|
Self-Interview Professional: Describe your perfect client. Anyone who has the ambition and perseverance to write a book is a good client. A good storyteller who has done diligent research elevates the author to "perfect client." Describe your nightmare client. It's difficult to work with a client who takes every edit as a personal affront. Is it easier to edit fiction or nonfiction? Why? Nonfiction is easier to edit because its structure is more formulaic; it lacks the twists, turns, and irony that make up good fiction. Why do you prefer editing fiction/nonfiction? Why? I like to mix it up, left brain-right brain, yin and yang. Like aerobics and strength training, the skills enhance each other. What levels of editing do you perform and what are your definitions of each level? My areas of expertise are: How do you, as an editor, help a writer improve his or her book? As an editor, my first and last passes are as the reader. During the first pass, the focus is on structure. During the final pass, the characters, pacing, and plot should be engaging, require little tweaking, and reflect the writer's unique voice, all of which represents the substantive and content/line editing that took place in the interim editorial passes. At this point, the file goes back to the writer for submission to a copy editor or proofreader. What do you feel is the editor's role and what is the writer's role in the revision process? Depending on the agreed-upon level of editing, I make revisions to the content in Word track changes or simply suggest revisions in embedded notes throughout the ms, which the writer will make. Once that is done, the file comes back to me for review and further work. What's the difference between "editing" and "correcting"? I make corrections, including fixing typos and grammatical errors such as missing commas, quotation marks, etc., prior to turning on Word's revision mode. Once this initial clean-up is done, all editing (as defined earlier) takes place in revision mode. What do you consider to be the main elements of great fiction? Characters that pop off the page, realistic dialogue and interaction, and pace that moves the story appropriately. Do you prefer to work with character-driven or plot-driven fiction? Good characters hook me every time. What is the most common piece of advice you give to new authors? Relax and enjoy. What are common mistakes you see when editing fiction/nonfiction? With fiction, the most common mistake is "telling" or explaining too much rather than creating an experience for the reader. With nonfiction, it's often the lack of a succinct format that allows the reader to easily go from A to B to C, etc. and absorb the lesson or message. Are there any books or television shows that you use as examples of great characterization? Books: Anything by Annie Proulx, Alice Munro, and Barbara Kingsolver. Personal: What are your top five favorite fiction books of all time? Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse/The Shipping News, Annie Proulx/Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver/A Place to Come To, Robert Penn Warren/As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Has any book changed your life? If so, what book and how? Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse. I read this when I was eighteen, and his inspiring words have guided me since: "Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf, which is blown and is turning around through the air, and wavers, and tumbles to the ground. But others, a few, are like stars, they go on a fixed course, no wind reaches them, in themselves they have their law and their course." Do you have a favorite author? When I just want to relax, I always choose Annie Proulx. If you could make a cameo appearance on a TV drama or sitcom, which one would you choose and why? "Life"; I like Charlie, the Zen-like cop. What's your favorite talk show? Do people really watch those things? What is your favorite kind of music? I like most anything; prefer classical. What do you do when you are not writing or editing? Walk, work out, garden… anything that gets me moving. If you could visit (or return to) any place on Earth, where would it be and why? Catalina, AZ; it's a magical, mystical place. |
Submission Cut and paste the questions and answers into an e-mail: Alternates You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received. Required: A sample is required to receive an estimate Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your project (e.g., footnotes). (01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word): (02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach): (03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary): (04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.): (05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months) (06) Level of editing desired/expected --
(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any): (08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable: (09) Number of footnotes/references: (10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?: (11) Do you plan to self-publish?: (12) What is your budget for the entire project? (13) Your name: (14) E-mail addresses: (15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.): (16) City, State, Country (or time zone): (17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact. (18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want? (19) How did you learn about our service?: (20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query) Notes: No hidden charges To learn more about the rates charged by professional editors, please see: Editorial Freelancers Association It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec. Note: Questions about price and turnaround times cannot be given over the phone or via chat.
Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours (M-F, 9a-7p central). Expect longer response times if you submitted after U.S. business hours or on weekends. Help2012 at Airmail.net You may also leave voice mail for the network coordinator: 469-789-3030. This number is for verification of e-mail submissions only. Please be as complete as possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive the most accurate estimate. Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your editor or publishing consultant, not with the editing network as a whole or its coordinator. |
|||
Site design by Kori-Kai Yoshida
|
||||