Editing can be a super pain in the ass. What about something like this:
This is where you’re using an adverb (adverbs ‘always’ end in –ly so they’re easy to spot). The adverb is modifying the verb, which means it’s making it different.
It’s adding feeling, emotion…humanity, taking that word off the page and giving it substance. That’s what modifying means.
So does the verb modify the adverb or does the adverb modify the verb?
These are good questions, and if you’re thinking about doing a good round of self-editing on your NaNo book, you’ll want to keep these things in mind.
I typically get about one book a month that I edit for someone else, and that’s when I go through and make changes just like this:
- We warmly welcomed them
- We welcomed them warmly
- Warmly welcomed
- Welcomed warmly
This is where you’re using an adverb (adverbs ‘always’ end in –ly so they’re easy to spot). The adverb is modifying the verb, which means it’s making it different.
It’s adding feeling, emotion…humanity, taking that word off the page and giving it substance. That’s what modifying means.
So does the verb modify the adverb or does the adverb modify the verb?
These are good questions, and if you’re thinking about doing a good round of self-editing on your NaNo book, you’ll want to keep these things in mind.
I typically get about one book a month that I edit for someone else, and that’s when I go through and make changes just like this:
Line editing for authors
Editing work for self-published authors
Lots of red, editing ain't dead
Those are three pages from three different editing jobs I’ve done over the past year. They’re really good examples of what line-editing looks like. How many editing jobs have I done this year? I’d say 20 to 30, the vast majority books.
But then…how do you account for all the typos you see on my blog, in my books?
While I am making the wild assumption that you actually are reading my books, I will admit that it’s harder than hell to catch your own mistakes…and I’m not just talking about typos.
Oftentimes I’ll really screw up on modifying that verb, like in that example before.
Oh, perhaps I know better, and perhaps I’ll spot that ten miles away in someone else’s writing, but in my own I can easily glance over it.
I know the story, I’m expecting the next action sequence, I’m getting really damn bored of reading this same scene again.
Those are all reasons your eyes will just gloss over these mistakes, errors, omissions and fuck-ups.
That’s why it’s good to have eyes on your books. I always accept beta reading work from people, on the stipulation that they take some from me.
That means I give them 2 chapters and they give me 2 chapters.
I usually do this because it’s a good way to see if you want to continue reading. Many times I give 2 chapters of one of my books to someone and then I never hear from them again.
I’ll go through and do MS Track Changes, just like those pictures you saw, and then send those chapters back with some notes on what I think.
Sometimes I hear back, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s because many are like, ‘damn, I can’t edit like that!’ so they’re intimidated and that’s that for beta readers.
Critique groups would be a good thing to move into at this point, talking about, at least. I did Critters back in 2010 and 2011, and the wait times to get your stuff read were really long…like 4 to 6 weeks.
Now I put a book out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plus, and I’ve said this before, what use is it having someone that doesn’t know how to write looking over your book? I mean, honestly, I’ve gotten many editing and beta reading jobs where most of the work just required the spell checker.
These are frustrating things and you can check out my whole blog category on editing to hear my thoughts on this important self-publishing topic.
I’ll write about it more, and I think I’ll include more screenshots too. They help, right?
But then…how do you account for all the typos you see on my blog, in my books?
While I am making the wild assumption that you actually are reading my books, I will admit that it’s harder than hell to catch your own mistakes…and I’m not just talking about typos.
Oftentimes I’ll really screw up on modifying that verb, like in that example before.
Oh, perhaps I know better, and perhaps I’ll spot that ten miles away in someone else’s writing, but in my own I can easily glance over it.
I know the story, I’m expecting the next action sequence, I’m getting really damn bored of reading this same scene again.
Those are all reasons your eyes will just gloss over these mistakes, errors, omissions and fuck-ups.
That’s why it’s good to have eyes on your books. I always accept beta reading work from people, on the stipulation that they take some from me.
That means I give them 2 chapters and they give me 2 chapters.
I usually do this because it’s a good way to see if you want to continue reading. Many times I give 2 chapters of one of my books to someone and then I never hear from them again.
I’ll go through and do MS Track Changes, just like those pictures you saw, and then send those chapters back with some notes on what I think.
Sometimes I hear back, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s because many are like, ‘damn, I can’t edit like that!’ so they’re intimidated and that’s that for beta readers.
Critique groups would be a good thing to move into at this point, talking about, at least. I did Critters back in 2010 and 2011, and the wait times to get your stuff read were really long…like 4 to 6 weeks.
Now I put a book out in 4 to 6 weeks.
Plus, and I’ve said this before, what use is it having someone that doesn’t know how to write looking over your book? I mean, honestly, I’ve gotten many editing and beta reading jobs where most of the work just required the spell checker.
These are frustrating things and you can check out my whole blog category on editing to hear my thoughts on this important self-publishing topic.
I’ll write about it more, and I think I’ll include more screenshots too. They help, right?
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