Editorial Advice

Writing a book is hard, and it's not really something you can do in complete isolation. At some point someone is going to have to read it and if you're wise you'll look for objective and experienced advice to point you in the right direction.

But where to find it? Your first port of call for free advice is a peer review site. There are many and they are as good or bad as their members so you have to suck it and see which one is best for you. Any site that allows anyone to join will have the widest range of ability, and therefore the strike rate for good crits is going to be lower. Having said that, you can usually glean something helpful from any crit. Even a non-writer will have a gut reaction to your story that's useful to know. With a little time and effort you can build up a picture of how your book is being received.

And the great thing about peer review is you learn an awful lot about what works by reviewing other people's work. The problem with your own manuscript is you're too heavily involved with it and therefore can't see the faults. That isn't a problem with somebody else's baby. The flaws are much easier to spot, and reading critically teaches you to read your own with a dispassionate eye.

But peer review has limitations, and sooner or later you may want to find professional advice to help you reach the next stage. I've never paid for editorial advice, and I would guard against throwing your money at just anyone. With the cuts in publishing there are more freelance editorial advisors around than ever, and some are better qualified than others. Personally I wouldn't take advice from anyone who hadn't reached a significantly higher level in the publishing business than myself. Another wannabe, however perceptive and well intentioned, and cheap, is probably not good enough. So if you are tempted down this road, make sure you go for someone with a proven track record either as an author or an editor of published books.

Editing and Perfection

I've watched The September Issue twice in the last twenty-four hours and intend to watch it again later today before my 48 hour itunes store rental expires. And I've ordered the DVD for posterity. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes at the creation of the US Vogue September edition, and focuses mainly on the editor in chief, Anna Wintour.

Most of you will have seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada, based on the novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger in which Meryl Streep plays the Bitch Boss from Hell, Miranda Priestly. Weisberger based her book partly on her experience as Wintour's assistant, and there are parallels between the real and fictional characters. But I found the real Editor in Chief far more interesting, which is why I downloaded The September Issue.

For anyone with even a passing interest in fashion this documentary will be required viewing, not least because of Wintour's stony-faced persona and relationships with her editorial staff. Here is a woman so focussed on her job she has no time for inconsequential small talk to the point where she can be abrupt and even rude. She knows her own mind and doesn't worry about hurting anyone's feelings in the process. She doesn't balk at binning thousands of dollars worth of photography if she doesn't think it's quite right. And her staff might rail and rage, weep and worry, but they know she is right and give her unstinting respect.

It's a fascinating study, not just in fashion or the glamour industry, but in the ruthless necessity of editing to achieve perfection. It's worth a look.

What Publishers Want

OK, I'm very busy with the book this week so I'm copping out a bit to post a link to the latest post on The Book Deal. Please note Alan's stellar credentials in publishing and his comments about the writing being key to success (not the query letter) and the need for imagination in this ever changing publishing landscape:
"Agents and editors are tearing down old conventions and experimenting with new ideas".

Hiring a Pro?

I'm posting this fascinating article on hiring a professional editor to help prepare your book for submission. It's not an issue discussed very often on the internet and there doesn't seem to be an easy yes or no answer, but I get the feeling it's becoming a lot more common than people think. As publishing companies cut back more and more the prospect of getting editing in-house gets less likely, so the more you can get your own submission into shape the better your chance of acceptance.

And here is a bit of shameless mother's pride. My elder son Mike has just completed his degree in digital animation and his project for this year has been nominated with two others for a Royal Television Society Student Award. Here is the link to his animation, but you will need to have installed Quiktime and be running Firefox or Safari for the best results. Enjoy!

Literary agent and editor

Trawling around the internet I came across this very interesting interview with a literary agent and editor (nothing like Stu Stuart or Edie Tor, you'll be pleased to hear) which answers a lot of questions about how the business works.

It's a little over an hour long but worth taking the time to view.

Enjoy!