Countdown: 6: Assigned an Editor

(Do you see that 6?? That means, if we stay on track, we're about 6 months away from book release!)

It didn't take long after signing my contract before I was assigned my first editor. I believe in most publishing companies you have several editors, and WiDo is no exception. I was nervous, wondering who my editor would be, what he/she would be like. Would we get along? Would he/she have the same vision for my book that I did? Would he/she respect me as an author?

Shortly thereafter, I got an email from Allie Maldonado. It said,

I have been assigned as editor for your work. I am excited about your wonderful ms., and together we will make it absolutely as good as it can be.

You can email me any time with questions and comments, and I'll be fairly prompt in reply.

Please don't be dismayed by excessive notations on your ms, or by how long this can take. It's no reflection on your ability as a writer, it's simply the process of revision that can be quite tedious and lengthy. WiDo has high standards for what it publishes, and does not put anything out until it is completely and thoroughly edited.

I look forward to working with you!

Can you feel the tone of that email? Very upbeat. Even flattering--my 'wonderful' ms. Instantly I was relieved. Allie put me at ease, she treated me with respect, and she quickly showed me what a knowledgeable, competent editor she was!

Right away, she started throwing suggestions at me. Make the setting clear, introduce fewer characters at once, cut back on the dialogue and increase the action. But she also made it very clear that these were SUGGESTIONS. I distinctly remember one time when I wobbled on a change she wanted, and Allie and I talked about it until I felt comfortable with what she was asking. She always treated me with respect.

In short, my editor was a joy to work with! And I am so pleased with the way the book has turned out since I submitted it! Editors are great for their impartiality and stern eyes!

What has your experience been working with an editor?

Notes from my Editor

Just an update! My editor really liked draft #2, with the detective updates. So we moved onto draft #3. She really liked that one too! So now another editor is going to look at it. This editor wants a hard copy. I bought ink and paper and printed out the entire MS so I can mail it off.

Allie (my editor) said not to expect a reply for about a month. In the meantime, I'm to get to work on my sequel!

Okay. The hardest part for me is writing a rough draft. If I can just get that down, I can embellish it, rewrite it, cut it, perfect it in revisions. But the rough draft is hard. So I'm going to set some goals. Let's say, 1,000 words a day. That's about two pages a day. That means it should take me roughly three months to write this draft. Minus Sundays. Yikes.

I'm not stopping. The first draft may be choppy and awful. I've just got to set my mind to this. I'll post my word count at the bottom of every blog.

Sequel word count: 2,716
tomorrow's goal: 3,716

The Cost of Compromise

I recently had the experience of my editor advising me to cut some of my favorite scenes. A flurry of emotions followed her advice. These scenes, to me, represented the real heart of my novel. All the rest of it was fluff so I could get this story told.

And somehow, I had failed to make it come across as essential, or even important.

Failure, short and simple.

I felt completely lost. If I cut these scenes, then I no longer knew why I'd written this book. What exactly was I agreeing to? Sure, the book might be good, but would it be mine?

I felt like I'd sold my soul.

Luckily, I have a fantastic editor. I am so glad for that. I told her what I thought, and she and I--compromised. We came to an agreement. And I'm very satisfied with it, because it leaves much of the heart to be told in a later story. Which will lend more life to my sequel.

All you authors out there who read my blog--because I know there's a lot of you--have you faced similar situations? How did you deal? What was the end result? I'm so curious.

Oh, and a head's up--on August 18 I'll be interviewing Karen Jones Gowen, author of Uncut Diamonds, here on my blog. Many of you probably aren't familiar with this new author. The interview will give you a chance to meet her. And don't forget about the Christmas contest going on. Read all the entries and vote on the best one here (can't vote till August 16). I do have an entry.

First Response

I got my first chapters back from my editor. Wow! She's not afraid to say it how it is. Not only that, she feels quite comfortable giving me advice. Obviously. She commented on the same things many of my readers had. But my attempts to fix the problems in the first two chatpers had fallen short!

Well, Allie was quick to tell me how I could redeem myself. What a project! I can hardly wait for the boys to go to sleep so I can get started. I'll tell ya, I keep forgetting we've already signed a contract. Reading over her comments, my heart froze within me, my blood ran cold, and I thought, "Oh no! They're never going to request a full!" And then, "Oh yeah. They've already read the whole thing and agreed to publish it!"

It definitely cushions the blow.

I had one of those nights last night when I couldn't sleep. How perfectly frustrating. I stayed up late revising a friend's story, and then went to bed because I couldn't keep my eyes opened anymore. And then couldn't sleep. I kept thinking, I should just get out of bed and work on my book. But I was too tired to think about my book. So I just wasted my time tossing and turning.

My little ones are waking up. I'll get some work done during their naptime--provided I'm not napping too!

Assigned an Editor

Yesterday I was assigned my very own editor. Her name is Allie, and I feel like I already know her, thanks to the communications we've had since my submission. Other than William, who first requested my manuscript, Allie is the one who has emailed with me.

Now that I have my editor, the fun really begins! Here are snippets from Allie's email, which is respectful, courteous, and encouraging. I can hardly wait!

I have been assigned as editor for your work, "Walk Beside Me." I am excited about your wonderful ms., and together we will make it absolutely as good as it can be.

I like to do everything electronically, so I'll need the ms. emailed to me in Word. I'll make notations, email it back with suggestions for rewrites/revisions, and you will do your part and we'll go back and forth like this until it's done. You can email me any time with questions and comments, and I'll be fairly prompt in reply.

Please don't be dismayed by excessive notations on your ms, or by how long this can take. It's no reflection on your ability as a writer, it's simply the process of revision that can be quite tedious and lengthy. WiDo has high standards for what it publishes, and does not put anything out until it is completely and thoroughly edited.

I've already emailed my manuscript to her. Next she will begin marking it up and I will begin improving it. Yes! It's going to be awesome! After that we will begin discussing where we can add in our detectives and what not to change the demographic.

Rip it up, Allie! This book has to be stellar! This is where I get to watch someone take my diamond in the rough and make it shine.