Comments | anghara: The Game: the copy edit

anghara

The Game: the copy edit

Mar 22, 2007 21:57

So. You've signed the contract, and the champagne flowed like a river. You knuckled under and wrote the book, and it was good, and you sat back and closed your eyes and thanked your muse. You sent the manuscript in, it got looked at, it got the "accepted" stamp on it. (You may even have received your on-acceptance check already, if you're lucky ( Read more... )

writing, writing craft, writing life

Comments 15

brownnicky March 23 2007, 08:29:26 UTC

I hate copy edits - but it has all got much easier since I started doing it
over the phone with the in-house. It takes a couple of days but all negotiations are done there and then. If I can't change a phrase on the spot we come back to it, but I usually can. It saves hours and as it's a dialogue with explanations I end up changing things I would probably just
stet if I saw them without a fuller explanation.

anghara March 23 2007, 16:17:47 UTC

What, an audio copy edit? Gaaah. The written one is bad enough, but if I had to TALK it through I'd never get it done - I at least need to see the beast in front of me...

I don't think I could write using speech recognition software, for the same reason. I don't THINK aurally, I think visually, I need to see the words before I can make sense of them...

eneit March 23 2007, 08:32:44 UTC

I think that's a reputation well worth keeping.

In other news ... I had an email from Galaxy Books today, within two weeks I will have my copy of the Unmage...although it may be a tussle between Elyse and I as to who gets to read it first *g*

keris45 March 23 2007, 09:40:10 UTC

As someone in the middle of a copy edit right this moment, one that I was given 7 days to complete when ideally it should take 2 weeks, as someone who just found out she wrote "balmy" when she meant "barmy" and "sparing" when she meant "sparring", and who had a character roll up to be given his sword, at a special ceremony, already wearing the darn thing - oh, do I sympathize!

And congrats on the initial success of the new book! That's terrific!

Glenda
www.glendalarke.blogspot.com

anghara March 23 2007, 16:19:04 UTC

...a character roll up to be given his sword, at a special ceremony, already wearing the darn thing...

[much sympathy]

Writing. You gotta love it.

mareklamo March 23 2007, 17:53:23 UTC

Eeek, you sound super-busy! Hey, just let me know if you get too frazzled for company.

anghara March 23 2007, 18:32:57 UTC

Like I said - Hell, no. Congenial company will keep me from BECOMING too frazzled.

Look forward to hearing how Jim's faring over Down Under!

writerjob March 23 2007, 22:57:33 UTC

I just sent back the line edits yesterday.

I had to write some new work -- half a chapter. Also had to tuck in some longish bits of backstory and explanation. Hard stuff to add, which I guess is why it wasn't in there in the first place.

Right now, all those passages ring false. They feel awkward and intrusive. These line edits are the devil.

Heck. I hope this all reads better in a few days, when I look at it again.

anghara March 23 2007, 23:01:12 UTC

Right now, all those passages ring false. They feel awkward and intrusive.

Oh BOY do I know what you mean.

That classic little, "can you introduce this much earlier?"...

Well, um, no, not easily. It feels like a cockleburr when I try to ram it in "earlier". It doesn't BELONG earlier. Not in my head.

Sigh.

writerjob March 23 2007, 23:30:50 UTC

Right.

There you are, plotted tight.
Every single breath is accounted for.
Every character emotion swims along like a fish in the river.

Now you have to stop and explain why this, when this, where this, who this ...
and pick the fish up off the bank and slip it back in the water again ...

I suffer badly from Writer Impostor Syndrome.
I'm not a real writer
and they're going to catch me at it, any minute.

Truly, writers need (I need) endless reassurance.

JoB