Can a Freelance Edit Give Writers an Advantage?

Hiring a freelance editor may not be a viable option for every writer or even a necessary one (especially for beginners, as I mentioned in the last post).

However, with the ever-increasing competition in today's writing industry, we're often looking for anything that can help give us an advantage in our quest for publication.

I used a freelance editor for two completed manuscripts. Did it help me get an agent or book deal? Maybe, maybe not. I really have no way of knowing whether I could have succeeded without. It's possible.

Regardless of whether the professional edit helped me get an agent or not, it DID help me become a better writer and gave me the objective feedback I needed. In other words, getting a professional edit is never a guarantee that our writing will automatically be ready for publication. But it can help take our writing to the next level.

Paul Greci's comment on the last post summarized my thoughts exactly, the idea that a writer might want to consider an editor "especially if you have already taken classes, been in critique groups, exchanged manuscripts w/other writers, written several books and are in search of representation but not finding it. Or, maybe you've found it, but your book hasn't sold and you're stuck."

How do we find a qualified editor?

Like anything else in the writing industry, we have to take the time to do our research. My agent has a list of professional freelance editors which is a great place to start. (Click here for the list.) Read editor blogs, ask for client recommendations, check with other writers in your genre.

If you want the name of the person I used, send me an email. But. . . what was a good fit for me, might not be for you. So I still think everyone needs to do their own initial research. You may even want to check the comments on the last post. There were many who had very positive freelance editing experiences.

What exactly does an editor do?

As most of you know, there are different levels of edits. Here are the most common:

• substantive: big picture of the story, plot, characterization, etc.
• line-editing: scene/paragraph structure, language usage, dialogue, etc.
• copy-editing: grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization

I like how Meredith Efken of Fiction Fix-it Shop breaks down each of the various kinds of edits. For more specific details on each type and which one might be appropriate for you, click here. (As a side note, she wasn't my editor but she is one on Rachelle's list.)

An editor will not rewrite problem areas for us. They will point out weaknesses, perhaps offer suggestions for change, but then let us do all the hard work to improve. The more work a manuscript needs, the higher the cost (which is why I caution beginners).

My editor did a line-edit and used the Microsoft Word revision balloons to make notes in the margin. Here are some of her exact notes at various points in my manuscript, The Preacher's Bride:

• "Help me experience this more."
• "Feels a little clunky--like you're trying to jam too much information into a short space."
• "Infuse a bit more emotion or show this more."
• "This is very passive. This could be written less convoluted."
• "Too abrupt. You need to wrap up the conversation more fully."
• "This is too long. I ran out of breath reading it in my head."
• "Info. dump. Can you weave this in? You could even make it more effective by making it dialog."
• "Telling. Don't use the word 'feeling' unless she's touching something and even then try to be more descriptive."
• "This transition isn't strong enough. It doesn't build the intensity. We should be worried that it might not work. This is letting us off too easily."

What about the working relationship?

My editor did an initial critique of the first 5,000 words of my manuscript. This gave me a very good feel for how she worked and whether I wanted to pursue her services further.

I personally like a straight-forward edit. I'd rather have a blunt "This absolutely doesn't work here" versus "sweetie, um, maybe you need to think about switching this." As you can see from the comments my editor made, she gave me raw, objective, concise feedback. She didn't worry about hurting my feelings and that's why I liked working with her so much.

Of course we all want an editor who can point out our strengths as well as our weaknesses (and mine did compliment me at times). But we're paying an editor to tell us what's wrong and not to hold our hand and pat us on the back. It IS painful at times. But then any growth usually is.

The point is that we should always be looking for ways to grow in our writing skills--whether that means hiring a freelance editor or pursuing other avenues.

Are you making a conscious effort to grow? If so, how? And is it enough? Or are you at a place where you need to consider a new way to stretch yourself?

Is The Cost Of A Freelance Editor Worth It?

Why bother paying someone to edit our work when we there are plenty of ways to get a critique for free? And how much better is the feedback of a freelance editor anyway? Is it really worth the cost?

As with all my posts, I can only answer these questions out of my own personal experience. I don't have the final word and am most certainly not an expert. So while I may share my experiences and thoughts, ultimately you'll have to investigate what's right for YOU.

When I finally got to the point in my writing career where I realized I needed feedback (as we talked about in the last post), I had two primary choices: find a critique group or hire a freelance editor.

Naturally, I decided to try the crit. group first. After a short stunt, I backed out of my group and began to mull over the idea of hiring an editor. I'd heard other authors talk about the benefits, and I'd started reading several blogs of editors and authors who offered freelance services.

I hesitated to plunge forward for many reasons:

• What about the cost? I wasn't published, not even agented. How could I justify spending a TON of money on something that had absolutely no guarantee of payback?

• How would I know who to pick? With all of the writers hanging out a sign and claiming to be editors, how would I find someone qualified and experienced?

• What exactly would an editor do? And would the help really be good enough to justify the cost?

• What about the working relationship? What if I didn't agree with the changes? What if our personalities didn't mesh? What if I didn't like the editor's style of editing?

Fortunately, I stumbled upon a contest critique special. And since I was gearing up to enter a contest, I decided to send in my first chapter for a critique. I figured it would help me polish up my contest entry and give me a flavor for how editing worked as well as this editor's style.

