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Vanity: Do I Really Need an Editor?
self | today | Grannyx4

Posted on 09/08/2005 7:08:26 PM PDT by Vor Lady

This is for any of you Freepers who have published books. I am done with the first 400 of hopefully 500+ pages of a novel. I'm wondering if I really do need an editor to get the thing published. I talked to a local person who advertises as an editor and she quoted me a rate of $3.00-$5.00 PER PAGE! Is that normal? Reasonable? All I think I need is someone to tell me if it is in the right format to submit to a publisher; does that really cost $1200-2000? I have had several friends read it over for errors and I have spell checker; grammar checker and my self reading it over for errors. What do you think? I would appreciate ANY help! Thanks in advance, Grannyx4


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: editors; novel
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Help!
1 posted on 09/08/2005 7:08:27 PM PDT by Vor Lady
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To: Grannyx4
What about an e-book in Adobe Acrobat (just a thought).
2 posted on 09/08/2005 7:10:26 PM PDT by jdm
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To: Grannyx4

A good editor can really enhance the quality of the work.


3 posted on 09/08/2005 7:11:19 PM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Grannyx4

You need an agent. If the agent can sell your book to a publisher, the publisher will assign it an editor. Others may differ but I don't see a reason for an editor before then.


4 posted on 09/08/2005 7:11:56 PM PDT by JLS
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To: Grannyx4

I have no knowledge of such things, but I'll bump the thread for you. $5 a page certainly sounds very high.


5 posted on 09/08/2005 7:11:56 PM PDT by Sloth (Archaeologists test for intelligent design all the time.)
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To: jdm

I am not sure what an e-book is? Is that where I post it on the web?


6 posted on 09/08/2005 7:12:02 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Sloth

Many thanks for the bump!


7 posted on 09/08/2005 7:12:40 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Grannyx4
I self published my:

Dragon's Fury Series

... and I did it using LightningSource.com.

Good friends here on FR helped edit it...but a number of errors still crept through. NIce thing about self publishing is that you can update it at your will and leisure.

That company gets you onto Amazon, Barnes & NNObles, and several others. They take PDF format.

8 posted on 09/08/2005 7:13:05 PM PDT by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: Grannyx4

How about you give her three chapters to work on?


9 posted on 09/08/2005 7:13:05 PM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Grannyx4
What subject?

Fiction or fantasy - if it is either, you'll want to secure a known editor who has edited previously published novels for the industry. They'll usually list which books - if the book is published by a company you want to print your book, they're the ones to hire.

Odds are that you'll never get a publishing company to look at your manuscript. Cover letters to get them to look at a synopsis, and then if you win the publishing lottery, they'll ask for a manuscript and then, if you're really lucky, they'll read it.

Nonfiction is a much different matter. There it matters who has read your manuscript. History topic? Make sure you get someone noted in the field to review it. Science? Backup in a peer review journal.
10 posted on 09/08/2005 7:13:45 PM PDT by kingu (Draft Fmr Senator Fred Thompson for '08.)
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To: JLS

Have you published before? Does the agent care if it is in the 'right' format? I have the dummies book on publishing but I haven't tried all the tactics. IE, getting a well-known to endorse it, etc.


11 posted on 09/08/2005 7:14:21 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Grannyx4

I heard somewhere that you also need to come up with your own cover art, helps sell your book to the publisher.


12 posted on 09/08/2005 7:15:32 PM PDT by aft_lizard (This space waiting for a post election epiphany it now is: Question Everything)
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To: Grannyx4
If you're looking for critique, look around for a writing workshop, either real-world or online. You can get a lot of feedback and provide it to others, as well.

If you're just looking for info on how to format your work for submission, you can look around online for various publisher's submission guidelines, or go to the library and check out books like the Writer's Market current edition. This will help, as well.

13 posted on 09/08/2005 7:16:06 PM PDT by atomicpossum (Replies should be as pedantic as possible. I love that so much.)
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To: kingu

I'm not sure how to classify it. It is sort of a combination biography, autobiography, thriller type, but the protagonist is a woman so I could exploit that if I could bring myself to pandering to Oprah. Except for the true parts it's all fiction!


14 posted on 09/08/2005 7:17:05 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Grannyx4

Yes, you do need an editor. It does not matter how many times you read and re-read your own work, you will be blind to your own mistakes and inconsistencies. Friends and relatives may not be objective enough and spellcheckers at times cannot recognize errors such as using a word that is correct in itself in the wrong context.
Shop around for the best rate, usually given by word.
I am a copyeditor, so I know what I am talking about.
Good luck!


15 posted on 09/08/2005 7:17:39 PM PDT by republican4ever (The destiny of Israel marks the destiny of the rest of the world... whether you like it or not!)
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To: Jeff Head

Thanks so much for this info!! I will definitely read it!


16 posted on 09/08/2005 7:17:55 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Grannyx4
It is a very hard and long road to find an appropriate agent and then have that agent get a publishing contract.

I decided to take the bull by the horns and do it myself.

Had a lot of help from friends...and I would recommend having several friends proof it...and then when you are sure you have it perfect...do it again with some different friends. I had several sets of eyes looking at it independently and some errors still crept in which my customers pointed out and then I fixed as I went along.

Put out Five individual volumes that way...each one well over 400 pages. And then did a large hardback edition which contained them all.

Best of luck. It's certainly not easy...but it is a lot of fun.

17 posted on 09/08/2005 7:18:09 PM PDT by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: aft_lizard

Well that will be a challenge! I'm craft and art impaired!


18 posted on 09/08/2005 7:18:40 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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To: Grannyx4

Yes, it's very difficult to self-edit. You should get an agent, and your agent will shop your book around to an editor, who will help you make the book better and publish it for their banner.


19 posted on 09/08/2005 7:19:01 PM PDT by HitmanLV
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To: atomicpossum

Where on-line? I've checked here and the colleges in town offer them, but the caveat is that you have to be a student; unless there are others I haven't found yet....


20 posted on 09/08/2005 7:21:45 PM PDT by Vor Lady (I'm too young to feel this d*&m old.)
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