Blogger: Michelle Ule
Filling in for Wendy Lawton, who is traveling on business today.
When I finished writing my first novella,I felt proud about completing it several weeks before the deadline. I tweaked it a bit here and there, used a word census to make sure I’d crafted it well, but was pretty confident about the quality.
I felt sentimental about sending it off the editor in the publishing house, far from the cozy computer where the manuscript and I had lived together for so many weeks.
Then I forgot about it, except with nostalgic fondness. I expected to see it next in print. Thrilling!
Except, what I saw next wasn’t a printed and bound book.
It had been through the editing process by a real live professional editor, and now it was time for me to work on the COPY EDITS. I had no idea I would have the opportunity–and responsibility–to review what the editor had done and make corrections to my baby. Sometimes the editor asks you questions about a segment of the manuscript. Sometimes the editor has changed wording, and you can weigh in on whether you think the change works. Other times the editor suggests you make a change that adjusts a thread running through the entire manuscript.
For me, this was my last chance before The Dogtrot Christmas would be published to review all the work that had been done on it since I saw it last.
I was given a couple of weeks to complete my review. But I was leaving, soon, for Budapest!
What was I going to do?
For me, copy edits were the biggest surprise in the publishing process.
Here are three tips to help make the process less dramatic.
1. Be aware the copy edits are coming.
That was my first mistake.
I didn’t realize how the process worked, and so I didn’t plan for the time needed for the copy edits, nor the fact they were coming. That’s happened to a number of my friends too.
Once you know you’ll be receiving them, you can anticipate and make arrangements to keep your personal schedule relatively open for the time they’re expected–usually within a couple of months of turning in your manuscript.
But, they arrive like labor–often coming when you least expect them or when life is intruding in other ways.
This can be particularly difficult when you’re already deep in the writing of your next book. You have to set it aside and return to a manuscript you thought you’d finished months before. You have to immerse yourself back into that world–remembering the plot, characters’ names and your theme.
Meanwhile, your mind may still be clicking along with the other story, and it takes willpower to focus on the task at hand–reviewing what your editor has said or changed (using track changes–you don’t know how to use track changes? Learn now before you’re thrust into the middle of copy edits!)
Several author friends have found themselves in inconvenient spots in life when the copy edits arrive.
Which brings us to point number two:
2. Stay in contact with your editor.
If you have a pressing personal engagement coming up–say getting married, having a baby, overseeing a wedding, traveling to Europe for a month–let your editor know upfront. That doesn’t mean the edits won’t come at an inopportune time, but it’s possible arrangements can be made.
You want to do your best job with your edits. The earlier you can let the publisher know you may have problems with the schedule, the better for all.
Similarly, you should try to give yourself some buffer room in your schedule about the time you expect edits. Perhaps your editor can give you a time frame.
In my case, I was able to complete my edits pretty quickly and made the plane to Budapest easily–with a big chore out of the way. (I wrote about that experience here).
One friend, however, was on a very tight schedule, and her edits arrived just before she flew to the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference. We saw little of her at the conference. Any time she wasn’t attending a class, she was in her cabin working on her edits.
I was impressed.
Sometimes, however, events get out of control–whether in your life or that of your editor. That’s the reason for the third point:
3. Make sure your agent is informed.
As in any step of the publishing process, if you have even the slightest inkling of a problem that could hamper your ability to perform as you pledged to in your contract, let you agent know as soon as possible.
If you have a family crisis, let your agent know. Sometimes there is wriggle room in the editing process if your agent knows early on.
Even if you are hopeful you can finish in time and will work like a banshee to see it through, let your agent know–just in case.
Agents are people, they understand how life works. Let him or her contact the publishing house if you’re going to miss your deadline.
In the meantime, happy editing! (Even if, as in my case last week, it means you’re getting up at 4:30 to edit for three hours before the Thanksgiving house guests wake up…)
What techniques have you used to ensure you get your edits done on time?
Tweetables
Copy Editing: Make sure you know Track Changes! Click to Tweet
3 Steps to make copy editing less dramatic. Click to Tweet
Potential personal problems? Let your agent know early! Click to Tweet
There are two words that guide me: Work early. I like to work early on the calendar, completing work ahead of time. That allows for the unexpected. I also like to work early in the day, before the distractions begin.
