• Kate Monahan at Writer’s Digest talks about breaking through the writing wall.
• Editor Alan Rinzler suggests writers keep a voice journal for character development.
• Amy Sterling Casil on why editors use form rejection letters (Hat tip to Charles Tan for the link).
• Author Charles Stross describes the production workflow of authors and publishers as part of his series on Common Misconceptions About Publishing.
• The New York Times breaks down the math of e-book publishing.
• Could you go a week without books? We hope not!

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

“What is your motivation for starting Sterling Editing? You have successful writing and corporate careers … why coach and edit others? I’m genuinely curious — I’m a writer myself and working on creativity coaching certification but wondering about the wisdom of distracting myself from my own creative work by helping others. – Alison, via our FAQ page”

Why do I do this? Because I can. Because it gives me joy.

I’ve been teaching since I was four, when I taught my little sister to tie her shoes (and then to make a bow and arrow–but that’s another story). All through my 20s I was a women’s self-defense teacher. I gave my first talk about story–what it is, how it works–to a class of nine-year-olds the month my first short story hit the shelves. (I still have some of their thank-you letters.) I taught my first writing class three months later at the local women’s center, to eight women: one very young, one white-haired, the rest in their 30s and 40s. Three months after that, I was teaching a weekend course for SF writers. I’ll teach anything to anybody. I can’t help it :)

When I came to Atlanta from the UK (I was 29), I reverted to teaching self-defense for a while. (An all day date-rape class delivered to 70 Girl Scouts and their mothers was particularly memorable.) Then, in 1993, just as my first novel was published, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Teaching self-defense became impossible. Instead, I fell back on giving guest lectures and creative writing workshops (for local arts centers, for local colleges–anyone who asked).

My second novel came out in 1995 and Kelley and I moved to Seattle. About this time, I began to edit the Bending the Landscape series of original anthologies.

It was a revelation. I edited first-time authors, giants in the literary field who were trying their hand at writing speculative fiction, and some stalwarts of the f/sf field who were being brave and stepping outside their comfort zone. I was astounded at how satisfying it was to help a writer lift a sleek 8,000 word story from a 14,000 word swamp. I swelled with pride when I explained why something should be in first person and the writer said “Oh!” and then rewrote her submission piece into the best story of her life.

Teaching, coaching, and editing, then, are part of who I am. The beauty of Sterling Editing is that I don’t have to travel. Writers come to me (by email and phone and occasionally in person): writers who are a joy to work with, whose craft I can improve, whose careers I can nurture. I’m also discovering the pleasure of working with those who don’t consider themselves writers, people who nonetheless have a story–their own, another’s–to tell.

Yes, Sterling Editing work does use time and energy which could be spent on my novels–but it helps my writing in the long run. I learn from teaching. It thrills me to the core of my being. I like to connect with other artists and pass on my skills. I need it.

If you take it up, I wish you great good luck and much joy. Feel free to drop me email or leave a comment. I’m always happy to talk shop.

Read Kelley’s perspective here.

We’ve also written many posts on various aspects of the writing craft. Many offer exercises. Some examples:

Dialogue (I)
Dialogue (II)
Dialogue (III)
Point of view
Narrative grammar
Beginnings

• Salon.com’s Laura Miller with a reader’s advice to writers.
• What a four-year-old knows about writing emotion, from screenwriter John August.
• A book publicist talks about media publicity.
• Got a nonfiction book? Go get yourself a an agent.
• Good overview of the pros and cons of first person and third person from writer Kris Cramer.
• The Guardian asked writers to give ten rules for writing fiction. Like this from Zadie Smtih: All that matters is what you leave on the page. We agree.

