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Repetition, repetition, repetition – it will MURDER your book!

My clients are almost always rookies with great ideas for their books and a passion for their work. But they ALL make the exact same mistakes. Just as I did when I was starting out.

The number one mistake? Repetition. I am continually amazed when my editor returns a chapter for my review and I realize I used the word "instantly" several times on the same page. Doesn’t seem like a big deal? It happens to be a huge red flag that will mark you as a novice faster than you can blink.

Most writers are guilty of this major error without even realizing it. The reason? Caught up in the moment, when we’re in our own little world and the words are flying from our fingertips—we just aren’t thinking out such trivial things as our go-to words. Some of you might not even realize you have go-to words, but trust me you do. I recently edited a few chapters for a client where he described everything as "massive." And with another client, it was always Tuesday. These things should be caught during the editing process, but there’s a lot you can do to minimize repetition before your manuscript ever goes to the editor—giving them more time to focus on more important details.

First is typical repetition, which happens when you use the same handful of words in your descriptions. If something is "large," it is either "massive," "huge," or "giant." And you use those three words throughout your three-hundred page novel. But what about these synonyms? Enormous, gigantic, big, hefty, bulky, sturdy, etc. Get friendly with your thesaurus! It is your best friend. If you don't have the thesaurus open on your desktop at all times, you are missing a very important tool. The trick to managing this issue is finding that fine line between avoiding repetition, and going out of your way to NOT say that one word again so that it becomes painfully obvious what you are doing, and the result is awkward or wordy phrasing that just doesn't work. First, be aware of the words you use too often. Replace or eliminate the ones you can, and keep the ones that work.

The second kind of repetition happens in dialogue and dialogue tagging—the he said, she saids. Make sure you are using a good variety of dialogue verbs but, again, there is that fine line of too much and not enough. For example, sometimes, a "she asked" is all you need. And sometimes "she queried" is just plain awkward and other times—many other times, the tag isn't needed at all.

Excessive use of names in dialogue and dialogue tagging is also a huge source of repetition. Names should be present as a cue to the reader so they will know who is talking, who is present in the scene, etc. But names can be distracting when overdone. When proofreading, ask yourself if a pronoun would suffice instead of a name.

The bottom line is this: we all have our blinders up when we work on our manuscripts. After months and even years of staring at these things, we just don’t see the mistakes. But sometimes we get too focused on the story and we aren’t thinking about the words we’re using.

Look for my upcoming blog on the two types of proofreading to make sure you are making the most of your efforts long before you hire an editor.  

#self publishing #self editing #editing tips #good editing #cheap editing #affordable editing #proofreading #indie author #indie editing

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Emerge is out and with a new look! Click here for more 

Forgive the long pause…new blog posts coming soon!

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Picking up where I left off...

I took a very long break from my blog these last several months. My attention was focused on getting Emerge done, and it is finally here! After five very long years the ebook is now on Amazon, click here, and the physical book is on its way as well.

And now for the part I dread more than the laundry...marketing. There are so many wonderful resources out there for how to successfully market your books, I will not even pretend to offer advice on that front. But I will climb back up on my soapbox one more time...

Editing is the key to success. I don’t care how big your twitter following is. I don’t care how much of an audience you’ve managed to grow, if your book is not a stellar work of art—if your PRODUCT is not professionally polished, your readers will not be impressed. 

Editing is vital and I’m very opinionated about what counts as good editing. But before I move on to a new topic, let’s consider this: How important is it in the grand scheme of things? I recently read a blog post that addressed this very question. The author had a good point. Who cares if there are fifty typos if the story is good? Who cares if there’s a little too much repetition or poor use of dialogue? The story is what matters.

She’s right; it’s absolutely the story that matters. And developing that story happens during the editing process and should not be rushed just to get your book on the shelf. But as indie authors—especially those of us trying to do this right—we have to be better than merely good. We have to elevate the standard of self-published books, and produce the best works we possibly can. And if that takes a little longer than we'd like, then we just need to be patient. We are asking a lot of our readers to purchase our books, take the time to read it, and then tell their friends to purchase our books too. Why would we expect our readers to be okay with less than our absolute best?

If you’re going to be an indie author, BE and indie author. Do it right and do it well.

Next up, Repetition—the newbie writer's worst enemy.

#editing tips #self editing #self publishing #indie author #indie editing #freelance editor #good editing

[melissaacraven-blog]

Emerge is out and with a new look! Click here for more http://www.amazon.com/Emerge-Awakening-Melissa-Craven-ebook/dp/B00VID65W0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1429336464&sr=8-5&keywords=emerge

Forgive the long pause...new blog posts coming soon!

