Getting Myself Out There

I am known as a substantive editor of novels, short stories, and memoirs, with an established fulltime presence of fifteen years, with many more in writing and critique-group trenches where I cut my critting teeth and honed my editing skills. However, I am also a writer, and thoroughly enjoy the actual act of writing, whether that’s being buried in first-draft creative fever or working through many rewriting phases at a slow and meticulous rate, developing my WIP as far as I can bring it before having one or two of my professional colleagues put it through its paces.

So, as a writer, I have many short stories – more than enough for two collections – a veritable bucketload of poetry, and three novels within clear sight of the publishing world.

‘So, why haven’t you been published?’ I hear you say.

Well, over the years, short stories and poems of mine have found a home in journals and anthologies, but not many, and that’s mainly because I rarely submit. Why? It’s a good question. I was chatting to a writer friend the other evening, and an interesting thought came up that has lingered: Is it ‘enough’ to write something, or does it have to be ‘out there’ and be read by others? While much of my writing hasn’t been published, it has been read by the likes of alpha and beta readers, as well as being worked through by editing colleagues, and the general consensus is that my material is relatively strong and engaging. The main thing for me is that I enjoy the process of writing and developing my stories, whether that be short or long form. And it’s not unknown for me to return to one I might not have seen in a while and come out of it smiling, having been taken back to a favourite character and their world, or even to who I was at the particular time it was written. A bit self-indulgent, I know, but if I don’t enjoy my own stories, what’s the point of writing them? So, because I’m a fan of my own writing, and people who’ve read it have a positive view, why haven’t I submitted them to the world at large?

Where my three novels are concerned, I could easily begin the process of querying agents. Even though there are traditional publishers who accept unsolicited queries, they are few and far between, and you’ll generally stand a better chance if represented by an agent who will fight to sell your novel to the best publisher, and acquire the best deal. But what’s the reality? The fantasy of old that you’ll land a wonderful deal, along with a substantial advance, is that – a fantasy. These days, you’ll be lucky, if your agent lands a publisher, to get any advance at all, and it’s unlikely that either the agent or publisher will look at you twice if you haven’t got a sizable and active social media presence, which you will need to do much of your own marketing because the days of all that being taken care of by the publisher are long gone. Today, you’ll have your spot on the New Release shelf for a month, but then your novel will be banished to the genre shelves, or dumped on a discount table. It’s the harsh reality of trad publishing, and that’s without going into earning percentages, with your agent netting 15% or more, your publisher scooping up to 30%, and the bookshop hoovering up to 51%, leaving you with a pittance, if you’re lucky. And if you did get an advance, you wouldn’t see another cent until your sales pass that amount.

I know I could easily be accused of being somewhat cynical, and you’re right, I am because I’ve heard enough stories from trad-published writers to leave me with a sharp perspective of that route. And I use ‘route’ on purpose, because it is just that, one route through the forest of publishing. There are other ways to get your work out there, and one of them is to self-publish. Now, I’ve been around long enough to remember reading self-published novels or collections that probably weren’t taken far beyond the first draft before being dumped on the world at large. Apart from the undeveloped writing, the layout and formatting left a lot to be desired, and the level of editing was nothing short of abysmal. Now, that wasn’t the case across the board but it was evident enough to give self-publishing a bad name, which it has had to fight tooth and nail against over the last fifteen years or so. The great thing now is that, since the advent of the digital world, we no longer have to rely solely on real-life markets, car-boot sales, fetes, or side-of-the-road stalls pandering to the public to buy our books. And with that new platform came the increased perception that readers were willing to pay more attention to a writer who took pride in their work by offering a fully developed story, with professional editing, clear and clean formatting, not to mention a professionally designed cover to draw in the prospective buyer.

Many writers now budget to pay a reputable editor, cover designer, and company to format and upload their work to a publishing platform, and that combined process has raised the level of self-published work to an altogether new level. But the best thing for today’s self-published author is the fact that they are paid so much more per sold book than they would hope to be if they had gone the traditional route. With most of the middle operators out of the loop, the author can earn up to 70% of the selling price. Yes, you had to pay for an editor, cover designer, and formatter/uploader, but the sheer satisfaction of not coming out of each sale with the bare minimal, has to bring a smile. Of course, without a consistent marketing campaign, you have little hope of selling outside your family and immediate friends’ circle, so you still have to work for you. At least you’re working for you, not the vultures lurking in the shadows.

So, my plan is to put my own work out there, and while it may not be bought or seen by the multitudes, I think I’ll be content enough to have it out there with the potential of it being read. But I want to do the formatting/layout and uploading myself. Why? Because I know writer friends who do it so why shouldn’t I? Yes, I’m a bit of a Luddite but there are YouTube tutorials I can utilize and learn from, and I’ve recently discovered that one writer I know teaches the finer points of the process, no doubt including how to work with the required software. I may avail of that option because I take in things much better face to face, or on Zoom, as that seems to be the way of it these days – I use it myself with clients who benefit from a close-up chat about particular editing/rewriting fundamentals.

