Let It Go!

Let it Go!

Working With Editors Series: Part Five

Net's Notations Tuesdays

We've come to the final post in our Working with Editors series. Your editor has a lot of work ahead of her after you've okayed your galleys and pressed send. But first, you've got to let it go.

Our manuscripts are our babies. We nurture them, pray over them, birth them. We become defensive if someone disses them. We cling to them, refusing to press send (see last week’s post). We cherish them—designating a shelf on our bookcase just for our own titles. Right?

So, it’s no wonder we have a hard time letting go.

From the beginning, we were like God as we created our characters, the plot, the action, tension, hardships. We controlled every aspect. (Generally speaking. Sometimes editors assign specific stories.) Now, the edits are accomplished. The title’s established. You’ve probably even seen the cover art. So, what’s next? You press send and poof. You let go. Right?

Or not.

It’s not easy. But as we let go, we let God move. He wants to put your words, those heart-felt, hard-wrought, emotion-packed, life-impacting words into the hands of just the right people at the right times.

By letting go we are trusting our editors, the path God has us on (i.e. trusting God), and relaxing into God’s promises.

So, pray over your baby, but then L E T  G O. Really, it’ll be okay. Your story has places to go you’ve never been. And it won’t let you down. Neither will God.

Plus, in letting go, you get to work on the next project that’s burning to be told.

Let go and leave the rest to your editor and to God.

Just Send It!

 Just Send It!

Working With Editors Series: Part Four

 Net's Notations Tuesdays

Oh, we writers could spend forever making little changes to our manuscripts, couldn’t we? Raise your hand if you have a hard time pressing send. Now, a little caution is good. Don’t be too quick to shoot off so much as an email to anyone without the once-over. But don’t use caution as an excuse to hold on to a manuscript you know needs to be sent.

So, you’ve gotten through your edits—after all, you’re a pro. But you’re still fretting over some issues here or there. Maybe your editor gave you a general instruction to see if you could include more conflict in a certain section, or maybe add more tension. You’ve got a little leeway, a little wiggle room. You’ve got some rewriting to do. So, how long should you labor over those rewrites?

This very situation is why we discussed taking a breather before diving in earlier this month. Same concept applies here. Rewrite. Then, take a break. Later, approach that section with a fresh perspective. Then, rework as necessary.

The key here is there comes a time when you have to just send it! You’ve done all you can do, made the requested changes (and then some, if you’re anything like me), and you have to send it off.

If you sit there thinking it has to be perfect first, you’ll never send it because it never will be.

If you wait until you know everything there is to know about writing, until you have the next writing craft lesson under your belt, you’ll never send it. We’re always growing as writers (hopefully).

If you procrastinate out of fear, dig deep. What are you afraid of? Succeeding? Failing? Both? Those sound like issues for prayer. So, pray. Then, just send it!

Some rules in submitting:

Don’t exasperate your editor.

Don’t procrastinate.

Don’t miss your deadline.

And if you’ve done all you can do, followed your editor’s suggestions, and the deadline is fast approaching: just send it!

Assume the Best

 

Assume the Best

Working With Editors Series: Part Two

Net's Notations Tuesdays

 

Remember last week how we talked about applying grace to your editor/author relations? You’re about to sense a theme. *grin*

Raise your hand if you’ve entered contests. Good for you! Get your name and work out there. Get some feedback. Takes courage. And then you get the responses. Sometimes I’ve wondered what planet the third judge hailed from. Can I hear an amen? The other two seemed in sync, giving similar (higher) scores. But that third one, the one who graded me with something around a 67% (ouch), what happened? 

Honestly, I can’t accept the comments right away. I’ll read them, but then I need some time to process what I’ve just seen—like, say, a week or two. No kidding. But then, when I do sit down with the comments and uncomfortable scores, it helps to tackle them with this idea: assume the best.

It’s so easy to miss what the judge (or editor) is trying to say if we don’t assume grace. Remember, the one giving the feedback is trying to help. In the case of an editor, we are hoping to help you make the story stronger, build your brand, give additional credibility to your name as an author. If you keep that in mind as you review our comments/changes, those “marks” will be easier to take. No one likes to be critiqued. But no one’s perfect. So we all need feedback in order to write better.

Next time you receive feedback on your writing, whether from your crit group or an editor, or possibly even a contest judge, remember to assume the best. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Apply that grace we talked about last week. Just because they’ve found things that could use a change doesn’t mean they’re against you. Don’t take it personally.

Next week, another step in the process of working well with your editor: how to tackle edits.