Today we have a guest speaker. Sheila E Lispey. She will be speaking to us about editing and writing. Read her interview below.
Dominique Watson (DW): Do you believe it's important for writer's to have some experience in editing?
Sheila Lipsey (SL): I do believe that it is important, and necessary, for writers to have a level of experience in editing. Placing words on paper does not constitute being a writer. A gifted, talented writer uses editing as an essential tool to weave a story that will captivate an agent, publisher, and reader.
DW: How does writing and editing go hand in hand for a writer?
SL: Writing and editing go hand in hand for a writer because the best plot, the most beautiful book cover, the most professional looking format, does not mean the book is going to be a great book. The well known saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” is true. A good book fits inside the cover of the book. It provides sustenance that can determine how much effort the writer has dedicated to make sure the manuscript is the best. Editing for a writer is as necessary as water is for human beings and basically all living creatures. Poor editing can destroy an author’s career, and readers will put the book down, never returning to it.
DW: When writers have to edit their own book, what is your advice on this? Any particular steps?
SL: When writer’s have to edit their own book, I advise them to read books by other successful authors who write in the same genre as the writer. It is necessary to know what editing involves. It is more than checking for punctuation, spelling and capitalization. Editing involves checking for content, layout, structure, character development, plot development, sentence structure and the flow of each word, sentence and paragraph. The particular steps I use when it comes to editing are basically simple. Editing is what pulls my stories together so that they deliver what I expect the story to deliver. I write my manuscript first instead of stopping to edit page after page or chapter after chapter. When my manuscript is completed, I rest for several days to allow the manuscript to saturate. I return to the manuscript for the editing process with a clearer mindset. In addition I maintain a library of books that offer some of the best editing information for writers (and editors).
DW: What is one mistake that writers make when editing?
SL: One mistake that writers make when editing is that many believe editing is overrated, when in actuality it is the most important step writers should take.
DW: Should writers hire editors? Why or why not?
SL: Writers should always have a professional editor to edit their manuscript. Writers can easily overlook mistakes with content, punctuation, structure, etc. because they know their story. Knowing the story means that the writer can easily lose sight of what is necessary to make their story ‘pop’. I believe editing is a service that is worth paying for, if you can locate a professional editor who truly knows the craft..
Editing is an essential tool for writers. Poor editing can ruin an established writer’s work; the lack of a good editing job can just as easily bring a halt to an aspiring writer’s work. Writers, especially published writers who have become authors, must invest in a good editor. They should know what type of editing the manuscript needs. There are many types of editors: copyeditors, acquisition editors, editorial consultants, content editors and proofreaders. It is a blessing when you find an editor who can do it all. Other times, it might be necessary to utilize the services of several editors. If editing is not taken seriously, poor editing or the lack thereof can land a manuscript in a pile that sits close by the paper shredder. Poor editing can send avid readers into a tizzy. Poor editing can be the determining factor that separates the wheat from the tare. Great editing of a manuscript can paint a picture so vivid, so clear and so satisfying that readers often become engaged in the book, essay, or whatever it is the writer addresses. Great editing makes the story easy to read and allows the story to flow. Editing is a must. It is not a choice. Publishers and agents want a well polished, edited manuscript. They will have editors to go over your manuscript again, and that’s fine. It goes to show the importance of editing. I have worked with aspiring and established authors. Some of them can turn out manuscript after manuscript within a short span of time. This is great, but it is disastrous if they have failed to edit their work properly. Another step I put to use is to have a draft reader, someone who reads the finished draft after the writer has completed the final round of self editing. A draft reader can point out grammatical errors, consistency and flow of the manuscript, if the reader is a good draft reader that is. Remember, editing should never be taken for granted. Don’t make it the responsibility of an editor on staff or a paid editor. It doesn’t matter if you pay an editor or if your publisher has staff editors, it is the writer’s responsibility to deliver the best of the best when they turn over their manuscript to these professionals.
DW: Thank you so much for doing the interview! I'm sure your info and advice is very helpful!
SL: I appreciate this opportunity. I am always humbled when others want to read what I write and hear what I have to say. It is a gift from God and another way He shows me that His favor is pouring all over my life.
I believe that editing is very important. How you get your work edited is a different story. This interview with Sheila was very helpful. As writer's we always need to know the background of editing and how important it is in our work.
Before we end today's blog....
Be a guest speaker on the lounge: http://fromawriterspov.webs.com/guestspeaker.htm
Signing Off,
Dominique Watson
Dominique Watson (DW): Do you believe it's important for writer's to have some experience in editing?