It turned out to be an excellent experience. Later I went on to have the same editor critique two full manuscripts. And what did I learn? What were the answers to all my questions? Today I'd like to tackle the money question since that's the biggest concern for most of us. (I'll get to the other questions in the next post.)

So, what about the cost of hiring a freelance editor? Is it really worth it?

First let me ask this, are you willing to pay to go to a writer's conference? Do you see conferences as worth the money? I'd venture to say most of us have paid or would pay to go to a writing conference. They're often very expensive (national ones can range around $500 just for the conference fee excluding transportation and hotel).

We don't view them as a waste of money because we realize they help us grow in so many ways. Going to a conference doesn't guarantee publication nor do we expect to recap the money.

And the same is true of paying an editor. It's absolutely no guarantee that our work will ever reach publication level. We may never get a payback for the money we spend on it.

But it is an investment in our writing career. It's one of the best ways to help us grow in our writing skill. It also gives us the ultimate critical and objective feedback we need. An editor tells us like it is, minces no words, and doesn't tip-toe around trying not to hurt our feelings unlike well-meaning critique partners.

An editor can scrutinize our work much more thoroughly than a critique partner. When we're reciprocating critiques for other writers, let's admit, we just don't have the time to give it our fullest effort. We barely have time to squeak in our writing let alone read and edit for others, and the same is true for the partners reading our manuscripts. Perhaps their feedback is helpful, but does it probe deep enough to move our writing to the next level?

But when we're paying an editor, it's their job. They take hours and hours to study and mark up our manuscript.

If I had to choose between attending a conference or paying an editor, I'd hands down pay the editor. Conferences are great for networking with agents and editors and are worthwhile at some point, but why not wait until our books are ready before starting the conference circuit? I'd save the money and instead put it toward an editor.

I personally don't believe a conference or editor are necessary too early in a writing career. The best thing for beginners is to write several books and learn the craft by reading great writing books. Hiring an editor before we reach a certain level of skill could only make the experience frustrating and too expensive.

Obviously, not everyone can or should hire a freelance editor. But I think all too often writers tend to toss aside the option without giving it more serious consideration.

What's your opinion? Has the money factor stopped you from hiring a freelance editor? Are you willing to invest in other writing-related expenses--like conferences? So why not an editor? Just curious!

Why Every Writer NEEDS Feedback

Writers cannot objectively judge their own work. Let me be so bold as to say that I think it's next to impossible.

Sure, we can pick up an old manuscript, after weeks or months, and look at it with fresh eyes. We re-read it with the knowledge we've gained in the interim and usually our mistakes glare at us.

But. . . even then, we can't see the entire book as critically and impartially as it needs.

In some ways, we can compare our writing to a theater production. The book is the stage, and the story with its unfolding drama is the production. As writers, we act out the parts of ALL our characters and the more we know each character, the better we can play their parts.

But, because we're on stage and so intimately involved with the inner workings of this production, we can't possibly see the big picture. Only someone who's sitting in the auditorium watching it all come together from the first act to curtain fall can truly view it as it's meant to be seen.

Who's in your audience? Hopefully some day our readers will pack our auditorium. But wouldn't we all like to have a few good critiques before opening night?

Who are we calling on to give us those critiques? Who do we want to invite into the front row to watch and give us the feedback we need? A proud and adoring mother? A second cousin who wants to take up writing some day? A fellow actor who has their own show down the street? Or a stage director who knows the ins and outs of production?

Most likely we'd find something of value in the feedback from anyone watching our show. But who will give us the most helpful insights on how to make the production the best it can be? In other words, whose critique would we trust the most?

This week I'd like to discuss how to get the feedback we need for our books. Specifically I want to talk about the pros and cons of using freelance editors. I liken them to the stage director or theater instructor, the experts with the experience and trained eyes.

However, for today I want to end by saying this: Every writer has to get to the point where we realize we can't go forward alone. Well, I guess we could. . . but then we're taking a huge risk. What if our show is a flop and we don't find out until too late? What if the crowd is bored and leaves during the half-way point? Or worse, what if they boo and hiss at us.

Personally, I'd rather have someone tell me my production stinks long before opening night. I'd like the opportunity to smooth it out and get my characters on cue. I want the chance to cut and add scenes that make the audience laugh and cry in all the right spots. And I want to craft an ending that moves the crowd to their feet with cries for an encore.

I'm convinced we cannot reach that level of skill without feedback, particularly qualified and objective feedback.

What's your opinion? Do you think every writer NEEDS feedback? Was there ever a time when you didn't think you needed it? Why?

Does Blogging Really Help Sell Books?

Let's be honest. Most of us are blogging to develop an online presence so that eventually we'll have a wider audience for our books (also called platform building).

Of course that's not the only reason we're blogging, maybe not even a big one, but it is A reason for many writers serious about publication.

But. . . will blogging and developing a web presence really help sell more books?

Lately I've struggled with this question. If it doesn't significantly help in the long run, then perhaps we can take the pressure off ourselves and cut back on blogging. On the other hand, if an ever-growing web presence will truly benefit us, then it makes sense to continue to put some effort into blogging well.

Before I tackle the big issue of the day, I want to pose another similar question. Can blogging help us get an agent? My answer: I don't think it's likely, but it has happened.

