With my newest release, Hidden Secrets,
I was strongly tempted to publish without using an editor. Sure, I’d needed one
for each of my previous books, but the manuscript felt good to me. I’d self-edited
it many times, and after three novels and a novella, I had a pretty good handle
on this writing thing. Plus I’m blessed with naturally good spelling and
grammar.
Are you laughing yet?
My editor is, if she’s reading this post.
Common sense said the professional thing to
do was to find an editor. Find, because the editor of book one, Unknown
Enemy, had moved on to other work. I’d heard good things about Brilliant
Cut Editing, and when Deirdre agreed to squeeze me into her schedule, I sent
off my manuscript.
She’d find a few things to tweak, I
expected, and I should be on track for a fast revision and a late 2018
publication date.
You’ll notice it’s now summer 2019 and I’m
writing about my “new release.”
The document came back with 926 comments. Nine
hundred twenty-six. And a cover note about it being pretty raw in places.
As well as assigning a mountain of work,
the comments identified strong points and those which could become even
stronger. So many of them addressed punctuation errors that I’ve dubbed myself
the queen of misplaced commas and run-on sentences.
Writing can be humbling. But I’d far rather
be humbled by editors and beta readers—who are on my side—than by readers and
reviewers after publication.
I remember working on my first novel, Heaven’s
Prey, and rewriting for years. My commitment to my characters was that as
long as I could learn to do better with their story, I’d keep revising. Working
with a trusted editor, beta readers, cover artist, and any other necessary
resources, is part of keeping that commitment. We writers owe it to our
characters.
What promises have you made to your characters as you write?
I’d far rather be humbled by editors and beta readers—who are on my side—than by readers and reviewers after publication. via @JanetSketchley #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting
~~~~~~
Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian
writer who likes her fiction with a splash of mystery or adventure and a dash
of Christianity. Why leave faith out of our stories if it’s part of our lives?
You can find Janet online at janetsketchley.ca.
The secrets of Captain Hiltz may not have died with him.
When Landon Smith returns to the Green Dory Inn, she finds innkeeper
Anna Young still shaken by the recent vandalism and unable to cope when the inn
is targeted in an online vendetta. Prickly neighbour Bobby Hawke can help with
Anna’s cyber woes, but when the attacks escalate to physical threats, Landon
and Bobby must work together to unmask the culprit.
A cryptic message about a tunnel points to the property’s original
owner, a notorious Prohibition-era sea captain rumoured to have left hidden
wealth. Contraband, treasure, evidence of things better left buried…
How far will Anna’s enemy go to claim the tunnel and its contents?
Protecting Anna will require courage and faith as Landon battles the locals’
attitudes and the scars of her past. Even then, she and Bobby are tracing the
faintest of clues. With Anna on the brink of emotional collapse—and danger
rising like the tide—time is running out.
