I have often heard in the world of “art,” whether it be a painting,
a song, a poem or a fictional story; that everyone is their own worst critic.
I have also heard many times, that part of the writing process,
is well, Rewriting! I’ve also read more
than once, as I wrote my book, that I should step away from my work for a couple
weeks, or even a month.
I know this can be difficult, when you are really excited
about a great manuscript, and are already picturing an amazing book cover! Lol. I know waiting is difficult!
I know the last thing I wanted to do at the time was slow
down.
But, I feel this step is however very important... When I
took space from my work, it often gave me a fresh perspective on things, and the ability to see mistakes I had
sort of glazed over before.
I’ve found it is very easy to miss typos when you
practically have everything you have written memorized.
However, this method is only going to take most people so
far.
What is one of the most important “tools” you can have
at your disposal?
A) beta reader.
Alright, so speaking from experience I know
this can be a little tough for a few reasons.
Personally, I didn’t have anyone in my
personal life to help me read all the way through my manuscript.
I had to do it all on my own, so things did
tend to take longer.
To this day, the only other person who has
read through my entire book is my editor from BookFuel. I hope that will change
soon though!
A fresh pair of eyes can really be an
asset! However, my advice is to find someone outside of your friends and family
to do this job for you.
From my experience, unless you really know
that person is capable of speaking critically of your work, you are not going
to get much, if any help.
Compliments are nice, they made me feel
great! But, the truth of the matter is that only constructive criticism is
going to help your book.
Sure, it's nice to know what works in the
book, but you also have to know what doesn’t. And, an outside perspective can
lend aid in that task.
There are several FREE resources on the net
for writers to check out, for free writing critiques.
Various websites have writing groups, like
Scriggler.com
(click the banner to access my profile)
Scriggler offers a place to post stories,
poems and opinions (etc.)
The site is free, and very supportive of its
members. I have gotten so much free advertising for my writing on the site via
its owner. And I didn’t even ask, they
just want to help.
Another resource on the net for writers
looking for feedback are websites that offer free editing samples. Each website is different and offer various
levels of feedback, and word counts.
Granted these are samples, and if you go
for a full edit, it ISN’T CHEAP.
However, even a sample edit is helpful. Because a lot of writers tend to fall into bad
writing habits, myself included!
(note: please highlight the following txt to read it. I don't know why my blog is messing up at the moment, but I will fix it! Thanks
@novel_gazing
I submitted my
prologue and most of my first chapter, and received two files back in return.
The guy I worked
with was Jim Dempsey, and he was incredibly helpful! I think he was the
Associate editor of the company. If you can, request him!
Alright, so, Jim
sent me two files back.
(I honestly don’t
think you have to wait long to get your work back. Some places get back to you
in 24 hours, some a few days.)
The first file from
Jim was my manuscript with his amazing editors notes in red, the second file
had an explanation for every edit.
He didn’t only tell
me what didn’t work, but included constructive feedback on why it didn’t, and
how I could improve it.
Don’t get me wrong,
the guy didn’t completely destroy my work. He pointed out things that were good
and parts he liked, but at the same time, he gave me what I really needed,
which wasn’t a handful of compliments, but a few simple truths.
I know a lot of
writers are very protective of their work, personally, I feel I’m not much of
an exception. Although, going into the editing process, I checked my ego at the
door.
I felt I had taken
my manuscript as far as I could on my own! And the advice I had received from Jim seemed
to reinvigorate me, and I was able to edit a lot of the things that would have
most likely held the book back from being a success.
Back to one of my
earlier points about finding someone to help you. I had asked someone to read
my stuff for feedback, and they were very nice about it, yet never really gave
me any constructive comments.
People that are close to you are usually too
worried about offending or discouraging you from writing more. So, they won’t
really make a good beta reader.
I believe the importance of critique is vital to every writer. If you seek constructive feedback in the right places, it isn't an insult against your work, but a chance to gain a new perspective; and to truly grow as a writer.
How do you edit your work? Where do you get critiques?
Thanks for reading my blog!
This
is a very personal one due to my current publishing experience.
Please follow my various social media for updates!
Please sub to my blog and share the link!!
Are you looking to get Self-published but money is an issue?
Check out BookFuel.com
Rates start at $99 per month!
This Self-publishing company offers everything an author needs! Editing, print/digital layout, a book cover design, author website, marketing and more!