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On Line Editing

Content editing is vital for a well rounded, fully developed story, but don’t forget the line edit. Line editing takes a very special kind of editor—of which I am most definitely not. Combing through 300 pages of a freshly content-edited manuscript, checking and double checking the placement of every comma, semi-colon and dangling participle sounds like a recipe for—not much fun. Line editors are wonderful people and worth their weight in gold. They will carefully craft your sentences with proper, CONSISTENT punctuation, giving that last professional touch to your manuscript.

If you don’t think you can afford a line editor, reach out to your network and look for beta readers who might just be the grammar police you need. Any form of line editing is better than none. The key is consistency, and a line editor will make sure you are consistent throughout your manuscript.    

So many indie authors skip this crucial step to save money, but if you want your book to compete with traditionally published works, don’t overlook the merits of line editing.  

#line editing #affordable editing #editing tips #indie author #indie editing #self publishing #self editing #amwriting #grammar police

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On Productive Editing

I’ve done a lot of work as a content editor and I’ve worked with my own editors through countless rounds of revisions and rewrites. I have a good understanding of the editing process and what works and doesn’t work.

Many of my clients will come to me with their completed manuscript, thinking I will edit it all in one fell swoop and that’s it. If you are a very good writer—like some kind of prodigy—who really understands how to self edit, this might work. But this is the rare exception, not the rule.

Think about it. A typical manuscript is probably around 250 pages. Imagine so many pages filled with comments, corrections and suggestions on character development, pointing out plot holes and simple mistakes? Too much all at once? Yup! Overwhelming? Oh boy! So not what you were expecting? You got it! For some, it may seem so overwhelming that they feel like quitting. No editor wants to see that happen, much less be the cause of it.

If you do choose to edit your manuscript all in one go, keep this in mind. A good editor is going to help you create a better story with well developed characters and a solid plot. What happens when you’ve had her edit all 250 pages, but the story changes so much, a good portion of her edits become moot? Useless? You’ve already paid her for the editing she worked so meticulously to complete! And how about this scenario? She’s edited your book and it’s time for you to dive in and address all her comments. You learn some things as you go. So, a hundred pages in, you’ve got it, you’re in the groove and…you know what she’s going to say before she says it. That’s when you realize you’ve paid her for work you could have done yourself. Pay her to edit the first few chapters, learn something about your mistakes and do a little self editing before you give her the next portion of your book. You’ll save a lot of time and money. AND most importantly, you will get past all those general errors and really get into the meat of the story, which is what true content editing is all about. 

Editing is a process—usually a tedious one, but it is so worth the effort. It is by far, much more productive (and WAY more affordable) to edit one chapter at a time, or at the most, small chunks of three to four chapters. Work on these smaller segments to get them where they need to be and move on. Before you know it, you have a solid draft to work with. It’s not done yet, but you can so see that finish line. 

#editing #affordable editing #proofreading #self editing #self publishing #first time authors #indie author #indie editing #amwriting

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On knowing when you’ve found a good editor.

Ever open a fresh chapter from your editor and balled like a baby when you realize she hated it? Sucks doesn't it? But that probably means she’s a good editor. Dry your eyes and listen to her advice. The end result will always be better.

Honesty is the key. You want your editor to be firm in their opinions and suggestions, but kind in their criticism. If she’s telling you exactly what you want to hear, she might not be the best person for the job. You don’t want someone to sugarcoat it. You want someone who will tell you the cold hard truth.  

A great editor will be like that little devil sitting on your shoulder telling you that the chapter you love just isn’t as good as it should be—or worse, that it doesn’t need to exist. She should also be your voice of reason, pointing her little editor’s finger at the issues you need to correct. She should not be fixing your book for you. That is not her job.

Your editor should focus on content editing, plot and character development in the early stages of your relationship. She may even teach you to see your most common mistakes. For me it was repetition and excessive dialogue tagging. Later, once you’ve really strengthened your story and characters, she should help you strengthen your dialogue, work on grammar and sentence structure issues, phrasing and general nit-picky details. If your editor is only focusing on polishing what is there and isn’t helping you develop a stronger version of your story, she is proofreading, not editing.

With a good editor, you will want to punch her as often as you want to hug her. She will understand that you are a neurotic freak standing protectively over your manuscript like it’s your first-born child she wants to drown in a sea of red ink. She will pry it out of your hands, take good care of it and in the end, when she gives her seal of approval, it will be ten thousand times better than it was when you first begrudgingly gave it to her to tear apart page by page. 

#editing #affordable editing #content editing #good editing #proofreading #self editing #self publishing #writing #writing now

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Content editing, a necessary expense

Hiring an editor can be expensive, but there are ways to drive that cost down. If you can afford the real thing, count yourself lucky and go for it! But if you can't, there are still some great options that will help you polish your masterpiece for less than you might think. 

