tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post9221796253327276025..comments2024-03-17T11:17:53.826+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Getting it right vs. getting it 'out there' - Mari BiellaKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-70835019636945166202015-03-03T14:47:09.939+00:002015-03-03T14:47:09.939+00:00For many of us, orchestration is the closest thing...For many of us, orchestration is the closest thing we'll get to any sort of master key. Certain sorts of books take more time to write because they are longer, denser, more complex. They also take more out of us. In the old days I wrote a few longish novels on unrealistic publishing deadlines. The books turned out to be much longer than I'd planned and the pressure nearly killed me. Now my 'action mysteries' average out at 45,000 words and my little thrillers end up at 38,000-40,000 words. I find it easier to mix and match these for a somewhat regular production schedule. But I also had a substantial inventory of things that I wrote in The Desert--those 25 years when no agent would give me the time of day. All this said, my rule for releasing is strict: I release when the Muse whispers, 'Turn me loose, babe.'glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-21810691242137670202015-03-03T08:49:10.236+00:002015-03-03T08:49:10.236+00:00Hold the front page: 'Jan Needle in pro-slaver...Hold the front page: 'Jan Needle in pro-slavery shocker'.Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-9355156945175364742015-03-02T18:00:15.464+00:002015-03-02T18:00:15.464+00:00I have an awesome editor and an amazing beta reade...I have an awesome editor and an amazing beta reader. But I have to know it's right myself first.Debbie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06761474820689143835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-76645727779333887372015-03-02T17:43:25.914+00:002015-03-02T17:43:25.914+00:00I so agree with you - as self-publishers we owe it...I so agree with you - as self-publishers we owe it to ourselves to make our books as wonderful as possible. And sometimes, things just aren't good enough - I have a novel that will never see the light of day. I learned masses in the writing of it, and still feel strongly that the subject (fostering) is worth writing about. But this books is just not good enough.JOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03127111575563904349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-74875827092648176752015-03-02T17:21:12.973+00:002015-03-02T17:21:12.973+00:00i'd quite like just to have a slave, nicki'd quite like just to have a slave, nickJan Needlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823078224282953782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-47941725013337554692015-03-02T17:16:51.664+00:002015-03-02T17:16:51.664+00:00None of my self-published books have been publishe...None of my self-published books have been published on the date I set myself. I've always made it a policy to edit at least three times before I send to a professional proofreader/editor to read. When I have their feedback I then go in again and edit. I then get someone else to read for me before I publish. Even after all this there can be errors but at least I know I've tried to produce a product that has as few errors as possible. Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-17325793171176086202015-03-02T17:11:07.814+00:002015-03-02T17:11:07.814+00:00Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Jenny – I’m af...Thanks for the comments, everyone.<br /><br />Jenny – I’m afraid I’m absolutely clueless about marketing! I can see the advantages of both courses of action, but I wouldn’t like to come down firmly on either side.<br /><br />Bill & Catherine – I have slightly mixed feelings about beta readers too. However, I have found on one or two occasions that they’ve given me a perspective that I wouldn’t otherwise have had, and have helped to make the final story much stronger than it would otherwise have been. I think I really do need a good editor who’ll know what I’m trying to achieve and can help me to achieve it. Finding such a person is difficult!<br /><br />Valerie – I agree. Sometimes you can tinker with a book just that little bit too much...<br /><br />Wendy – Thank you. I agree entirely; it really is our duty.<br /><br />Nick – Just as the Romans employed slaves to remind them that they were mortal, so I sometimes think I need someone to remind me of this particular adage every time I’m about to say or write anything. :-)<br />Mari Biellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221256993468150226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-60097589666319919872015-03-02T15:54:34.710+00:002015-03-02T15:54:34.710+00:00The old maxim springs to mind:
'Better to rem...The old maxim springs to mind:<br /><br />'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt.'Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-35816246547492776772015-03-02T14:57:49.673+00:002015-03-02T14:57:49.673+00:00Very well said. I think that all self published au...Very well said. I think that all self published authors have a duty, not only to the reader, but to themselves to make sure their work is as good as it can be.Wendy H. Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022089775887274043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-9912301538227853812015-03-02T14:44:28.992+00:002015-03-02T14:44:28.992+00:00I don't go for beta readers either. Having tut...I don't go for beta readers either. Having tutored writing groups, I'm wary of the way there may be as many opinions as there are readers. But a genuine editor - a good one, not one who nitpicks for the sake of it - might be able to ask the right questions to be allow you to see the wood for the trees and make the necessary adjustments yourself. Mind you, they are rare! I was lucky enough to have one for The Physic Garden. She was doing the line editing, punctuation etc, and she loved the book. I knew something was still bugging me about the overall novel, but wasn't sure what it was. She put her finger on the problem immediately. The solution involved me writing another thousand words divided between a couple of places - clarifying something - but as soon as she pointed it out, everything else fell into place around it. Then I saw how obvious it was - but I needed her insight. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-90134885641575029912015-03-02T14:43:42.402+00:002015-03-02T14:43:42.402+00:00Some things take time and all credit to you for al...Some things take time and all credit to you for allowing the process Mari. However some of the shoddy self-pub books (and some best sellers too these days) are not the result of haste as much as hubris - writers who think they are so good they need not bother with much editing. Also of course it is possible to endlessly tinker with a book and edit it to death!Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-20465528056670971462015-03-02T10:23:48.604+00:002015-03-02T10:23:48.604+00:00Your integrity is admirable, Mari. I say that as s...Your integrity is admirable, Mari. I say that as someone guilty in the past of submitting stuff which wasn't quite ready but had to meet a deadline - nothing serious, not a novel, short story or play, but bits and pieces which had my name on them and could thus be used to identify me as a not-worth-a-second-look writer.<br />I suppose some would say that the solution to the problem you describe is to get the opinion of a beta reader but that's never worked for me. They're invaluable for 'technical' advice and illuminating blind spots, but the essence of a work (especially of the doorstop variety you describe) is intensely personal and the feeling of 'rightness' comes from something other than smoothing out a narrative arc, softening or strengthening a character and so on.<br />One thing's certain, your approach will make it highly likely that if people read one of your books they'll want to read more.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-58114014210388288212015-03-02T10:13:45.216+00:002015-03-02T10:13:45.216+00:00I've been thinking about this too, but in term...I've been thinking about this too, but in terms of launch dates. A branding and marketing friend says I should delay publication on a new book on writing until Sept/Oct because of Christmas, but other writers say get it out now, as it's ready, to support sales of 'Writing in the House of Dreams' which has a similar 'brand' look. I'm thinking, is trying to tie launching in with market bubbles as important when you don't have a publicity budget to make a big splash anyway?Jenny Alexanderhttp://www.jennyalexander.co.uknoreply@blogger.com