My multipart series chronicles the ups and downs of an ordinary person striving to becoming a novelist in the real world. The series will span more than five decades.
"This wasn’t something like “we caught a typo on page 74 and fixed a minor grammatical error on page 212 and now we’re ready to go.” Nope. This was about tearing it apart and putting it back together again."
This is astonishing. If the ms needed that much work, how did it get by the agent, much less the publisher?
Well, there's a difference between "needing" that much work and simply going through the publisher's standard process. I probably exaggerated when I said we "tore it apart." It really was just more about removing the about 5,000 words of backstory and cleaning up the issues this created.
Thanks Jim. The reason I'm surprised is agents and those publishers who don't require an agent all say the same thing. They want a market-ready ms, carefully proofed, beta-read, ready to go. Clearly you did something right, and bravo. Especially since a submission needing this kind of work would create an automatic rejection. You would think.
In terms of agents and publishers, it was market ready. Otherwise, it never would have been accepted. But market ready and being massaged to the publisher's tastes can be two different things. At least, it was back then. Maybe things are different now. Regardless, all my books - self-published or not - go through beta readers and editors. And I'm a lifelong writer and editor myself. But I would guess that at least today's large publishers don't accept a work and then publish it as is. They have a process that they follow. It could be today's midsize and small publishers do that nowadays. I really don't know.
Not at all! The way things have changed starting in 2007 and continued to worsen since then has changed the game in an intensely upsetting way. It has always been difficult to land an agent and/or publisher, especially a top agent and a midsize or larger publisher, but it's more difficult now than ever. I gave up trying around 2018 or so. I'm too old to wait months and sometimes even years for rejection after rejection. At this point, I'd rather just do it myself and let the chips fall where they may.
That could well be. My last traditionally published book was way back in 2016. I've been self-publishing since then, for a variety of reasons. That's an interesting question. Because one thing's for certain, it's not cheap to do it the way it was done back then. Plus the publisher paid for two professional audio books.
To let go of what you think should be done with your story and work with an editor must be difficult. Yet, you have achieved the level of having an editor. Did the editor make your story better, Jim?
Hi James! Thanks for the comment. I think there's no question the editor improved it a lot. But not all things are entirely black and white. In most ways it was improved, but in a few ways I'm not so sure. I'll be talking more about this as the series progresses.
"This wasn’t something like “we caught a typo on page 74 and fixed a minor grammatical error on page 212 and now we’re ready to go.” Nope. This was about tearing it apart and putting it back together again."
This is astonishing. If the ms needed that much work, how did it get by the agent, much less the publisher?
Well, there's a difference between "needing" that much work and simply going through the publisher's standard process. I probably exaggerated when I said we "tore it apart." It really was just more about removing the about 5,000 words of backstory and cleaning up the issues this created.
Thanks Jim. The reason I'm surprised is agents and those publishers who don't require an agent all say the same thing. They want a market-ready ms, carefully proofed, beta-read, ready to go. Clearly you did something right, and bravo. Especially since a submission needing this kind of work would create an automatic rejection. You would think.
In terms of agents and publishers, it was market ready. Otherwise, it never would have been accepted. But market ready and being massaged to the publisher's tastes can be two different things. At least, it was back then. Maybe things are different now. Regardless, all my books - self-published or not - go through beta readers and editors. And I'm a lifelong writer and editor myself. But I would guess that at least today's large publishers don't accept a work and then publish it as is. They have a process that they follow. It could be today's midsize and small publishers do that nowadays. I really don't know.
Yes as I say you're doing something right. And I'm doing something wrong. waaaaaaah! : )
Not at all! The way things have changed starting in 2007 and continued to worsen since then has changed the game in an intensely upsetting way. It has always been difficult to land an agent and/or publisher, especially a top agent and a midsize or larger publisher, but it's more difficult now than ever. I gave up trying around 2018 or so. I'm too old to wait months and sometimes even years for rejection after rejection. At this point, I'd rather just do it myself and let the chips fall where they may.
Thanks Jim! Many questions but you seem to be covering some as we go.
As always, a good read by a great writer!
And vice versa!!!
I have a feeling that kind of editorial input is a rare thing nowadays.
That could well be. My last traditionally published book was way back in 2016. I've been self-publishing since then, for a variety of reasons. That's an interesting question. Because one thing's for certain, it's not cheap to do it the way it was done back then. Plus the publisher paid for two professional audio books.
I'm reading. Thanks for this.
Hi Joan. Thanks! Do you mean you're reading my Substack series or one of my books?
I'm reading your Substack series. I've read several of the books. Again, congratulations!
To let go of what you think should be done with your story and work with an editor must be difficult. Yet, you have achieved the level of having an editor. Did the editor make your story better, Jim?
Hi James! Thanks for the comment. I think there's no question the editor improved it a lot. But not all things are entirely black and white. In most ways it was improved, but in a few ways I'm not so sure. I'll be talking more about this as the series progresses.