I doubt there are too many agents who have time to surf around cyberspace reading author blogs and hunting down potential clients. But. . . if an agent does happen to stumble across our corner of cyberspace, then having a successful blog or a uniquely visible web presence could make them take notice of us.

Of course, an agent won't make a decision of representation based on a blog or web presence. It always comes back to the book. Without a well-written, saleable book nothing else really matters.

So, back to the original question: Will blogging really help us sell more books someday? If we're putting forth time and effort into networking, will it significantly help us as opposed to another author who doesn't have an online presence?

I recently posed that very question to my agent. Her answer was very enlightening. Here's a summary of a few things she encouraged me to do:

1. Focus on your writing:

Even though I'm agented and contracted to write three books, my primary focus STILL needs to be my writing. Writing and learning the craft should always come first and foremost at any stage of a writing career. (For my list of the writing stages and corresponding priorities, click here.)

Ultimately a good story sells a book. If people read it and like it, then they tell others. We've all heard that word of mouth is one of the biggest factors in selling books. So if we want people to recommend our books to others, then we have to give them something they can get excited about.

2. But. . . do what you can to develop an online presence:

In this cyber age, if we writers want to stay relevant and connect, we have to go where people are congregating. And that happens to be cyberspace. The vast majority of the population is hanging out on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and the internet in general.

It's certainly not going to hurt me to be savvy with the internet, to learn how to use social networking effectively, and to start doing all of this before my book releases. Even if these connections don't particularly boost my sales initially, at least I've got a jump start on how it all works, because at some point, ideally, I'd like to connect with my readers via these mediums.

And that brings me to the last piece of advice Rachelle gave me. . .

3. Make a paradigm shift and look at blogging as a way to establish relationships with readers.

Maybe blogging isn't so much about selling books as it is establishing relationships with people. Of course we all want our books to sell well and get positive reviews. But perhaps blogging won't be the vehicle through which we promote our books but will instead be the place we can connect further with our readers.

I long to be the kind of author who is able to have genuine, open communication with my readers. I want to get to know them personally and develop real connections as much as I'm able.

So to sum it up, I've come to realize that blogging shouldn't be so much about ME as it should be about others. What can I do to encourage writers? How can I connect more genuinely with readers? Can I use my gifts and abilities to make a difference in lives, not just through my books but also in my blogging?

What's your opinion? Have you ever wondered if blogging will help you sell more books someday? Do you think it will? Why or why not?

How Important Are Blog Followers?

So, what's the big deal about gaining new followers to our blogs?

Some bloggers have celebration posts when they reach a certain milestone of followers--like 100 or 200. Others take the time to recognize new followers in posts. I've even seen blog contests with rewards for the specific purpose of boosting their following.

Obviously, we're paying close attention to those who follow our blogs. But why? And how important are those followers anyway?

Most of us have a "Follower Gadget" on our blogs. This allows people to sign up to get a feed of our posts in their blogger dashboard, google reader, or even on the blog itself. It's an easy way to make our blogs more accessible to readers and show support to one another.

My follower policy has always been fairly straightforward. If someone signs up to follow my blog, I almost always reciprocate. Of course I can't read and comment on the blogs of everyone I follow. I wouldn't have a life if I did. And I'm sure many of my followers don't read my blog every time I post either.

So, why do we pay such close attention to how many people follow us? Can we really use the number of followers as a reliable method for knowing whether our blogs are successful (as we alluded to in the last post)? And what is the definition of "success" anyway?

It's clear from the last post that everyone defines success differently. Here's how I personally define blogging success: I long for my words to make an impact on lives--whether to encourage, instruct, or enlighten. I want readers to connect with what I'm writing, in my blog and books. When my words make a difference, I'm satisfied.

Can the number of our followers help us determine whether our posts are doing what we intend? Here's my opinion: No and Yes. Helpful, aren't I? Let me explain.

No, we can't rely upon the number of followers to define success.

Because I've been blogging for over a year, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon. Many of our followers fall by the wayside. They may read and comment on our posts for a while, then for whatever reason they stop or grow very sporadic.

In other words, some "followers" don't technically stop following our blogs--their pictures and numbers are still in our gadgets. But for whatever reason, they no longer read our posts, if they ever did to begin with. We just can't stay connected with everyone no matter how hard we try.

How many of my 300 followers read my blog regularly or even on a semi-regular basis? I have no way of tracking that. So, what does the number really stand for? If only a quarter of my followers are actually reading my blog, that doesn't give me a very big platform, does it?

And then, what about those who read my blog, but aren't signed up? Some of them might be more faithful than than those in my follower gadget (hi mom!).

If the numbers aren't reliable, then why bother to have a follower gadget at all? Well, because. . .

Yes, the numbers of followers give us an indication we're doing something right.

In some ways, I look at the follower gadget as one way people give me a "thumbs up." When they click to follow they're saying, "Hey, I like something about you, your blog or what you wrote."

It's one small way to know if I'm meeting the needs of readers, that something I'm saying is resonating with others--especially because not everyone who signs up to follow leaves a comment. In fact I have plenty of followers who never leave comments.

I usually get a few new followers per week. I'm always curious which blog topics seem to elicit the most interest. I'm not sure if I have a scientific grasp yet (or if I ever will!) on which topics are hottest. But when I have a slew of new followers on a specific post, I take note of it.

