{"id":3293,"date":"2016-10-22T00:18:20","date_gmt":"2016-10-22T00:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookcoverexpress.com\/?p=3293"},"modified":"2020-04-22T15:17:20","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T15:17:20","slug":"editors-not-evil-might-think-honest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookcoverexpress.com\/2016\/10\/22\/editors-not-evil-might-think-honest\/","title":{"rendered":"Editors Are Not As Evil As You Might Think. Honest!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Even industry icons such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe had an editor: His name was Maxwell Perkins. He\u2019s credited with being a significant influence in the success of <\/span>The Great Gatsby.<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n
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\u201cThou shalt commit adultery.” That \u201ccommandment\u201d was printed in a Bible in 1631. The publishers, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, were heavily fined and lost their printing license as a result. Still referred to as the Wicked Bible, the few copies that are still in existence are highly sought collector\u2019s items.<\/p>\n

In modern times we have only to look at the $2 million loss Rogers Communications Ltd. suffered due to a misplaced comma to appreciate an editor\u2019s job. According to a Toronto Globe and Mail article, Rogers understood that it had a five-year agreement, renewable for successive five-year terms, to run cable lines across poles in the Maritimes. The agreement began in 2002. In 2005, Aliant Inc., that company that administers the poles (owned primarily by Fredericton-based utility NB Power), informed Rogers that the contract was being cancelled and the rates would be increasing to triple the current fee.<\/p>\n

Rogers argued that this breached the agreement. In response, Aliant cited the English version of the contract, which said the agreement \u201cshall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five-year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice.\u201d Aliant won.<\/p>\n

Lack of editing is often cited as one the main reasons many publications will not review self-published books. On the Direct Contact PR<\/a> site, Paul J. Krupin has collected a list of quotes from reviewers, who were asked if they review self-published books. While most weren\u2019t completely against the idea, several did mention the editing issue.<\/p>\n

Colleen Truelsen, former Editor of Valley Community Newspapers, Inc., in Sacramento says, self-published books are fine, \u201c\u2026but too many of them needed a good editor to catch grammar and misspellings. A book with even a few glaring inappropriate words makes me hesitate to tell our readers about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editing is also one of the reasons author Amanda Hocking accepted a traditional contract with St. Martin\u2019s Press after becoming a millionaire self-publishing her own series of books.<\/p>\n

In a March, 2011 blog post,<\/a> she says, \u201cHere are the two considerations I made in my decision (to accept a contract with St. Martin\u2019s): what\u2019s best for my career, and what\u2019s best for my readers. (Notice I didn\u2019t say what was best for my wallet).\u201d She then lists the number two reason as \u201creaders\u2019 complaints about the editing of my books.\u201d Hocking goes on to explain she did hire editors, but in spite of their improving the books and working hard, she was obviously choosing the wrong editors, because readers still complained about errors.<\/p>\n

Surfing around the various writers\u2019 and self-publishing forums on Linkedin.com, it appears many authors believe they can edit their own work, or that editors will try to change the integrity of their messages or the tone of their stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing could be further from the truth,\u201d says Dick Margulis<\/a> freelance editor and book designer. \u201cA professional editor strives to preserve the author\u2019s voice and to work with the author as a colleague, not to dictate fusty old grammatical rules that do nothing except get the author\u2019s shorts in a bunch. But every writer needs another set of eyes on the text. It\u2019s devilishly difficult to edit your own work and not miss things. I think the reason so many authors have bad experiences with editors is that the editors they think they can afford are not pros. Here\u2019s a hint: a moonlighting or retired high school English teacher is usually not the best choice. Neither is your best friend\u2019s father\u2019s secretary, even if she\u2019s an awfully good proofreader. Editing is a whole nuther ballgame from proofreading.\u201d<\/p>\n

And keep in mind that even industry icons such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe had an editor: His name was Maxwell Perkins. He\u2019s credited with being a significant influence in the success of The Great Gatsby.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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