One Year Later: The Real Definition of “Edit”

 “Edit” is simply not a strong enough word to describe the degree of scrutiny, nor the number of times the extreme scrutiny needs to take place when it comes to preparing a novel for publication.  Let’s put it this way…let’s say your knee hurts.  You can 1) take Motrin, or 2) have a total knee replacement followed by a bunch of physical therapy.  Or you have a face full of unwanted wrinkles; you can 1) use Oil of Olay and a lot of positive thinking, or 2) have a complete facelift akin to ironing those wrinkles out.  And of course both of those examples have a broad range of options in between. 

On my literary version of the knee pain/wrinkled face things, I chose a treatment range “in between” to tend my need, the editing of The Unlikely Savior.  I had a large novel, and even after reading through a couple of times myself, I figured another set of eyes would be good (smugly believing my friend and confidant would only find few mechanical errors – after all, I used spell check!).  I swallowed my pride when she found lots of errors.  Then I gave it to my Mom to read, mostly to see how she liked it.  She gently pointed out a few problems.

I had to acknowledge the fact that my research had indeed revealed that as an independent/self-published author you can cut out a lot of expenses, but professional editing should not be one of those cuts.  After checking the cost of editing and patting myself on the back for being a better than average writer, I decided I could be the exception to that rule.  But still, when my cousin, a one-time editor, offered to take a look at my book for free (although I insisted a steak dinner should be the minimum fee), I took her up on it.  And she also found plenty of grammatical and spelling, as well as content errors.  How could this be!?  But I gratefully incorporated her edits and published that book.

 Now I know I’ve told a few of these stories in previous blogs as it was happening, but in light of recent developments, it bears re-mentioning.  Good and kind readers of the novel, some whom I knew, others, not so much (although we are now friends), gave me marvelous feedback about the novel, plot and characters, then slipped in the offer to inform me of a few errors they’d found in the text.  Really?!

So…fast forward to several months later after multiple re-publishings to fix new-found problems (that’s the beauty of being self-published in the digital age) and starting the next novel, I see that my reviews are very good and my book marketer has great plans.  I decide it’s time to get real about this.  I’m writing a sequel and if my marketer is any good, its publication will prompt more purchases of the first book.  Besides, there are several million – OK–billion, people who have not read The Unlikely Savior.  That means there are that many people who can still get a perfect product when they purchase the book.  The product everyone should have gotten in the first place.

So, I did it…I won’t tell you how much it costs to have a book professionally edited, but suffice to say, in my case, it’s more than I’ve made in total sales.  What’s the first thing the representative tells me when he hears my sad story?  “Don’t be so hard on yourself, did you know that even in the big publishing houses, they require 8-11 rounds of complete professional editing?”

No.  I did not know that.  Would have been very nice to know that months ago – it may have prevented the repeated self-flagellation.  But more importantly, I might have been more patient and delayed publishing the first – or subsequent times, till not only multiple edits, but a final paid, scrub was complete.  Not because I’m Monkishly OCD and need it to be perfect – but because people (some of you) paid for it and it should have been ready.  And because my name is on it.  OK, and also because just a little bit of Monk’s blood runs in my veins.

So, I got the book back after six weeks with a big, reputable company and received fabulous feedback on the general condition of the novel (although I’m certain they made several hundred “minor technical edits”) along with even better feedback about my writing and the story itself.  Yes, along with their final disclaimer to be aware that all novels need multiple editings, professional and otherwise, and even their finished product might have lingering flaws.  What?!  Alas, I was thrilled with their performance, however, and will use them for all future novels, after I have gone through the rigorous process I used before.

So, as I review their review – and sure enough, I’m catching a few things that could stand tweaking, it also prepares me to fully immerse myself in Part II; good idea since I finished writing Part I a year ago and it’s been almost as long since I read it.

In another body-book comparison, let me say that I always told doctors that if the term “voluntary” precedes the word “surgery,” I will opt out.  But in light of recent novel ailments, I’ve adapted a new philosophy.  I still will not go under the knife with my body, if given a choice, but all of my future novels shall.  They will receive the full knee replacement, the physical therapy and/or the total ironing, and I will sit patiently in the waiting room, even at the expense of delaying publication.  Patience is not my strong suit, but I swear, I’ll do it!

What I’ve learned for you?  If you write the perfect book and are ready to publish it…have your friend read it, have your mother read it, have a book club read it…have me read it, have the mailman read it.  Then find get out your checkbook for the real surgery…a professional editor.  And…read it again!