Just writing this has left me with a nice buzz in my belly. Of course, I should be working, but when you think about it, this is work because I’m developing my ‘getting myself out there’ strategy. Now I have it in my head, I’m going to set about starting my training program. My apologies for the cynical diatribe, but I don’t regret using you to formulate the muddle that was in my head. For too long, it has been enough to have just written something, but that is no longer the case. Now, it’s time to get my novels and short stories out there to the world at large.

 

The Bones of Self-Editing

The Bones of Self-Editing

I gave a talk to a gathering of indie authors last month on self-editing. This is the basic handout, which writers may find useful as they develop their WIPs.

·       Learn the fundamental rules of style and grammar.

Style Guide: The Elements of Style – New Hart’s Rules – New Oxford Style Manual – The Chicago Manual of Style

·       Build a personal reference library – hone your writing skills through personal study.

·       Actively read novels, noting dialogue, description, punctuation, point of view, conflict, and character arc, etc. Take time to read outside your chosen genre.

·       Self-editing is more than correcting grammar and punctuation. The process should be slow and steady, taking one aspect of the whole at a time.

 

First Read

1.     Notebook and pen – jot down impressions

2.     The big picture – 3-act structure – Story/Plot – make sure it works

3.     Character arc\learning curve – change

4.     Are characters fully developed and consistent?   

Create a comprehensive character timeline.

 

Line-edit

                                               i.     Deep-focused comprehensive review

                                             ii.     Brutal honesty required

                                           iii.     RUE: Resist the Urge to Explain – Less is often More

                                            iv.     Pull sentences back to their bones, cutting unnecessary repetition, filter phrasing, redundant elements, negative patterns

                                             v.     Test adjectives and adverbs

                                            vi.     Are objectives being met?

                                          vii.     Each action/reaction needs to be justified

                                        viii.     Mark MC’s proactive points

                                            ix.     Considered rewriting kills first-draft issues

 

Activate Your Writing

·       Use active verbs to drive the story forward. Research dangling modifiers/participles – Test adjectives – can the noun stand alone? Have confidence in your writing and allow the power of context carry your story to the reader.

 

Dialogue

·       Get it right. Research the rules until you have them absorbed.

·       Cut unnecessary dialogue tags. Exploit action tags. Don’t use ‘said bookisms’.

 

Point-of-View

Become a pov expert. Learn the rules. Apply them. Practice makes perfect.

·       Tighten narrative distance by cutting unnecessary filter phrasing.

·       Be careful to catch tense blips, and look for consistency throughout.

 

Proofreading

·       The final job – Galley copy – Read it aloud – slow and meticulous.

 

Style Sheet – Create as you write – revise during rewrites.

·       Character details, place names, time – setting – continuity – particular spelling choices.

 

Idiot-Check – Leave nothing behind.

Taking Bookings for 2025

My calendar is now open for bookings in early 2025. If you've developed your WIP to a stage where it will be ready for its professional edit, drop me a line and we can chat about your options. You can also avail of a free sample edit.

A sample edit allows the writer see if a particular editor’s approach suits their specific requirements. On the other hand, it gives the editor a chance to determine the writer’s level, how far the manuscript has been developed, and how much work needs to be done to bring it forward.

It’s important to understand that a sample edit is just a partial view of the editor’s service, with mine being a three-phase operation entailing a substantive line-edit, followed by a deep-focus copy-edit, and finished off with a comprehensive run-through that sees the work ready for its final rewrite and pre-release/submission prepping.

What the writer receives in the sample edit is a step inside the first phase, where undeveloped material is shaped and cleansed of all first-fix issues. The recommendation, of course, and one I always make, is for the writer to connect with at least half-a-dozen editors so they can build a fairly solid comparison between several professionals’ work methods and approaches.

If the writer likes my sample and wishes to commission me, we then have a chat about what lies ahead. I am always booked into the near-distant future, but time flies and it’s usually only a short hop before work begins. I expect half-payment up front, with the remainder due before the completed first edit is returned. What happens after that is up to the client. If they have the time to focus on the rewrite, I’ll suggest a soft deadline to work towards. If life means work is stretched out, it’s not a problem – I know how things are in that department and will always work within the client’s timetable. If it takes a few weeks, months, or even a year or more, I’m good with that. My priority is to develop the work-in-progress to its full potential, and having the writer fully on board ensures that will happen.

What do you have to do? Email two chapters, from different parts of your WIP, as a Word document to clearviewediting@gmail.com and I’ll provide a sample edit from one.

