Authors suffer for their work. Yes, I said suffer.
Edits suck. If you are a new writer, you must go into edits expecting your story--yeah, the one you think is damn near perfect?--Well, it's going to be chewed up, torn apart and then put back together again. And just when you think it's over, there is round two...and three...and who knows how many more. All I know from experience is just when you think it's over, it's not. Sound negative? Nope. There is a reason I'm telling you this. If you haven't gone through it, then I'm preparing you. If you have...I see you nodding. Grin.
Guess what? Your book isn't going to be perfect until you go through editing. (Not to mention everything else involved in the publishing process.)
Be ready for it.
Be receptive, yet keep your writer's voice. If there is something you don't understand, ask. Don't take edits personally. If there is something you really believe shouldn't be changed, explain where you are coming from. Don't just dig in your heels and say no. There's no guarantee they will agree with you, so be ready for that too.
Most of all, (and I know this is hard) try to remember that you all want the same thing. A fantastic book.
Yes, edits suck, but they're well worth the hair pulling, discouraging feelings and re-writing. Why? Because after you go through the intense process, your book is better for it. To top it off, you leave a stronger and more experienced writer.
You also leave with the hope that maybe, just maybe, edits won't suck so much next time.
Anyone have anything to add?
as an author of more than 50 books, i can honestly say that edits suck EVERY SINGLE TIME. IT doesn't get easier, YOU just get smarter.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Edits are hard and a lot of the time they suck, but you've got it right JM, one can never take it personally...and Marteeka made a good point...it doesn't necessarily get easier, but YOU do get smarter. Very nice ladies. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! I too have written over 50 titles and it never gets better! However as an author I think that I do get better. I look at edits as a form of honing and polishing. There's a lot of hard grunt labor involved but in the end the story shines!
ReplyDeleteEdits do suck. I'm still new to this process, but I've learned so much since I started. There's still much more to actually learn, but taking it personally isn't the answer. I usually take a few deep breaths and start from there.
ReplyDeleteI look at edits as a learning process. Like Naomi, I'm still really new to writing and I know that I need the extra help. I'm glad some of the veteran authors chimed in.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your feedback. Sigh. It helps to know others agree. LOL.
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ReplyDeleteI'm weird. I actually like edits. Well, most of them.
ReplyDeleteLike I said.
I'm weird. lol
(I hope I don't eat those words one day.)
To C.E. Hart: As they said in My Fair Lady..."Just you wait." lol!
ReplyDeleteHey J.M., I very much agree with this. It is right on, and when I wrote my first novel I couldn't believe how many times it came back. I can laugh at it now, but at the time it was frustrating. Yep, edits are needed--annoying but needed.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
-E
Hello E! So glad you...skipped over. lol. Validation is great, truth is even better. Edits are needed by all means. My books are better for it. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI am one of the nodders. I finished the first draft of my novel two years ago. After several edits, I now feel it is ready to publish. I also had an editor at Create Space go through it and had a local independendent editor go through it. At first, I thought I had the worst case of "paranoia" ever. After receiving the edits back, I realized it was a smart move. I do feel first drafts do get better with time. We really do learn from our mistakes.
ReplyDeletePeggy, I wish you all the work with you novel. Each time I go through edits I learn something new. Polishing your craft and retaining what you learn are key. Thanks for commenting!
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