Let’s Talk: Perfectionism or A Promise?
Give Your Readers the Best Experience
In today’s publishing world – where books are churned out faster than I can type this sentence – let’s be honest: the quality of most books just isn’t what it used to be. There are more typos, formatting errors, and plot holes than I can remember as a young reader who devoured every author from Christopher Pike to Ann M. Martin to Terry McMillan (yep, I was an advanced reader).
The rise in self-publishing (*cough* Amazon *cough*) is to be blamed, of course, but not vilified. Self-publishing in itself isn’t a sin; it’s the lie that the “Amazon gurus” have perpetuated over the past two decades: ANYONE CAN WRITE A BOOK (they can’t), then get rich publishing it (you won’t).
As a bibliophile, I’ll be the first to admit that more books aren’t the problem. If anything, I go into Britney Spear’s mode and chant, “Give me, give me more… give me MORE!”, especially if you’re a good writer whose work promises to teach me something and entertain me. Do it! Keep going!
You are an author. You have a responsibility not just to your readers, but to the world as a whole to NOT put out sub-par work. The trees who gave their life for your book don’t deserve it, and neither do the future potential readers of your book.
First say to yourself whatwould you be, and then do what you have to do.
And achieving a “perfect book” seems dang near impossible. Even traditional publishers can attest to this truth, as the average traditionally published book will contain about 3-4 errors. And if you spend your days constantly tweaking a book to try and reach that status of “perfection”, well… you’ll basically be like J.R.R. Tolkien, who spent his life working on the same trilogy, instead of moving on to other works.
We can try to get a little closer to perfection, right?
Resources To Improve Your BOOK’S LOOK
You need a professional editor. Every writer does, and I can’t stress this fact enough. I even have my own personal editor.
While I do have over a decade’s worth of professional editing experience, I must stress this fact: I do not edit anymore and am not signing on to be your professional editor.
What I am here to do is teach you about and walk you through every different type of editing your manuscript needs.
Didn’t know there were different types of editors? Keep reading to find out more.
Editing is Not A Monolith
Your manuscript should cross the desk of at least three different types of editors, and that’s me giving you the bare minimum. The typical manuscript goes through 6-8 edits and passes through the hands of about 6 different kinds of editors.
View the video to the left to learn more about the different types of editing and what you should expect from editors who specialize in those areas.
It can be a challenge to find the perfect editor that matches your needs and budget, but you must keep up the search.
Resources To Improve Your BOOK’S LOOK
Here are some free gifts from me to help improve your writing and sharpen your manuscript!
Articles, videos, and free e-book downloads are available here for you. Have at it!
If you’re interested in gaining more valuable guidance to elevate your book to another level, contact me!
ARTICLES & WRITING PROMPTS
- 4 Books You MUST Read Before Self-Publishing
- Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: How to Tell the Difference
- Writing Prompt #1: Sentence Starters
- Writing Prompt #2: An Interview With Your Creation
HELPFUL
VIDEOS
- 7 Things To Avoid When Self-Publishing
- E-Book vs. Print Book: Which Path Should You Take First?
- 4 Productivity Tools You Must Have (VIDEO)
- A Note To Potential Clients
FREE
DOWNLOADS
- 30 Days of Writing Exercises (PDF, printable)
- ‘The Distinguished Writer’s Path to Success’ (e-book)
- ’12Things About Me: A Writing Prompt Mini-Journal’ (PDF, printable)
- ‘Word Play: A Mini-List to Help You Write’ (e-book)