Do agents and editors put stock in blog popularity? Sarah Forgrave asked this great question in the last post. In other words, would the number of followers make a difference in landing an agent or book deal?

I can only answer from my experience, and I would have to give a resounding NO. It made absolutely NO difference in my efforts to acquire an agent and it made even less difference in getting my book deal.

Realize I'm speaking from a fiction writer perspective. This is completely different for non-fiction in which platform is one hundred times more important. For fiction writers, we could have 1000 followers, but if we don't have a well-written, saleable book, the number of followers won't do us a lick of good.

In summary, I would have to say this: Blog followers can be a helpful indicator that we're on track with blogging, but certainly don't tell the whole story.

What's your opinion? How important are blog followers to you? Do you want more followers? Why or why not?

How Can We Tell If Our Blog Is Good?

What's the difference between a "Must-Read" blog and an "Only If I Have Time" blog? In other words, what makes certain blogs stand apart from the rest? And how can we gauge whether our blog is good--meaning attractive and effective?

Yes, I'm talking about blogging again this week. Partly because I've reached my one year anniversary of blogging and am taking stock of what has ended up becoming an integral and enjoyable part of my writing career. But also because I want to understand what truly makes blogging work.

I've pondered three questions recently. And I figured if I was wondering about these few issues, then surely others must be too. Here they are:

1. How can we know whether our blogs are really good or not?
2. How important are blog followers?
3. Will blogging really help me sell more books?

I'm planning to tackle each of these questions this week and wanted to start today's discussion with the first question: How can we tell whether our blog is reaching some level of success?

First, let me start by acknowledging that not everyone blogs for the same reason. In fact, that's one of the best things about blogging--viewing all of the incredibly diverse ways people express themselves. And I'm sure there are some who don't care if others think their blog posts are good or not.

Yet, let's admit it. Most of us want people to regularly read our blogs. It has to do with a previous post Do Blog Comments Really Matter in which I said: The blogging experience is an extension of who we are at our deepest part. We pour our souls into our posts, baring ourselves, sharing about the things closest to us. . .and we don't want to throw our words out to utter nothingness.

All that to say, the majority of us want our blogs to develop into something meaningful. We would like people to read and enjoy our blogs time and time again. We'd much rather have our blog on the "must read" list versus the "I'll get to it only if I have time" list. (Sounds a lot like what we want from our books too, doesn't it?)

What are reliable ways, if any, to judge whether we're growing into a "must read" blog? Here are the typical standards we use:

1. Numbers: We check our stat counters to see how many people are visiting each day. And often we look at how many followers, comments, or tweets we have. If we have a steady increase, surely we're succeeding. Right?

Could the growth have to do with the nature of the ever-widening writing community we're forming? If we visit or follow a hundred blogs, we're likely to get reciprocal followings or visits. So can the numbers tell us more about how active we are in blogging, rather than how effective our posts truly are?

2.Connections: Perhaps we look more at the friendships we've formed through blogging and gauge our success based on the number of genuine relationships we've made. We figure if we have a growing circle of friends, then we must be doing something right.

But if we stopped visiting blogs, how many would continue to take the time read ours? Would our stats fizzle? Or does our blog hold enough weight to draw people because of the quality of our posts?

3. Feedback: Maybe we believe we're successful when we read the glowing comments people leave us, telling us how great we write or how they can't wait until we're published.

The only problem with this standard is that as far as I can tell, everyone usually gives and gets positive feedback. While blog comments are encouraging for all of us, can they measure our blogging success?

When everyone is increasing in numbers, making connections, and getting such glowing feedback, what does the information really tell us? Are these standards reliable enough to show us whether we're on our way to developing a sturdy platform through our blogging or not?

We can all benefit from objective, truthful feedback--maybe from a relative, friend, or agent--someone willing to tell us the truth. Are our blogs worth reading? What can we do to improve? We need objective feedback on our blogs just as we do on our books.

But perhaps subjectivity comes into play too. Not everyone will like every book. And not everyone will like every blog. What's helpful and enjoyable to one blog reader, may not be to another.

And yet, that brings me back to my original question. Should we aim to have our blogs (and books) stand apart from the rest? Obviously certain books rise to the best seller list. And certain blogs will rise to the "must read" list.

There are no set formulas for making books and blogs succeed. Of course there are "rules" and ingredients that that can help us. And it certainly doesn't hurt if you're an agent, editor, or CEO of a publishing house. But for the average blogger, true success is often allusive.

What's your opinion? Do you think the typical ways to measure blogging success are reliable or are you cynical of them? And in your opinion, what makes a "must read" blog?

What Keeps You From Writing?

I always wondered how authors handled writing one novel and at the same time edited another. Well, now I know first-hand just what a feat it is.

If you've read my previous posts this week, then you're up to date with where I'm at in my journey toward publication--on January 1st I started writing my second contracted novel and then on January 5th I received my second rewrite on The Preacher's Bride.

I'm officially juggling writing AND editing.

Like most of you, I don't have large chunks of time I can devote to writing responsibilities. I work full time as a teacher and mother. My days are packed with grading math lessons, giving oral Latin quizzes, overseeing crazy science experiments, and all of the other unending duties that go along with teaching my children and managing a large household.

You may wonder, as I have a hundred times, why not set aside my novel and focus on the rewrites for a couple of weeks? With such little time, how can I possibly do justice to both?