First, educate yourself. Take the time to research writing techniques and figure out what kind of mistakes you are making—I promise you're making tons and you don't even realize it. Get better at recognizing your weaknesses and learn to self-edit.

Second, cut the fluff. If your draft is 150,000 words it’s probably way too long and you need to ask yourself some tough questions about what really needs to be there and what doesn't. Get your draft down to the necessary elements of the story and leave the other stuff on the cutting room floor. Sure, if you’re self publishing, your book can be as long as you want. But, there is a very good reason books are typically of a certain length. A tight manuscript keeps the reader reading. Unnecessary plot lines can lose your audience. Seriously guys, cut the fluff! Be brutal about it because when you work with an editor, they will be ruthless.

Take your manuscript as far as you can on your own. That’s when it’s time to hire an editor because you are so not done yet. Do NOT hire an editor once you’ve scribbled off the last bits of your rough draft. That's when it gets pricey.

There are great freelancing websites out there where you can find a good editor. Writer.ly, Fiverr, Elance, etc. However, do not hire a freelancer to edit your whole book in one go. That can be expensive, unproductive and completely overwhelming. You do not want to open your 300 page word document and see billions of redlines—it will make you cry. Hire a freelancer to edit one or two chapters at a time. It’s cheaper, more productive and remains true to the editing process. This also allows you to test out a few different freelancers to find the right one for your book. 

I personally found it extremely difficult to hand over my manuscript to a total stranger on the internet, but I have trust issues. I stumbled onto my content editor through my LinkedIn profile. She was a woman I’d worked with years ago. She had her editing website linked to her profile and voilà! Editor I knew I could trust. Check your social media connections. You never know when someone in your circle has the skills (or knows someone who has the skills) you’re looking for. (That's also how I found my line editor.)

Really can’t afford an editor? Figure out a way to crowdsource it on kickstarter or indiegogo. But if you find that intimidating, there are other ways you can croudsource editing—often for free. Join a writing group where other writers can critique your work, help you make it stronger and point out mistakes or inconsistencies you no longer see. When you���ve worked on a book for years, you have blinders up. You might not realize you’ve used the word ‘realize’ nine million times. 

Lastly, find a group of beta readers to make comments as they read. PDF editor apps are GREAT for this. Tiny PDF has an awesome one in the app store. Beta's can scribble comments, circle typos, highlight confusing dialogue and email the annotations back to you. Trust me, they will see things you will not.

Any of these options will help you accomplish a stronger version of your best work. But, whenever possible, take that draft to a freelance editor for further editing. If you’ve polished your work as much as humanly possible, they will be able to work quickly—saving you money—and speaking as a freelance editor, they will probably find your project thoroughly enjoyable because you’ve worked so hard to make it shine (and might be willing to go above and beyond because of it.)

If you still feel strongly that you simply cannot afford an editor, please take advantage of your beta reader’s opinions. The more the better. Proofread your book until you can quote it from memory, but make a list of mistakes to hunt for as you read so you don't get caught up in the story. And then, at the very least, hire a freelance proofreader, which will be much more affordable than an editor. If you’re lucky, you will find a proofreader with a lot of heart who can’t resist editing and adding their two cents worth of suggestions to help you improve your work even further.

Bottom line—don’t publish your book until you’ve edited your work to the best of your ability with every possible resource available to you—and then proofread it one more time. 

#Content editing #proofreading #self editing #self publishing #affordable editing #how to edit #freelance editor

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Edit, edit and edit again. Think you’re done? Edit one more time.

Self-publishing is easier than ever before, but it still carries a stigma because these books are notoriously sloppy. Most newbies just pull the trigger way too soon when their work is far from ready.

There is no reason a self-published work can’t be just as good as a traditionally published one—better even, in my humble opinion. But, no matter how great your concept is, one person cannot and should NOT do it all.

Does an architect execute plans, build and complete a new building from foundation to interior finishes all on her own? Of course not. It takes an entire team of designers, contractors and skilled laborers to make it happen. The same can be said for a good book, and it starts with good editing.

There are many types of editing, but content editing is the most crucial. This stage doesn’t typically involve grammar, punctuation and sentence structure revisions, that comes later during line editing. Content editing is the stage where you and your editor work together to really examine the story and character development. A good content editor will ask you difficult questions about your book and what should and should not be there. This is where your work can improve immeasurably! NEVER skip content editing. You might think your manuscript is fine, but ‘good enough’ just isn’t good enough. 

It’s always a bad idea to be your own final word in editing, but you can get better; learn to make fewer mistakes that will save on the cost of editing. When you think your manuscript is perfect, and it’s finally time to reap the benefits of all your hard work—it’s probably not. But with a little more patience and not as much money as you might think, it won’t be long until you and your editor can make that decision together.

