Edits Suck

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?

Rearview Mirror

Before I continue blogging about my road to publication, I want to thank Marla Miller for inviting me to guest blog on her site. Marla has a successful presence on the internet and the way she shares it with fellow writers is wonderful.

I always use the analogy of driving in this road to publication, but what should I do when my car stalls? That is where I am right now—with one of my books anyway.

Deep into content edits, a problematic issue came up. It was in the first paragraph and the vein of it continued through the whole chapter. I kept trying to “fix” it, but it was like going around a traffic circle without an exit.

Eventually, I thought of a remedy, and promptly sent it to my publisher. Within moments, my phone rang. My heart shot into overdrive upon hearing her voice.  My first thought was, what have I done wrong?

Other than panicking like a motorist with flashing blue lights in the rearview mirror, I did nothing wrong. My publisher didn’t issue a ticket, but she made it clear that my simple remedy would not work. Frustration set in, and no matter what I said, it came back to the same roadblock.  (Before you ask, not many publishers discuss things over the phones, so don’t expect that. Lucky for me, mine is very involved with her authors.)  After I hung up, I did exactly what she told me not to do—racked my brain for days, refusing to “leave it alone for now.” I thought up all kinds of scenarios, idling in the same spot until I ran out of gas. It was a useless venture. For some unknown reason, I thought edits would go smoothly and quickly. They don’t, so refrain from making the same assumption.  Rest assured, problems will resolve with patience and perseverance. I see that now.

 Remember this while going through the tedious editing process: Listen to the editor, even when you’re tempted to do a u-turn instead of moving on. Learning from my fender bender is invaluable—and really, the only thing I can offer you at this point. That’s the main reason I write this blog. I’m inviting every writer to merge into my lane—letting them in (so to speak) on a few things I’ve learned.

Now, I know I’m not on this road alone because I can see major traffic in the writing world and I’d love to hear from others’ publishing experiences. Please leave a comment and tell me about your writing travels and mishaps. 

My best to you all,

J.M. Powers