But here's the thing. Even though I have a really good excuse for taking a break from my newest writing project--can't get a much better excuse than having to do a rewrite on another book--I don't want to start the habit of shoving aside my WIP (work-in-progress) for other things.

And here's the main reason why: There will ALWAYS be other things to distract us from writing, often very legitimate, important things. But if we start writing, we need to stay disciplined and keep writing.

I love what James Scott Bell says in his newest book The Art of War for Writers. "A foundation in discipline is always the first step toward victory." (p.18) He recommends setting a daily word count goal.

I suggest a daily word count too. My goal is 800 a day Mon.-Fri. and 1000 on Sat. for a weekly total of 5000. Maybe I'll have to adjust it a bit during these few weeks of working on rewrites, but I want to keep writing every day.

That daily word count sits on my shoulder and pokes me when I start daydreaming. It prods me when I'm tempted to get out of my chair. It whispers in my ear, "Write a little faster. You only have 30 minutes left to make your daily goal." It's a relentless taskmaster, but ever so helpful.

Bells says: "Write a minimum of 350 words a day. A baboon can do 350 words a day. Don't be shown up by a baboon." (p. 199) He also says: "If you're going to be obsessive about anything in the writing business, make it your word quota." (p. 21) He goes a step further and says we should keep a daily record of how much we're writing.

I fully realize NOT everyone agrees with the daily word count philosophy. In fact, I read two great posts recently that gave the opposite perspective.

Carrie at Heim Binas Fiction had a post "Breaking the Rules" and she said: Not everyone can or wants to write every day. Not everyone can write while traveling or home for the holidays, and it doesn't make you less of a writer. Just be sure that you aren't waiting for inspiration to strike before you sit down to work. Be sure that you're trying, more often than not.

K.M. Weiland at Wordplay wrote "Why Word Counts Can Be Destructive" and she said: Word counts were causing me more grief than productivity. . . I prefer to force myself to sit down at the computer for a set amount of time every day (two hours in my case) and let the scenes and characters dictate the word count.

Whether we adhere to a daily word counts or to a specific amount of writing time per day/week, I think we can all agree on the importance of self-discipline.

We'll always have other things clamoring to pull us from our WIP. Maybe next time it won't be rewrites. Maybe it will be the promotion of a newly released book, a book signing, an email newsletter, or a talk at the local writer's club.

You get my point. There will always be very worthwhile things to keep us from writing. (It goes without saying there are time-wasters that keep us from it too.)

But if we set WIP writing goals, and force ourselves to reach those goals in whatever way works for us, we'll eventually finish a book, or two, or three. . .

And we'll continue to take tiny steps forward toward victory.

What pulls you from your writing? And how do you keep yourself writing-- daily word count goals or something else?

Details Of My Second In-House Rewrite

When my editor called last Tuesday, I was sweating. I kept having visions of my first phone call, and all of the many things they'd asked me to change during my first rewrite.

I couldn't keep from worrying about what they didn't like this time. In a previous email, my editor had told me that "overall" they were pleased with the changes I'd made, but I knew that meant there were still things I needed to change.

The question was, just how many things still needed work and exactly what hadn't they liked?

So, when I picked up the phone and said hello, my voice trembled with anxiety. Fortunately, I've talked with my editor enough now, that I could be honest with her. And so, right off the bat I told her I was nervous about our call.

She put me at ease and reassured me that I really had done a good job with my first rewrite. My acquisition editor and line editor had both reread the entire book and were pleased with the outcome.

They each had taken notes, compared them, and now had just a few more suggestions and clarifications.

The first two items she mentioned involved the most rewriting, but she said they were optional. Both suggestions had to do with my hero and strengthening his character. In one scene, they proposed a specific way that I could show my hero with more action. And in the second scene they thought my hero was manipulative and needed to act more honorably.

Now, even though my editor said that I should think about their ideas and that I didn't have to rewrite the scenes, I decided that I needed to follow their suggestions. How can I, a novice, turn down expert advice? Needless to say, I'm in the process of rewriting both scenes.

The rest of the changes, thankfully, are less work. There are a couple of plot details I need to clarify, and I can easily strengthen them with a few well-placed words. I also need to make sure I'm on the look-out for any contemporary words I've accidentally used--words or thoughts people in the 1600's wouldn't have had.

They also wanted me to change what I'd originally titled "Afterward" to "Author's Note." This is the very last section of the book in which I explain what is true about my story and what I've taken liberties with. I need to simplify and rearrange this section.

And finally, there are a couple of places where my characters are a tad bit too loving. In other words, I have to tone down two kissing scenes. My editor shared the things she would eliminate if she edited it for me. I asked her if I could try tweak it first and see if we could find a compromise.

And that's it. I have approximately three weeks to get this second rewrite back to my editor. Once I make these changes, my editor reassured me that my major work on The Preacher's Bride is done.

She will go through the book again and do a line edit. She'll make most of the little changes herself but will email me if she finds anything bigger. She indicated that while she'll do some of the writing if necessary, she wants to make sure to keep my voice strong.

So, what do you think of this second in-house rewrite?

And what's your opinion? Do you think a writer should try to make all or most of the changes an editor suggests and trust their objectivity and expertise? Or do you think an author can go too far and somehow lose their uniqueness in the process of making so many changes?