If you’re going to be an indie author, BE an indie author. Do it right and do it well!

#Content editing #editing #self publishing #indie author

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Top ten mistakes all new authors make

Over the past few years, I’ve worked with dozens of clients seeking help with editing and proofreading their unpublished works. And almost every one of them has been guilty of making the same mistakes—including yours truly. A lot of time and money could be saved if you learn to avoid these common mistakes. You’ll be much better prepared to make the most of your editing dollars.

I will address these errors in depth throughout this blog series and I will attempt to do so in laymen’s terms because I’m so not the grammar police. My advice is meant to be conversational and easily understood.

1.)  Skipping or shortcutting content editing: While proofreading and beta reading/critiquing is vital, it is NOT an alternative to true content editing.

2.)  Hiring a freelancer to edit all 200 pages of your book at once: Freelance editors are an amazing resource. You should absolutely hire one—for one chapter at a time. Anything more is too much and can be counter productive.

3.)  Skipping the line editor: Content editing is a necessary expense, but line editing is just as important. You should never expect your content editor to also act as your line editor. At the very least, look among your friends and family for someone with a knack for grammar and sentence structure. That’s your line editor if you cannot afford a professional.

4.)  Repetition: This is without a doubt, the number one mistake most novices make. This happens when a writer uses the same handful of descriptive words and phrases throughout a manuscript. A thesaurus is an essential and necessary tool for ALL writers, especially beginners.

5.)  Excessive use of Passive voice: This is an issue many writers don’t notice because they do not understand the difference between active and passive voice. It comes back to the idea that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ If you aren’t sure what passive voice is, how do you know you aren’t butchering it?

6.)  Don’t tell the story, show it! This is most often a result of too much narrative and not enough dialogue. Narrative tells the story through the eyes of the person who witnessed it. Dialogue shows the story as it happens, allowing the reader to experience it themselves. A great story should be a delicate balance of both narrative and dialogue.

7.)  Overly descriptive writing and run-on sentences: Excessive use of descriptive words is a huge issue with many first time authors. Don’t use three adjectives when one is enough. Overwriting often leads to run-on sentences and manuscripts that are far too long.

8.)  Using tense and point of view incorrectly: If you choose to write in past tense, stay in it unless you are writing dialogue, which should be written in present tense. If your story is told from the POV of your main female character, then everything should be written through her eyes. If she doesn’t see it, it doesn’t happen.

9.) General errors and misuse of homonyms: No one is perfect, so your manuscript will contain typos and silly mistakes no matter how hard you try. But it is very important to eliminate them as much as possible because you don’t want your editor spending a ton of time correcting your use of there, their and they’re when they could be working to improve your story. 

10.) Lack of effective proofreading: When you proofread your own work, you should do it in a way that allows you to examine what you’ve written and how you’ve written it, without getting caught up in the story. In short, when you proofread you should be hunting for all of these mistakes.

The list is long and might seem overwhelming, but if you can conquer these issues, you will make a great deal of progress on your own. Just think of how much time your editor will have to really improve your manuscript! Look for my upcoming blog posts on content editing next. 

#top ten #self publishing #editing #grammar police #passive voice #show dont tell #proofreading

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On becoming a true indie author

Five years ago, I lost my mind and started writing Emerge. Two years later, I completed my rough draft and got to work revising it. Then I thought it might be a good time to research the publishing process. You know, since I was almost done.

 I quickly discovered that I was far from done. Emerge was much too long for a debut novel. But I kept plugging away at it because it was literally my favorite thing to do.

Two years later, I’d taken it as far as I could on my own. It was time to seek the advice of an editor. But I also knew I’d learned enough to help others craft their stories. I began content editing and proofreading, earning enough to pay for my own editing. Now, who was I to edit for others when I knew I needed an editor myself? It’s simple. Even editors need editors, and authors should NEVER—EVER be their own final word in editing.

Today my manuscript is finally nearing pristine completion. Sure, I could have self published a long time ago, and might have even garnered some success. But it was not ready. I owe it to myself, my book, and my family to do this the right way. When Emerge is published next year, I want it to shine, completely indistinguishable from those traditionally published works on display beside it.

I’ve learned a lot in this venture—I certainly know the best ways to NOT write a book. I still have a lot to learn about publishing…but I also have a lot to teach about writing. Look for my upcoming blog series on the most common mistakes new authors make. I made them all myself, but I learned to overcome them and I can teach you how to avoid them as well.

#first blog post #indie author #self publishing #growing audience #editing

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Look for a new cover coming soon!

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"If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it!"

Toni Morrison