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

• The Turkey City Lexicon is a terrific roundup of all the ways there are to write badly. If you’re not a science fiction/fantasy writer, don’t worry: with 60-plus writing traps, bad habits and story-killers on the list, every writer can find at least one thing to wince about…
• At The Elegant Variation, a thoughtful post on the common mistakes of debut novels…
• … while debut author Marie Mutsuki Mockett blogs about her experience of running with the big dogs.
• Here’s an insider’s guide to writing successful romance novels.
• If you missed this fabulous 2006 series from NPR on how writers create their fiction the first time around, get on over there now for brief conversations with writers about their process and how they handle writer’s block. Fascinating and all so different! (Hat tip to Scott Myers at Go Into The Story, one of our favorite resources for screenwriters)
• Alexis Grant has put together a great list of podcasts for writers. Be sure to check the comments for more suggestions.
• The Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition is open. Deadline May 14!

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

Manuscript Assessment
A manuscript assessment isn’t an edit, exactly. It’s a strategic review.  I read your manuscript from a mile-high perspective, looking at your story terrain all laid out as though in a satellite photograph.  From this distance, I can trace the silvery threads of story and offer suggestions about how to tie them together–or tease them apart, or set them in opposition for effect. I discuss ways to sharpen character or vary pacing. I show you how to move an event here and delay a realization there in order to firm up your narrative arc. I give you a clear-eyed, objective analysis of where the novel is or isn’t working and strategic suggestions for tightening up the saggy bits.

I don’t edit your text directly. I write an assessment letter addressing key areas that need attention, using specific examples from your text. In certain circumstances, I’ll offer a page-by-page, reader’s eye view of the reading experience, a moment-by-moment discussion of how one reader felt at every stage and, most importantly, why. (I really enjoy doing this, but it’s not appropriate for every manuscript.)

If you’re an emerging writer with a draft you threw down in a white-hot word passion, but which now you think looks like irredeemable chaos, manuscript assessment might be just the thing.  It’s a cost-effective way to get strategies to approach your revision. These are not distant, not theoretical; they are immediate, practical, and tailored to your skill, your style, and your story.  I read your draft and say, Hey, you’re wrong: this isn’t chaotic. See this thread here? And that one there? They’re connected. And, look, here’s how you can tweak your metaphor system to match your character’s dark night of the soul, here on p.185. Wow, look, there’s a novel in here! (I love doing this.)

Manuscript assessment is also very useful for an experienced novelist who has written something quite unexpected, or who finds that the story keeps trying to take a head-scratching direction. I give you a professional pair of eyes at a level that doesn’t interfere with your text or intrude on your writing style. Ha, this isn’t a philosophical thriller! Look at your protagonist and the issues he’s wrestling with. This is a YA gothic! Throw this out, this and this, connect these dots and tweak the setting. (I love doing this too.)

Developmental Edit
A developmental edit is the right step when you have revised, reworked, and taken your manuscript as far as you can by yourself. It’s a full-bore comprehensive edit, so detailed it often doubles as a learning tool. You’ll find a lot in a developmental edit to help you strengthen your current writing skills as well as strengthen the novel itself.  A developmental edit is also very useful for more experienced writers who have stretch goals for a particular project (changing genres, moving upmarket, finding a new agent, etc.).

We both enjoy getting right down into the details of a text, but Kelley is particularly good at it. Her edits address structure, pacing, plot, character development, thematic development, dialogue, narrative grammar, description, prose style and general prose habits (good and bad). She line edits and heavily comments the text to illustrate points, show alternatives, and weed out prose problems.  She also notes the strong moments so that you have anchor points to build upon.

Developmental edits are the ones we discuss most over lunchtime cups of tea, passing pages back and forth and figuring out the best way to help each writer (and you’re all so different!) make your manuscript the best it can be–based on the story you want to tell and your own style.

If you’re considering a developmental edit, do ask for a free sample edit first. Developmental edits go deep, and that can sometimes be a shock for emerging writers who haven’t experiences this kind of deep editorial feedback. Also, we want you to feel confident that our style and approach is a fit for you. A sample edit will give you good idea of what to expect.

Line edit
A line edit takes a professional-level manuscript to the finish line. It’s the polish you should put on the manuscript before sending it to agents or editors.  It’s also a service we provide to publishers for books under contract.