No One Ever Said The Writing Life Would Be Easy

I just got back a second set of in-house rewrites on The Preacher's Bride. Yes, a SECOND rewrite.

Before I share about my newest rewrite, I thought I'd do a quick recap to bring everyone up to date on my writing journey over the past months.

In August of 2009, I signed a three book deal with Bethany House Publishers. During Sept.-Oct. a team of various in-house editors read through my first contracted book, The Preacher's Bride.

By mid-October, my line editor called to give me the details of ALL the many, many things I would need to change. (My reaction to that phone call is here.)

After taking a few days to process all of the major edits (read the list of changes here), I picked myself off the floor and wiped the tears from my cheeks. Then I proceeded to roll up my sleeves and map out a spreadsheet of all the necessary changes, scene by scene, chapter by chapter.

I gave myself the goal of revising one chapter a day and ultimately finishing before Thanksgiving. And as most of you know, I pushed myself and completed it the weekend before Thanksgiving, just in time for a family getaway at Great Wolf Lodge.

The first week of December, after reading through the manuscript one more time, I crossed my fingers and sent it to my line-editor. She told me she didn't know when she'd have the chance to read it again, so not to worry about it and just enjoy the holidays.

I gathered up my research for my second contracted novel--which I'd completely put on hold during the rewrites, and I immersed myself into biographies and stacks of musty history books. Plot ideas formulated, the story time-line took shape, and my characters started to come to life.

I gave myself another goal. I wanted to be ready to start writing by January 1st. I forced myself to focus amidst all of the cookies calling my name. And finally, the week before Christmas, I knew I was almost ready. I'd gotten into the heads of both my main characters and now I could confidently play their parts in the unfolding drama.

That's when I got another email from my in-house editor. She said, "We’ve read your rewrite and overall are very pleased with it. I’ll get some feedback to you early next year."

Overall? Overall?! What did that mean? And feedback? What kind of feedback? And next year? Sheesh! (For some reason my brain skimmed over the "very pleased" part!)

Those who follow me on twitter got to hear me freak out a little bit about that particular email. After agonizing and laboring day and night for six weeks on the rewrites, I suddenly had nightmare visions of not getting the changes right. What if they didn't like my new ending? What if I didn't change my hero's arc enough? What if I had to do it all over again?

Fortunately the fun activities and family time during the holidays helped me "forget" my self-doubts.

Until Last week. Promptly on Monday, my editor emailed me to schedule a phone meeting. We arranged to talk on Tuesday afternoon.

And so, last Tuesday, she called. And now I have a second set of rewrites. More details in the next post. . .

No one ever said the writing life would be easy. In fact, the more I rub shoulders with other writers, the more I realize just how difficult the writing life really is for all of us.

Here are two parting thoughts, both taken from James Scott Bell's newest book The Art of War For Writers:

1. "The trick is not in becoming a writer, it is in staying a writer. Day after week after month after year. Staying in there for the long haul." p. 12

2. "Every moment spent whining about your writing career is a moment of creative energy lost." p. 27

My resolve is to stay in there for the long haul, even through a second set of rewrites. And I promise I won't whine. I can't afford to lose any creative energy!

What about you? When you first started writing, did you realize how hard the writing life is? Are you resolved to stay in it for the long haul?

The Query Letter & What To Do After Sending It

How critical is the query letter? After we send it out, then what? How long should we wait before following up? How many agents/editors should we query before we stop? What does it really mean if an agent asks for a partial or full?

I'm definitely not the expert on querying. There are plenty of other writers and agents who offer excellent advice on everything from who to query, what to send, and how to write a killer query letter. But for what it's worth, here are my opinions:

How critical is the query letter?

While I believe it's important to craft a professional, appealing query letter, I also think sometimes we put too much faith in our queries.

In fact, yesterday, my agent, Rachelle Gardner, blogged about this very thing. She summarized my thoughts exactly: The query boils down to making a clear and concise presentation of your book. Just tell us enough that we get a feel for it and want to read it. Be polite and professional and try to avoid coming across like a crackpot. It’s worth putting some effort into, but 99.9% of your effort should be in your book.

My query wasn't anything special. Of course I was careful to summarize my plot, similar to a back cover blurb. I looked at my query as a tool to hook an agent into reading my sample chapters. Because, ulitmately the story and writing are critical to garnering the interest of an agent, not the query letter itself.

Once our book is "out there" what should we do next?

We've all heard this piece of advice before, but it bears repeating: Start the next book. The next book serves SO many purposes. It takes our mind off the waiting (at least a little!). It proves we're serious about writing (that we're not a one book wonder). And it helps us improve our skills (if we're intentional about it).

During the months my manuscript sat in Rachelle's slush pile, I worked hard on writing another book. By the time she got to my first book, I had another, even better book, ready to show her.

How long should we wait before following up to the agent/editor who has a query?

Most agents have their own set of guidelines for follow up procedures and we need to be diligent about searching out their specific policies. Let me say this, however, I never followed up with queries that went unanswered. I figured no answer meant "No, I'm not interested."

However, when an agent/editor asks for a partial or full, I do think it's appropriate to follow-up after giving them plenty of time (as in months). Not only does a brief email show we still care, but it puts our name before their eyes again.

How many agents/editors should we query before we stop?

