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Help get your book ready for publication with an
editorial service
One morning last week I found
myself peering over the shoulder of the Brimstone Corner
Police Chief studying the body of a young woman found
floating in a weedy pond. For the rest of the day I
followed the chief around town in search of the killer.
But along the way there were a few moments of
disorientation and confusion and I found myself a little
perplexed.
You see, I wasn't actually in Brimstone Corner -- I was sitting in my
recliner in Colorado reading a manuscript written by a
good friend of mine. I told my friend I thought her book
was great, so far, but there were a couple of "speed
bumps" along the way. I pointed out what I had found to
be confusing. She agreed (somewhat reluctantly) and
asked how she could fix the problems.
I told her she needed to hire an editorial service.
They would help her with:
 | spelling or grammar errors; |
| punctuation; |
| content; |
| consistency; |
| pace and energy; |
| structure.
In
other words, I told my
friend, an editorial service
will remove all of the
"speed bumps" from your
book! Then I shared with my
friend some of what I
learned from my editorial
service.
Keep it simple!
Don't try to mix too
many ideas into one
book; don't make the
plot too complicated or
you will confuse
yourself and your
readers. If a good idea
comes along that doesn't
exactly fit into your
current work, write it
down for use in the
future. If one of your
original ideas no longer
fits as your story
develops, don't be
afraid to discard that
idea - keep it to use
some other time. And,
outlining your story can
help keep you on track.
An editorial service
will help you keep your
story simple, but not
simplistic.
Keep it personal!
Without personal
stakes, not only will
your characters not be
interested in your
story, neither will your
readers. What is your
protagonist's primary
obstacle? What can
happen to increase that
obstacle? What can
happen to make the
situation even more
dire? What is the
ultimate
point-of-no-return for
your protagonist?
Imagine how your
protagonist feels at
that moment. That is a
feeling you want your
readers to share -- and
an editorial service can
help you accomplish
this.
Keep them communicating!
My editorial service taught me that a story needs action, dialog and
narrative communication.
This helps create a
three-dimensional feel to
your story. One of the best
tips I received was to show
feelings first, then action,
then speech -- for example,
instead of using this line:
"I am sorry, but
no way will I go
along with that,"
said Henry angrily.
His face turned red
and he pounded his
fist on the table.
use this line:
Wham! The dishes
jumped as Henry
pounded his fist on
the table, his face
bright red and his
eyes bulging. "No
way will I go along
with that!"
Keep the story moving!
Keep your descriptions brief. Use one or two important details, then let your reader fill in the rest using their imagination -- this gets the reader more intimately involved in the story.
Begin your story smack in the middle of some important action. Getting your protagonist involved in the problem right away will also immediately get your reader involved.
Keep your chapters short and structure your chapters to begin with a specific goal for the protagonist, the middle of the chapter should focus on a conflict, and then end the chapter with a disaster. This keeps the characters, and the reader, moving on to the next chapter.
I settled back into my recliner with a new book, and my friend went off to share Brimstone Corner with an editorial service -- then on to a publisher!
This article was written by Marti Norberg, who has worked as a reporter and managing editor for several Colorado newspapers and is an expert in the
Freelance Writing category at www.yoexpert.com
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