Editing is an essential part of the publication process. Whether we like it or not, it is almost impossible for a person to see all of his or her errors. Everyone needs an editor–even the world’s best selling authors, and I don’t mean searching for typo’s and grammatical errors–I mean content and development editing.
I belong to several online organizations, where writers share their work free, either in return for a guaranteed review, or just for added exposure. I usually select romantic suspense or suspense novels, and download them to my Kindle.
Every now and then I discover a new author whose work I love, and I give them a review and I buy their other books.
More often than not, though, I only read a few pages before giving up on a story and moving on to the next book. The problem I find to be the most common, is that authors have self-published without the aid of an editor, and their work just doesn’t flow. I don’t feel comfortable giving these writers a review, because negative reviews can cause terrible harm and discouragement. It’s easier just to move on. The most common problem I see is head-hopping and author intrusion. A lot of writers don’t know that in today’s publishing world, fiction is written as if the characters are telling the story, and there is no narrator/author.
When I was ready to publish my first novel, the Internet didn’t exist as we know it today, and I had to go the traditional route, and submit my manuscript to several publishers, knowing that rejections were part of the process. Since then, the Internet publishing business has taken off, creating exponential opportunities to those who want to write. I will always be thankful I had to submit my work to publishers, because even now I still prefer to go that route for a very good reason.
Reputable publishing houses, run by people who know the publishing industry, will always have at least one accredited editor on staff, who will work with each author to help hone their work, and make it best it can be before publication. (The downside is that not all publishing houses are genuine, and it is difficult if not impossible for a new author to recognize a scam.)
Jude Glad, my editor and a part owner of Uncial Press, has been a wonderful mentor, and has taught me more than I could have learned in a couple of years of college classes on creative writing. I will always be grateful to her. My Zodiac Series is published by Soul Mate Publishing, and owner/editor Debby Gilbert has added to my bank of knowledge in a very positive way, and I don’t know where I would be without either of them.
I was so inspired by them, that I decided to pay forward and give back to other writers what I have learned, and I started my online editing business to assist self-published authors, and give them a better chance at achieving their dreams. I have made my pricing extremely competitive because I know most writers don’t have a lot spare cash lying around. I wish I could do it for free, but editing is time-consuming, and it does take away some of my writing time.
I have done very little active promotion, but have always been busy since the inception of my editing business, thanks to word of mouth recommendations from some of my wonderful customers. I am only one person so I can only handle one manuscript at a time. I’ve had the privilege of reading and helping to optimize some wonderful stories, and fascinating non-fiction by some very talented authors.
My services include development and content editing, formatting for, and uploading to Amazon’s CreateSpace and KDP Direct, and other online self-publishing platforms, plus cover creation, I’ve also recently been asked to write someone’s memoirs, and I’ve added that. I also build websites or help create and format blogs.
Here is my address: Youselfpublish.com
Trish Jackson, Author 