a lot away from his writing, notably the value of surpris