The word census concept is described here. If you’ll send me an email to michelle@booksandsuch.com, I’m happy to send a copy of the macro, free! 🙂
https://booksandsuch.com/blog/manuscripts-finishing-touches/
And sometimes there are more stages than just copy editing. My manuscripts go through content edits (I once rewrote a third of a 110K book in five weeks). Once those edits are approved, then comes the line edits, which could still involve significant writing/rewriting if needed. Then comes copy edits, getting down to the nitty gritty word choice, consistency, etc. After that, the stage I’m at right now with my April release, The Wood’s Edge, comes proofreading the typeset pages. This is the final stage for me. And nothing can be changed except very minor, crucial stuff. Yet this writer is still mentally rewriting sentences, wanting to slip in one here, take one out there. But it’s too late for that!
A book is never really done, is it? 🙂
I I thought of you when I wrote this, Lori, but didn’t remember enough of your story!
I don’t think it’s ever done, but you have to draw a line somewhere, which I suppose is the final edit!
But after spending so much time in that world, knowing the characters better than your own family, the itch to improve never seems to go away!
I’m in withdrawal today myself . . .
If you need an eagle eye to help with those copy edits, I’m your girl. Hey, ANY time you need help, I’m here.
I’m selfless like that, always willing to help…myself get my hands on your next book!!!
Michelle, as a pre-dubbed writer, it’s always good to get a glimpse of “the other side” of the publishing journey. I appreciate your insights here! It’s so good to remember that writers don’t walk the journey alone–keeping in touch with the agent and editor in the process helps everyone.
Great post!
Thanks, Jeanne. As noted, I completely forgot edits were coming and was unprepared in a lot of ways! Forewarned is forearmed!
I’m one who’d re-write until I’d used up every word in the English language. But hey, I do know a bit of Spanish and French, right?!?!?!
I have a “get this done by June” deadline. So now I’m doing the math backward and figuring out just when I MUST have the MS done and sent to the editor, have her do her thing, get it back, factor in the time for me to tweak things to my specs, and then let it all sit for a week or two, go back in and read it through, THEN send it off to my agent.
I’ve lived in the People’s Democratic Republic of Murpheyslawistan for too long to not know something will go wrong. And it usually does. And I usually scream “why didn’t I think of that?”
So I should just hush up and wait for my day of hair-pulling and be MUCHO thankful that Saint Mary of Keeley is on top of things, and that she has a degree in patience. Actually, earned Ph.Ds in Patience, and Writer Therapy.
That’s the best way to handle it, Jennifer, particularly with as busy a life as you lead. I like to finish a month before deadline, to make sure I’ve got everything in place and hopefully find some innocent, er, interested beta reader . . .
Michelle, I’m glad you brought up beta readers. At what point in the process should the MS be sent to them?
I thought I had read every word in print about the publishing process, but the term “track changes” is new to me. Perhaps we could have a future blog on that topic?
Sheila–
Track changes is part of Microsoft Word and is used when editing. It’s under “Review” if you’ve got Word.
With Track changes turned on, someone can work on your manuscript and you can see what they’ve done–delete words, rearrange sentences, whatever. There’s also a comments section that runs down the right side where you can “discuss” what’s happening in the manuscript, where the editor will ask questions and perhaps make suggestions.
The writing is color coded, so you can tell the difference between yourself and your editor and when changes are made in the manuscript it, too, comes up in a different color.
It’s invaluable and I’d invite you to try it–though not on a love letter to or from someone . . . 🙂
That’s so funny, Michelle! My hubby teases that I always edited his love letters. So not true. Well?? 🙂 Wow … as long ago as that was … you’d think I’d have things down fairly good by now … but writing correctly is a never ending process for me.
I’ve also written a blog post about track changes, if you’re interested. 🙂
A most helpful post, Michelle. While I’m a long way from this stage of the process, you can be assured the information you provide is going into my handy file of resources. Thank you!
Thanks, Mickey, that was the point–to spare some of you the embarrassment I went through with that first edit and a foreign trip looming! 🙂
I can use track changes, but I confess to a preference for pen and paper. Hand-written changes seem like suggestions. Typed changes feel like demands. Of course, feelings aren’t necessarily rational.
