Author to Author

The first Monday of 2022 is here and I started out the first day of the month with a touch base meeting with one of the Coauthors to the book I’m editing. I shared my experience of previous book edits and the timeline never changes be I’ve published my own or someone else’s novel. The process always takes 2 to 3 times longer than you expect. There’s a lot of back and forth between the author and editing team.

We’re at the point where we’re making style and formatting changes. Our eyes have seen the pages too many times but I believe we caught any basic grammar and spelling errors together. During this last meeting we decided to reverse roles. They wanted to add in some commas for emphasis and natural pauses before they send it to me to proof. I also had a good talk about the impact of a title. Publishing houses spend hours going over the the titles, cover choices, and marketability.

One point I made, is having the ability to let go of the first draft. The point of having an editor is to turn an okay book into a great book. This doesn’t mean everything has to be changed. It’s about making the book even better than it was, and doing those things requires edits. Yes, sometimes it means cutting unnecessary words. Writing a book means that it’s going to be read by someone else other than yourself. Your readers should understand what it’s about.

Our beta readers mentioned a few points and some debate we decided to move some chapters around at the end because readers want a conclusion. Stories should come full circle and have some kind of closure even if it’s part of a series. It’s the way most people’s brains when they hear or see a story. If you don’t have a final point, then unless your plan is to leave audience dissatisfied then you should include an ending. Since this book is about a tragic story of loss and healing, I would say having closure is a must. The process of healing is about finding closure.

At the very end of our conversation, I went over media posting tips and possible future projects. One of the most important things to remember is not to rush your editing process, and it’s hard to do because you’re so excited and want it done already. It’s more important to put out a good book, than a rushed one for your reader’s sake. Our 2021 project is sliding over to 2022 – at least we’re starting out the new year right by publishing something.

Did I mention how excited and thankful I am that they included me in the credits? Seeing my name in print, even if I’m not the author is an awesome feeling. I had no idea they were going to do that until I read through their first draft they sent to me. I hope you have your own heart warming moments at the beginning of the year!

Until tomorrow! My posts are Monday through Friday.

Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.

~Yoon Ju

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