We streamline your prose and grammar. We focus on paragraph and sentence structure, word choice, dialogue, and consistency of tone. The line edit also include basic copyediting, attention to grammar, punctuation, formatting and consistency in names, dates and plot elements.

Book doctor
This is a specialized service.  We offer it to publishers for acquired manuscripts that need fast editing work, and occasionally to experts in other fields who are using a book to build their public brand or launch a multimedia platform. Book doctoring is a loaded term for some people, but at the professional level it’s no different from the A-list script doctors in Hollywood who zero in on problems, fix them in ways that don’t damage the integrity of the story–and do it fast.

Once or twice we have had inquiries from beginners who want to launch professional writing careers by having us “book doctor” their work, by which they mean rewrite it for them. No.  We don’t do this. We work at this level only with publishers, or with specific professional experts for whom a book is part of a larger project rather than an end in itself.

————
Kelley and I love to help bring a piece of fiction or creative non-fiction to its peak. (We edit business and technical writing, too–but I’ll save that discussion for another post.) But every single writer and every single manuscript is different. So if you still have questions, we’re happy to answer them, here in the comments or by email. Ask away!

From Follow the Reader, three excellent interviews with experts in marketing books on strategies, trends, and what authors can and should do to market and publicize themselves. There’s a lot of terrific insight and advice here, and it’s never too early (or too late!) to start thinking about these issues:
• Author Jeff VanderMeer talks from the writer’s perspective about sustaining creativity, and the benefits and traps of social media marketing.
• Book advertising experts from Verso Digital have advice for publishers and authors on getting exposure for books (check out Verso’s recent survey of book-buying behavior to learn more about who’s buying books and how to reach them)
• And a look at what one publishing house is doing to help support books and their writers.

Writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch with insight on role models for writers. This is just one of her great Freelancer’s Survival Guide posts.

YA is hot right now! Details and tips from agents at The Book Deal.

Here are two thoughtful, frank essays about the struggle and stubbornness and hope of being a writer (Hat tip to Gwenda for these links):
• Children’s/YA author Kathi Appelt
• Memoirist Dani Shapiro

And have some fun with this! (Thank you, Karina)

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

The big news this week is the Amazon/Macmillan face-off that is, as of this writing, still in progress. In short: because Amazon and Macmillan failed to agree on the pricing of ebooks, Amazon pulled the “buy direct” links of every print and ebook Macmillan book in their inventory. Two days later, Amazon announced it would capitulate to Macmillan’s pricing wishes — except that most of the “buy direct” links have still not been restored.
 
Every aspiring writer needs to be current on this issue: writers are being hurt, and the outcome of this wrestling match — whatever it is — will affect everything from your book contract to your marketing and royalties.

• If you are unfamiliar with the situation, here’s the background.
• If you’re not sure how this hurts writers, John Scalzi explains here, and then reflects further on the ongoing drama here.
• And Mike Shatzkin examines the business implications.

Start with these posts, and follow links from there for a variety of viewpoints and a lot of great information on the potential consequences to publishers and writers.

And meanwhile...

• Publishers are also struggling to respond to the financial consequences of book piracy. Read the confessions of a book pirate for a window into how and why people steal books.
• What do writers struggle with when we’re not worrying about the money? Overwriting….
• … and all those small but important final-check details (thanks to Marty for the link).
• Then it’s time to pitch your book. Get face time with agents, acquiring editors and lots of great writers via this generous scholarship offer to the Backspace Writers Conference.
• When you get the word that your book will be published, celebrate! And then start thinking about publicity. Make sure to read the comments conversations for great information and tips.

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

If you are a writer who has not yet had your first professional working conversation with an agent, editor, director, producer, lead actor, creative consultant, studio head or the executive producer’s boyfriend’s sister who has this really great idea…

(Hat tip to Colleen Lindsay for the link!)

If you have a link of interest to writers that you’d like to see in a roundup, please email us or leave a comment.

Have a great weekend. Write something wonderful!