Here's my philosophy, and it might not be the most popular. But, I think we should pick the agents who are best suited to our genre and style and stick to them.

When I queried, I narrowed my list to about a dozen of the best, most professional agents who represent Christian fiction. I decided if one of the top agents didn't want to offer me representation, then my story and writing were still not good enough and I would simply need to write a better book before querying again.

The longer I'm involved in the writing business, the more I realize that if a writer (particularly of fiction) has reached a publishable level of writing skill and has crafted a saleable story, a good agent will notice. . . eventually.

What does it really mean if an agent/editor asks for a partial or a full?

Again, my opinion might not be the most popular, but here it is anyway. When an agent or editor asks for a partial or full, it means they liked our sample writing and/or are intrigued by our story. In other words, they see potential. Yes, this is a good thing. But. . .

Anyone can doctor up the first few chapters of their book. I've seen plenty of writers final in contests with the beginning pages of their book but then weren't able to find representation afterward. I've come to realize most of us can slave away until our opening chapters are stunning, but if we don't write stunning middles and endings, the beginning won't do us any good.

And that brings us back to my previous post . . . we need brutal, honest, insightful feedback on our entire book--before we query.

So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my answers? Please jump in with your thoughts and advice! Or if you have any further questions, ask away!

5 Ways To Increase Querying Success

While there is no magic formula for knowing WHEN to query, there are a few ways writers can increase their chances of having a successful querying process.

First, let me say that the key is getting QUALIFIED and OBJECTIVE feedback on our writing before querying.

Some feedback is neither qualified nor objective, and thus we should never rely upon it as a true gauge of our writing skill. Sources of untrustworthy feedback include:

• Postings on blogs. Most of the comments we receive are positive. Whether we share an excerpt from our books or just write something touching, our readers are always "nice." If you're like me, you'll usually find some way to encourage the blogger, and if you can't find something positive then won't say anything at all. It builds our egos, which is great, but we should never trust blogging feedback as a true measure of our abilities.

• Well-meaning relatives. Our husband may pick up our manuscript and gush over it, claiming he couldn't put it down until the last page. Or perhaps our daughter or mother read it for us, and declare it to be the next best-seller. The fact is, most of the time our relatives aren't qualified, and even if they are, they don't want to hurt our feelings by telling us the truth about our writing.

What, then, are ways we can gain qualified and objective feedback that will increase our chances of having a successful querying experience?

1. Hire a freelance editor. Yes, this is a controversial and expensive option. But I used a freelance editor and it was one of the best investments I ever made.

When you pay a trained, professional editor, you want to get your money's worth. So the more they find to help you improve, the better. They don't care if they hurt your feelings with their brutal honesty. It's what you're paying them to do.

2. Enter contests. Contests are a fairly inexpensive way to get feedback from published authors and editors. Of course, not all judges are qualified. But at least the score sheets give the judges direction, and the unanimity of the entries prevents bias.

When I entered the Genesis contest last year, I was able to compare and contrast the feedback from my three judges. When all of them noticed the same issues, I gave it greater weight in my revisions.

3. Join a skilled critique group. Notice I said "skilled." If we hope to benefit from a group, then the other writers must be at our level or beyond. Otherwise, the group functions as beta readers and not much more. They'll be able to give feedback, but more from a reader perspective than out of knowledge and experience that can help us improve.

While a critique group can work if the other members are qualified, they must also remain objective. As friendships form within groups, the objective quality may start to wan. It's hard to be completely honest when we know the truth will hurt our friends' feelings.

4. Keep learning and put it into practice by writing another book. I'm amazed at how many writers keep spitting out word count and new books, but never make an intentional effort to grow in their writing skill from one book to the next.

I firmly believe with each new book, we should find several areas where we need to improve. And we should actively and consciously look at how we can practice those skills in our first draft. How will we grow if we always put off incorporating a skill until the editing stage?

5. Research and learn industry standards. The internet makes agent and publishing house standards easily accessible for all of us. There are more writing blogs and websites than we could ever read.

We have no excuses for ignorance. We can learn all of the details about everything in the industry: guidelines, page formatting, and hot genres. If we're really desperate, we can even find out what agents are doing via twitter and why they're not reading our manuscripts.

When my manuscript sat in Rachelle's slush pile for eight months before she read it, I worked on doing the above points--I hired an editor, entered a contest, wrote another book, and learned industry standards. I even tried a crit. group for a very short time.

I should have done them before querying. Maybe then I wouldn't have had so many rejections. Perhaps I wouldn't have had to wait in Rachelle's slush pile quite so long. As it turned out, I redeemed myself by working hard during my wait. When Rachelle pulled my manuscript out to read, thankfully it was ready.

Don't make my mistake. Take the time before you query to increase your chances of success.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with anything in my list? What else do you think increases your chances of having a successful querying process?

How To Know When To Query

When should a writer begin querying a book? Surely after completing the writing and editing, the next course of action is sending the book to agents and editors, right?

I won't be the Scrooge of the writing world and say "No, you shouldn't automatically query each book." But I will utter a proclamation of caution, "Don't rush the process."

When I first started my adult writing career fifteen years ago, like most beginners, I was clueless about querying. Fortunately, I was wise enough to realize my first couple of books were "practice" books and definitely not ready to send out.