Client reviews: Clear-View Fiction Editing (writingfromtheoutsidein.blogspot.com) 

My website: Clearview Fiction Editing

First Chapter Three-Phase Edit

Have you doubts about your opening chapter to your novel? Are you unsure about your writing, your characters, your story? Send me your first chapter and I will edit it through three phases - a process which will leave it highly developed, allowing you to see how your writing can benefit from such a comprehensive approach. When I return your edited submission, you rewrite it, applying my suggestions as you see fit, before sending it back to me for its second round of edits, a phase which is as thorough as the first. You then repeat the process with my second edit before returning it to me for its final round, and when you've rewritten that, you'll be able to fully appreciate just how far your piece has come from the initial submission.

I charge by the word. All you need to do is submit a Word document of your first chapter, along with a synopsis of your novel, to clearviewediting@gmail.com and I will read through the submission, give you a quote, and if you agree, we're good to go.

I have worked as a fulltime substantive editor for well over a decade, collaborating with dozens of writers from across the globe, and my reputation as a professional who cares for his clients speaks for itself. My client reviews below will confirm that.

Client reviews: Clear-View Fiction Editing (writingfromtheoutsidein.blogspot.com)

My website: Clearview Fiction Editing

It's Worth the Wait

I always make room in my schedule to provide sample edits for writers interested in seeing if my editing approach meets their requirements. And I’m a fan of writers approaching several editors in their search for one that suits them. It’s a healthy practice, and no editor will hold it against you for contacting as many as you like. It’s part of the wonderful process that is script development, and all part of bringing a top-quality product to the reader.

When a writer likes my editing approach and decides to commission me, some come in hard and fast, expecting me to begin more or less there and then. It goes without saying many are disappointed to learn that their editing slot may not become active for several months because the simple reality is that my work calendar is usually booked out into the relatively near future, with ‘relatively’ being the important term. For me, the months fly in because I’m always busy with first edits and rewrites, but the writer’s focus is honed on their work-in-progress they’ve probably been developing over the last year or so, maybe longer. In that regard, they feel the time more than I do, and the prospect of waiting ‘so long’ for the first edit can prove daunting.

That’s why I encourage writers, through my Twitter and Fb pages, to look ahead while they’re developing their early draft, so when they book an editor they have the potential wait of several months to bring their wip as far as they can before submitting. That way the wait is progressively filled, often with the writer applying tips from my sample edit to the rest of their wip.

So, dear writer, if you’re currently working on your early draft, now is the time to connect, sending me one or two chapters from your wip. Then, if we decide to work together, you won’t feel frustrated at the inevitable wait before your editing slot becomes active. Drop me a line at clearviewediting@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there.

One-Page Synopsis

 

Apart from my proven and popular three-phase editing service, I also offer a separate, affordable service to tighten and polish your synopsis down to one page. Why? Because, in my experience, many writers find it relatively easy to create a multi-point synopsis, except it often fills three or more pages, and we all know agents/publishers prefer the synopsis to be on the one page – nice and tight – with all superfluous elements taken out so pertinent plot-progression and character-arc details gain enhanced impact.

If you’re interested, send me your synopsis in a Word file, which I will read to see how much work is required. Then I’ll furnish you with my proposed fee and you can decide if you want to commission me. If we agree to work together, I’ll pull your synopsis into shape and return it to you, and you get to return it to me for another pass after reviewing it.

My details are below:

My email: clearviewediting@gmail.com

My website: https://clearviewfictionediting.com

Catch my reviews on my Fb page: https://www.facebook.com/clearviewfictionediting

A Little Green Therapy Goes A Long Way

I took a well-deserved break from work today and drove out to the wonderful Hazelwood demesne in Yeats' Country, just outside Sligo Town. It has to be one of my favourite places in the world, a rustic walking trail around a woodland peninsula on Lough Gill. It doesn't matter what time of year I visit, when the forest is skeletal in winter, flushed with green life in summer, or in the height of autumn's ochre-rich decay, it still infuses me with its magic, soothing all the hard edges developed from hours of intense focus as I edit through my working day. 

The photo above is a view from the bench at Sector 13, a peaceful spot I've come to love over the twenty years I've walked the loop. Just sitting there, breathing it in, savouring all aspects of the moment: the birdsong; the rustling leaves; glinting ripples across the water; the ever-changing shadow vista of the hill opposite; and the otherworld held within reflections, it leaves me...connected, content, and relieved of the weighty stresses of real life.

All creative souls know the benefits of taking time away from the work station, and there's no better way to do that than by losing yourself in the arms of a green therapist. Breathe deep and allow the softness of the moment hug you, for as long as it takes. Believe me, it's worth it. After my visit, I'm ready once again for the world, and hungry to get back to work.

Visit my website, or read through my blog to get a better idea of my editing approach. If you want to chat about your work in progress and having it professionally edited, drop me a line at clearviewediting@gmail.com - I'm always happy to correspond about writing and editing.