Hi
I'm now getting ready to publish my story The Deadly Caress on Kindle in the near future. I'd been over and over my manuscript so many times and then my dear friend and writer, Victoria Chie found more things wrong.
I decided that I needed someone to edit and proofread it because I didn't want to upload something to Kindle that wasn't as professional as it could be.
I had so many replies to my job post that I was overwhelmed.
I settled on two American editors who will be doing a substantive edit and proofread for me. I figure the more eyes the better.
I have now sent my mss to the first one.
A quick learning curve for me was to find out what sort of editing I needed. I settled on a substantive edit.
I have copied and pasted an extract below from:
www.allograph.ca/Allograph/editing/Substantive%20edit%20checklist.rtf
http://catherineryanhoward.com/?s=substantive+editing&submit=Search
TEXT
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DONE
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Structure is appropriate for the
intended audience and medium.
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Material is organized into an
appropriate structure and sequence.
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Chapter and sub-section divisions are
appropriately organized and meaningful.
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Language is appropriate for the
intended audience and medium.
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Consistent style, reading level, point
of view, and level of decorum is used.
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Appropriate stylistic and dramatic
devices are enhanced or minimized as necessary.
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Ambiguous vocabulary and syntax are
recognized and clarified.
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Statements that should be checked for
accuracy are noted for copy editor or fact checker.
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Redundancies and verbosity are
eliminated.
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Jargon that is inappropriate for the
intended audience is eliminated.
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Possible legal trouble spots (e.g.,
libel, plagiarism, missing permissions) or departures from social
acceptability (e.g., gender, ethnicity, or age bias; failure to give sources)
are identified for author
and publisher.
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Revise or cut manuscript to meet length
requirements, as necessary.
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Adapted
from the Editors’ Association of Canada’s Professional Editorial Standards book, revised edition.
Editing
During
the substantive edit, your editor will be considering the following aspects of
novel
writing
to comment on as needed:
There
may be some comments inserted at various places throughout the manuscript. At
the end
of
the manuscript or as a separate revision letter, you can expect a narrative
analysis with
suggestions
and explanations of usually about 10-20 single-spaced pages on the following
areas:
Characterization
□ Protagonist: May include: strengths, weaknesses, character arc, GMC
(goal, motivation,
conflict),
portrayal of appropriate and authentic emotions, turning points, raising
personal
stakes,
handling back story, character voice, plausibility, and other suggestions as the
editor
sees fit.
□ Antagonist: Same as
above, but additionally: special focus on
creating a believable,
three-dimensional
character with clear and understandable motivations and desires
□ Main Supporting Characters: Same as above
for protagonist: for whichever
supporting
characters the editor deems significant enough for analysis. This will be a
briefer
analysis since supporting characters are not as deeply developed in most novels.
□ Overview/Summary of characters as a whole: including general strengths, weaknesses,
suggestions
for improvement, and additional resources to help with character
development
as editor deems necessary.
Plot
□ Story Structure: May include: Inciting incident, turning points
(disasters, three-act
structure),
building the story tension, dark moment, climax, resolution, Story GMC (goal,
motivation,
conflict)
□ Pacing: May include: balance between action sequences and
reflective scenes, tension,
use
of back story, eliminating preachiness, SHIR (See-How-I-Researched), explaining,
unnecessary
scenes, extraneous sub-plots or meandering story threads, excessive
narrative
summary or irrelevant dialogue passages
□ Central Conflict: May include: discussion on ways to deepen conflict,
make it matter
more
in the story, raise public and personal stakes, heighten tension, layer
conflicts
through
sub-plots, complicate the conflict, strengthen or create turning points, and
connect
external conflict to character’s inner conflicts.
□ Plausibility and Originality: May include: suggestions for avoiding clichéd or
stereotyped
plots, encouragement to create new plot twists, making the plot more
believable
□ Other aspects of plot as editor deems
necessary
□ Overview and summary of plot: strengths, weaknesses, ways to improve,
and additional
resources
such as books, articles, websites, or groups that editor feels would be helpful
Writing
Technique—overview and general suggestions for improving the following areas as
necessary:
□ Dialogue
□ POV: deepening, limiting,
strengthening
□ Voice: writer’s own writing
voice
□ Showing, not telling
□ Narration
□ Dialogue attributions, beats, and
internalizations (thoughts)
□ Increasing tension on every page
□ Maturing overall style
□ Summary and additional resources as needed
Summary
and Further Recommendations
□ Advice regarding how to approach revisions
□ Suggested next steps beyond revision
□ Encouragement regarding overall story
potential
O.
