When I was half way through this WIP I decided I could start talking to agents. Let us also note that I had not: networked, looked into agent criteria, prepared a query letter, finished my damn WIP. Now I only sent this to a couple. So thankfully the rejections didn't come in hordes to crush my pride. The rejections did come.
At this point I also received a single go 'ahead and send me your full manuscript'. Well now I panicked. But I'm not done! Is there a time limit? Oh jeez, I'm not done!!!!
So I rushed through the rest of my first draft and came out with an amazing 47,502 words. Not nearly the novel length I was reaching for: 100,000-200,000. I sent this off anyway with a "ah what the hell" and a shrug.
Now after sending it off I started thinking that maybe I should check out this company. I looked on their website and thought, huh, not very professional. I Google-ed some reviews not on their site and boy was I surprised. Not only were they horrible to deal with, and basically accepted anything, but they had an "F" rating by the Better Business Bureau.
I said no to them. That was a small defeat to my writing hopes.
Lesson 1: Research BEFORE sending your query.
So that lesson was well learnt. Though it's hard to wonder if somehow I could have been the one that made a difference, or made an honest publishing company out of them.
I found Twitter and started figuring out that there were tons of new authors out there giving plenty of advice! There we go! I read blogs and articles and learnt. My cork board at home is full of articles on finding an agent, the process of getting published, etc.
I noticed a trend once I started following Literary Agents. They kept telling us new authors to "edit edit edit EDIT!" But they couldn't be talking to moi? I am perfect and so is my baby!
Ah, so editing was what I needed to do. But editing wasn't very fun :( But I wanted to be published. So that meant editing. My niece introduced me to a website Young Writers Society. You basically review to get points so you can post a bit of your story or WIP. People then review it. You can also rate it so no little kiddies read your sex scenes. I found a person on there who gave amazing in depth reviews. I want to find the person and steal him for my own personal editing uses.
The reviews pointed somethings out that, upon my own review, were so freaking obvious I almost needed a slap on the forehead.
Lesson 2. Is your WIP even good enough? Try reading it over first. (duh)
So I have started editing and that's where I am so far. Editing. Ugh Editing.
I am realizing that what I thought of as a full manuscript has turned into a really meaty outline.
So, though there are some amazing bits (mostly in the beginning, which had been edited because I kept having to re-read it) Most of it needed to be fleshed out.
So here I am starting to research how to edit.
I have found some help with this.
I started using Edit Minion to help with some basic stuff. This is from the guy who made Write-Or-Die. Awesomesauce! But I figured I needed a human touch. The computer is amazing, but can only go so far.
So I moved on to editing. On the computer was hell! I am fluent enough, but I like the feeling of paper and pen and red ink marking up my darling manuscript. So here I am in the middle of editing with red ink. You should see it. It's like I stabbed it and it's really bleeding! Some of the pages are so covered in red... well I am sure I could make some funny joke about periods, but wont.
I have received some awesome advice about how to help editing. I am on my first edit. I have decided that First edit will be just straight reading and marking. I will then place the edits in my computer. Then I need to prepare myself for the second edit. Since I am not here yet I am imagining myself pulling up my lady panties and girdling my loins, or some such thing, and diving into the once edited manuscript with my red pain raised screaming "BOW TO ME!"
This probably wont happen. I don't live alone, I still want to get married, scaring off fiance isn't a good idea.
Some helpful hints for editing: Change the font. If you wrote it in Times, and you edited it in Times, change it up to Courier or Ariel. Make the size a bit different. The change can help you pick out things. **I will be trying this for the second edit.. and third, onto the millionth
If you, like me, have a problem with run on sentences - read out loud. Again, my fiance thinks I'm a bit crazy, but I can see how this works as I am the queen of run on sentences and too many commas.
If you wants some tips on editing notes or symbols you can always use this blog from Chazz Writes. I see these a lot at the day job. Some of them I am used to, even now there are some where I think "Oh! that's what my English teacher meant!"
After you have edited it till not only your pages, but your eyes bleed - it's time to have someone else have a go at it. My biggest problem is finding someone who will edit, not just read and go all doe-eyed telling me how amazing it is cause their so biased and love me. I need someone harsh, who can handle it if I hate them a little bit in the beginning.
Anybody else have any editing tips or tricks?
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