She wasn't kidding.
My editor-in-touch said, of the second round, that "editing was minimal". It really was -- a couple of commas and some commenting, and that was really about it.
Also, I am going to share an opinion that will not be popular with editor-types: Style manuals can be harmful to fiction.
Until and unless style manuals start addressing the fact that no one, and I mean NO ONE speaks like the only book in their formative years was a style manual, then I don't want them used on my dialogue. (My technical-editor aunt, who delights in pointing out the ambiguities of text in ads and packaging, says "these ones" when she is referring to something that is not a stack of one-dollar bills. It would be grammatically correct to say "these", but she doesn't even notice.)
I don't mind people asking 'did you mean to leave a word out, here?' or telling me that I spelled something wrong, but I don't want them applying Chicago Manual of Style conventions to Phil's speech -- conventions that he's never ever heard of. Not even Benny adheres strictly to the rules of grammar, and he's MUCH more inclind to proper speech than Phil.
(I have to admit to wondering if they rejected Steady because they simply didn't want to TRY editing the fever swamp that is Phil's POV. That kind of makes me love Phil even more, perversely enough.)
Also, I am going to share an opinion that will not be popular with editor-types: Style manuals can be harmful to fiction.
Until and unless style manuals start addressing the fact that no one, and I mean NO ONE speaks like the only book in their formative years was a style manual, then I don't want them used on my dialogue. (My technical-editor aunt, who delights in pointing out the ambiguities of text in ads and packaging, says "these ones" when she is referring to something that is not a stack of one-dollar bills. It would be grammatically correct to say "these", but she doesn't even notice.)
I don't mind people asking 'did you mean to leave a word out, here?' or telling me that I spelled something wrong, but I don't want them applying Chicago Manual of Style conventions to Phil's speech -- conventions that he's never ever heard of. Not even Benny adheres strictly to the rules of grammar, and he's MUCH more inclind to proper speech than Phil.
(I have to admit to wondering if they rejected Steady because they simply didn't want to TRY editing the fever swamp that is Phil's POV. That kind of makes me love Phil even more, perversely enough.)