Amen, Shirlee! 🙂
Yes, but … All that paper! It’s just so much easier to do it digitally. This coming from someone who does it for a living. 🙂
Michelle,
Loved learning more about your process! (I have an acquaintance who still insists, “Well, when I finish MY book, no one’s touching it! If I want something changed, I’ll be the one to change it.) Needless to say, I just smile and nod. I save the giggles for later. 😉
Oh… and a word about Track Changes. Greatest thing EVER, but it does take a knack to learn. Jamie Chavez offers many great blog posts on the subject for those who’d like to check them out. (And I believe Jamie has discussed just about everything from A to Z on her site.) She’s a great go-to resource!
Looking forward to your future books, Michelle! (I love your website blogs, too, BTW. You make history FUN!)
“Save the giggles for later.” I love that, Cynthia! It reminds me of a young woman who took care of my son in the church nursery when he was a toddler. She made snide comments about his behavior more than once. Until she had a boy of her own. 🙂
Gotta love it, Karen!!! 🙂
Jamie Chavez doles out a wealth of knowledge, humor, and realistic glimpses of the writing life on her blog. I’m glad you made mention of it, Cynthia.
Today is my day! Thanks, y’all! xox
Thank you, honey! Yes, I have a post on how to do track changes. 🙂
Thanks, Cynthia, for the compliment and for pointing us to Jamie’s blog.
Here’s the link which hopefully will explain all on Track Changes: http://www.jamiechavez.com/blog/2013/02/track-changes-is-your-friend-mine-too/
Oh–a side note.
Folks at Write to Done are sponsoring a Top 10 Blogs for Writers contest. Let’s show our support for our Books and Such team!
I’d like to invite our Books and Such community to cast their vote here: http://writetodone.com/top-10-blogs-for-writers-contest/
It only takes a moment to vote. You can make your voice heard until 12/24.
Thanks to your nudge, I made my opinion known on Write to Done. 🙂
Thanks again!
Done! Thanks for the link, Cynthia. You can’t make it any easier.
Delighted to share, ladies!
I was reading the first section, thinking–“Uh-huh, and the edits will always come at the worst time, like when you’re leaving for a conference.” And then BAM (as my 12-year-old is fond of saying), you put that in. 🙂 I’m not sure if you were talking about me or some other friend, but one thing about doing edits at a writers conference–it’s an inspiring atmosphere and you get lots of sympathy from your fellow writers (unlike home where they’d prefer you were cooking dinner or doing laundry). A writer I admire once told me to count on edits always arriving at the worst possible time. Very true, but I’m still thankful to be doing edits at all.
Of course I was thinking of you . . . We were very impressed by your dedication and you’re right, having edits to do is an honor.
Ha Ha, that was me too. I was up at the same time writing before Thanksgiving this year, trying like mad to finish NaNoWriMo, which I did.
But yeah, I’m just having my first experience with a “yes” from a publisher and my first plunge into working with an editor. After so many years of “No” it is just thrilling to get to have an editor, so even during the hard parts I am having a blast.
Great article – and one I wished I could have read before being published. When I got my first contract, my husband sat me down to put together a calendar/schedule to keep me on track. He asked, “So what date will the copy edits arrive?” Me: “When they come.” He (with his favorite “Didn’t you hear me, woman?” look): “No, what DATE will they arrive? I need to put it into the program.” Me: “I don’t know. Sometime between December and April, I imagine.” [Repeat last two lines of dialogue several times with minor variations and increasing frustration]. He: “I give up!”
So…after several books releasing in August over a few years, I thought I had the timeline down. My copy edits arrived in February and the page proofs in March. Got it! Then this year they arrived in November. Right before heading to LA for a week for Thanksgiving. So much for my pretty schedule 🙂 Clear everything off the desk and get to work. And I got it done in time. Although I DID use overnight mail 🙂
Yep, the best laid plans . . . don’t always work. 🙂
I love this blog. I have been reading and lurking for a bit. I have what I hope is a related question, if not just beat me over the head and send me in the right direction. Can anyone tell me where to find out what the max word count is for a memoir? I have researched this in book stores and the length seems to be all over the place My book covers most of my life from childhood to my 50’s because of a spiritual epiphany that happened in my adulthood (I can talk to angels). This spiritual gift enabled me to overcome some pretty horrific experiences at the hands of my alcoholic parents and Mob grandparents. My manuscript is 120,000 words in length. It has been rewritten and edited 12 times. I have been writing professionally over 27 years. Thanks in advance for your help.
Michelle, I knew copy edits were part of the process, but now I have a much better understanding of what to expect. Thanks for the insight.