And also, fortunately for me, my mother was a writer and had shelves of writing craft books. Every time I visited her, I devoured her books and filled note cards with advice on how to become a better writer.

After I finished my third book, I thought for sure I was ready to query. I'd put into practice the skills I was learning, had read widely of the market I was targeting, and was gaining confidence.

But books three and four gave me my first experience with rejection letters. And rightly so. When I read now what I wrote then, I quickly realize I was NOT ready to query. Even though I had improved, I still had a long way to go.

I continued to read craft books and wrote book number five. When I finished, I had the intuitive sense that I'd crafted unique characters, a moving plot, and was finally implementing most of the craft techniques I'd studied. I sent it out with high hopes.

You can imagine my excitement, when after five years, and five books, I finally got a call from an editor. She told me she liked my book and asked me to make some changes. The short version of the story is that after making the rewrites, they didn't accept the book. Not long after the rejection, I gave birth to twins and took a seven year writing hiatus.

When I started writing again a few years ago, I reviewed my writing note cards, read the latest craft books, and this time had a whole new world of internet resources at my beck and call. When I finished writing The Preacher's Bride, I spent several months editing it.

Then I ran onto the querying playing field and joined the free-for-all tackle to grab an agent. I was slammed to the ground by plenty of rejections before one agent (Rachelle) asked to see the full. But even with that one sliver of hope, my manuscript seemed doomed to sit in her slush pile forever.

As most of you know, my Genesis contest final propelled my manuscript of out the slush pile. And after months of waiting, I finally teamed-up with Rachelle Gardner and the rest is history--she sold my book to Bethany House, got me a three book deal, and now The Preacher's Bride is releasing next fall.

In hindsight, I realize I queried The Preacher’s Bride too quickly, just as I had earlier manuscripts. I rushed into it before my manuscript was the absolute best it could be. During the months it sat in Rachelle’s slush pile, I decided to enter it into a contest. As a result, I ended up improving my opening and my book in a number of ways. When Rachelle finally read my manuscript, it was the new, better version.

What did I learn from all my querying?

1. We’re too subjective: Writers have an unrealistic view of their own work. It’s nearly impossible for us to read what we write objectively and know if it's good enough to query.

2. We’re too impatient: We’re so relieved and excited when we finish a manuscript that we become overzealous in our efforts to get it published and share it with others.

3. We’re too naive: Many of us query before we know enough about the publishing industry and how it works. The process of querying can educate us on the harsh realities, but why not learn as much as possible before starting?

So, how does a writer know when to begin querying? Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Some writers might be ready after one book, and others like me, might struggle with their sixth.

There are ways to prepare ourselves so that our querying process is successful (more about that in the next post.) For today, I leave you with this piece of advice: As hard as it may be, slow down. We may only get one chance to make a good first impression and we don’t want to lose it.

What about you? Did you ever query before you were ready? What was the result?

5 Ways To Convince Your Kids To Do Their Chores

"Time to clean your room!” How many hundreds of times have you said that to your children?

And how many thousands of times have they responded with, “But why, Mom?”

We often fumble for the right words to try to convince our children of the importance of doing their chores and say something like, “Because I told you so. That’s why. Now go do it.”

Unfortunately, after arguing with them, we often end up saying, “Oh forget it. It’s just easier to do it myself.” The reality is that we have to expend a lot of energy to corral our kids, show them how to do the task, and keep them on track until they finally complete the job.

It’s often less stressful, quicker, and takes less nagging for us to just do the job ourselves. Whether picking up toys, making a bed, or putting away laundry, involving the kids seems like more work than it’s worth.

It might seem like more work than it’s worth, but over the years I’ve learned that while it definitely IS work to train our children to do chores, it’s more than worth the effort. As the saying goes, “Anything worth having takes hard work.” And the same is true with training our children. The training will cost us in time and effort, but the results are priceless.

Once we make up our minds as parents to put forth the effort, how can we possibly convince our children of the value of doing their chores? What else can we say besides, “Because I told you so”?

Here are five things I’ve told my children in order to instill in them the value of participating in household work.

1. “Everyone who lives in this house must contribute to the upkeep of the house.” In our house, we make chores a family affair. On Saturday morning, we all—Mom AND Dad included—head off to our assigned chores before we play. After family dinner, we ALL work together to clean up the meal.

2. “If everyone works together, then we’ll finish the work faster and have more time together for fun activities.” If Mom ends up doing all of the work, then she won’t have as much time to play games and enjoy activities with everyone.

3. “Chores help prepare you for adulthood and I want you to be a successful adult.” We talk about the skills necessary to succeed in life and explain to our kids that childhood is their opportunity to practice those skills, and perhaps do even better at them than Mom & Dad.

4. “Learning responsibility means gaining privileges.” When our children demonstrate they are diligent with a new chore on a consistent basis, we give them a new privilege. In other words, if they show adult-like responsibility, then they prove themselves ready for adult-like privileges, like later bed time.

5. “Serve one another over self. S.O.S.” In a “me-first” culture, we must struggle to teach our children the value of self-sacrifice and how to look out for the needs of others. Chores are a way to help our children serve. Even when they didn’t make the mess, we can teach them to S.O.S. as a way to help ease the load of others.

Question For You: What do YOU say or do to convince your children of the importance of work?

©Jody Hedlund, 2010