Sheila Lipsey (SL): I do believe that it is important, and necessary, for writers to have a level of experience in editing. Placing words on paper does not constitute being a writer. A gifted, talented writer uses editing as an essential tool to weave a story that will captivate an agent, publisher, and reader.
DW: How does writing and editing go hand in hand for a writer?
SL: Writing and editing go hand in hand for a writer because the best plot, the most beautiful book cover, the most professional looking format, does not mean the book is going to be a great book. The well known saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” is true. A good book fits inside the cover of the book. It provides sustenance that can determine how much effort the writer has dedicated to make sure the manuscript is the best. Editing for a writer is as necessary as water is for human beings and basically all living creatures. Poor editing can destroy an author’s career, and readers will put the book down, never returning to it.
DW: When writers have to edit their own book, what is your advice on this? Any particular steps?
SL: When writer’s have to edit their own book, I advise them to read books by other successful authors who write in the same genre as the writer. It is necessary to know what editing involves. It is more than checking for punctuation, spelling and capitalization. Editing involves checking for content, layout, structure, character development, plot development, sentence structure and the flow of each word, sentence and paragraph. The particular steps I use when it comes to editing are basically simple. Editing is what pulls my stories together so that they deliver what I expect the story to deliver. I write my manuscript first instead of stopping to edit page after page or chapter after chapter. When my manuscript is completed, I rest for several days to allow the manuscript to saturate. I return to the manuscript for the editing process with a clearer mindset. In addition I maintain a library of books that offer some of the best editing information for writers (and editors).
DW: What is one mistake that writers make when editing?
SL: One mistake that writers make when editing is that many believe editing is overrated, when in actuality it is the most important step writers should take.
DW: Should writers hire editors? Why or why not?
SL: Writers should always have a professional editor to edit their manuscript. Writers can easily overlook mistakes with content, punctuation, structure, etc. because they know their story. Knowing the story means that the writer can easily lose sight of what is necessary to make their story ‘pop’. I believe editing is a service that is worth paying for, if you can locate a professional editor who truly knows the craft..
Editing is an essential tool for writers. Poor editing can ruin an established writer’s work; the lack of a good editing job can just as easily bring a halt to an aspiring writer’s work. Writers, especially published writers who have become authors, must invest in a good editor. They should know what type of editing the manuscript needs. There are many types of editors: copyeditors, acquisition editors, editorial consultants, content editors and proofreaders. It is a blessing when you find an editor who can do it all. Other times, it might be necessary to utilize the services of several editors. If editing is not taken seriously, poor editing or the lack thereof can land a manuscript in a pile that sits close by the paper shredder. Poor editing can send avid readers into a tizzy. Poor editing can be the determining factor that separates the wheat from the tare. Great editing of a manuscript can paint a picture so vivid, so clear and so satisfying that readers often become engaged in the book, essay, or whatever it is the writer addresses. Great editing makes the story easy to read and allows the story to flow. Editing is a must. It is not a choice. Publishers and agents want a well polished, edited manuscript. They will have editors to go over your manuscript again, and that’s fine. It goes to show the importance of editing. I have worked with aspiring and established authors. Some of them can turn out manuscript after manuscript within a short span of time. This is great, but it is disastrous if they have failed to edit their work properly. Another step I put to use is to have a draft reader, someone who reads the finished draft after the writer has completed the final round of self editing. A draft reader can point out grammatical errors, consistency and flow of the manuscript, if the reader is a good draft reader that is. Remember, editing should never be taken for granted. Don’t make it the responsibility of an editor on staff or a paid editor. It doesn’t matter if you pay an editor or if your publisher has staff editors, it is the writer’s responsibility to deliver the best of the best when they turn over their manuscript to these professionals.
DW: Thank you so much for doing the interview! I'm sure your info and advice is very helpful!
SL: I appreciate this opportunity. I am always humbled when others want to read what I write and hear what I have to say. It is a gift from God and another way He shows me that His favor is pouring all over my life.
I believe that editing is very important. How you get your work edited is a different story. This interview with Sheila was very helpful. As writer's we always need to know the background of editing and how important it is in our work.
Before we end today's blog....
Be a guest speaker on the lounge: http://fromawriterspov.webs.com/guestspeaker.htm
Signing Off,
Dominique Watson
Leave a comment on this blog: http://thepovlounge.webs.com/apps/guestbook/
