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A Night in the Cells with….Shannon Cook
Tonight, discerning reader, we have a particular type of ne’r do well in the cells. She calls herself a copy-editor and claims to provide an affordable and reliable service for self-published authors wanting to improve their work. Last I checked, there were a lot of self-published authors forgoing editing services altogether, which makes her story a little suspect. After all, we all know how to use a spell-check and to right-click on anything with a green-squiggly underline. I’m pretty certain that’s all there is to it.
Let’s find out a little about her. Shannon was born in Tennessee in 1977. The first library book she ever checked out was Lois Lenski’s The Little Auto, at the ripe old age of three. Growing up, she always dreamed of having a job that revolved around reading books. After studying creative writing at Marlboro College and then doing all manner of things unrelated to those studies, she answered a help wanted ad for Dreamspinner Press. She’s been working with Dreamspinner as a freelance proofreader and editor for over two years now and has recently begun offering copy editing services to independent authors.
Q: Tell me, Shannon, what does a copy-editor do? Aren’t you just a human spell check?
A: A copy editor (also often referred to as a proofreader) corrects all those little errors that can trip your reader up and pull them out of your story. Incorrect grammar and punctuation, missed words, shifts in verb tense, continuity errors. And yes, spelling, too. I go a little deeper than that, though, when I feel it’s necessary. If I come across something that, as a reader, I might question or misunderstand, I point that out and make suggestions on how to fix it. Spell check definitely doesn’t do all that, unless it’s been upgraded since I got Word 2010.
Q: Can you describe your copyediting process?
A: First, a shot of whiskey. Kidding, of course. I prefer tequila. Normally I just dive right in, going slowly, making sure I’m reading absolutely every word. I fix the smaller, easier errors along the way, and then if there’s anything that’s more involved, like a really awkward sentence or something kind of unusual that I’m not certain how to fix offhand, I’ll flag that with a comment and go back later to address it in-depth. After I’ve gone through the entire manuscript and made all my corrections and suggestions, I go back through each change one more time and double check my own work. The last thing I want to do is introduce errors when I’m trying to fix them!
Q: There are a lot of apps, programs and functions (e.g spelling and grammar checkers) that are supposed to assist writers with the technical aspects of their craft. Do you find these help or hinder authors in their pursuit of a flawless manuscript?
A: I definitely think they can be helpful up to a point and can be a good learning tool for someone who’s just starting out. It’s really a matter of deciding when to adhere to the guidance a particular program is giving and when to just do your own thing. For instance, if you know you’re a terrible speller, maybe take a look at what your spell check has to tell you. But if you deliberately write with lots of sentence fragments, grammar check is probably going to make you want to scream. I think it’s important to remember that no program is going to be comprehensive or understand how to play with language the way an actual human being does. That said, I do leave my grammar check and spell check on, but I generally end up ignoring them.
Q: The publishing industry has changed dramatically over the years with the advent of a more credible self-publishing model. Some say it’s for the worse, with literary standards dropping, others say the change has been long overdue. What’s your take on the last few years?
A: I think the changes in publishing are great, and I’m definitely not just saying that because it means I don’t have to work for a big publishing house. There are always going to be people who say the sky is falling and standards right along with it. But there are so many people who have great stories to tell, and the last few years have given them a chance to send those stories out to the rest of us without having to jump through a lot of hoops or get someone’s permission first. I think that’s a truly wonderful thing. So far as standards, I think most authors take their work pretty seriously, so I don’t see that being an issue in the big scheme of things. Plus, I think readers can be trusted to recognize and appreciate quality much more than they’re given credit for by some people in the publishing industry.
Q: What are the most common errors you see in an authors work?
A: I see a lot of errors where an author clearly has a particular word in mind, but they’ve written a similar word instead, something that is either a homophone or a random misspelling that’s one letter off. For instance, “coach” instead of “couch” or “flash” instead of “flush.” It can certainly make for some entertaining reading.
Q: What advice would you give to new authors?
A: Invest in your work. Invest the time to make your story what you want it to be. Get feedback from people you trust. Join an online community, even if all you ever do there is lurk. There are so many authors out there willing to share their wisdom and experience (or to just commiserate for a while, if that’s what you need). As solitary as writing can be, you really don’t have to go it alone. And most importantly, when your manuscript is finally done, hire a copy editor!
Well, it sounds like that all checks out. Looks like we’re releasing another one with no charges. Sigh. RELEASE THE PRISONER!
Let’s find out a little about her. Shannon was born in Tennessee in 1977. The first library book she ever checked out was Lois Lenski’s The Little Auto, at the ripe old age of three. Growing up, she always dreamed of having a job that revolved around reading books. After studying creative writing at Marlboro College and then doing all manner of things unrelated to those studies, she answered a help wanted ad for Dreamspinner Press. She’s been working with Dreamspinner as a freelance proofreader and editor for over two years now and has recently begun offering copy editing services to independent authors.
Q: Tell me, Shannon, what does a copy-editor do? Aren’t you just a human spell check?
A: A copy editor (also often referred to as a proofreader) corrects all those little errors that can trip your reader up and pull them out of your story. Incorrect grammar and punctuation, missed words, shifts in verb tense, continuity errors. And yes, spelling, too. I go a little deeper than that, though, when I feel it’s necessary. If I come across something that, as a reader, I might question or misunderstand, I point that out and make suggestions on how to fix it. Spell check definitely doesn’t do all that, unless it’s been upgraded since I got Word 2010.
Q: Can you describe your copyediting process?
A: First, a shot of whiskey. Kidding, of course. I prefer tequila. Normally I just dive right in, going slowly, making sure I’m reading absolutely every word. I fix the smaller, easier errors along the way, and then if there’s anything that’s more involved, like a really awkward sentence or something kind of unusual that I’m not certain how to fix offhand, I’ll flag that with a comment and go back later to address it in-depth. After I’ve gone through the entire manuscript and made all my corrections and suggestions, I go back through each change one more time and double check my own work. The last thing I want to do is introduce errors when I’m trying to fix them!
Q: There are a lot of apps, programs and functions (e.g spelling and grammar checkers) that are supposed to assist writers with the technical aspects of their craft. Do you find these help or hinder authors in their pursuit of a flawless manuscript?
A: I definitely think they can be helpful up to a point and can be a good learning tool for someone who’s just starting out. It’s really a matter of deciding when to adhere to the guidance a particular program is giving and when to just do your own thing. For instance, if you know you’re a terrible speller, maybe take a look at what your spell check has to tell you. But if you deliberately write with lots of sentence fragments, grammar check is probably going to make you want to scream. I think it’s important to remember that no program is going to be comprehensive or understand how to play with language the way an actual human being does. That said, I do leave my grammar check and spell check on, but I generally end up ignoring them.
Q: The publishing industry has changed dramatically over the years with the advent of a more credible self-publishing model. Some say it’s for the worse, with literary standards dropping, others say the change has been long overdue. What’s your take on the last few years?
A: I think the changes in publishing are great, and I’m definitely not just saying that because it means I don’t have to work for a big publishing house. There are always going to be people who say the sky is falling and standards right along with it. But there are so many people who have great stories to tell, and the last few years have given them a chance to send those stories out to the rest of us without having to jump through a lot of hoops or get someone’s permission first. I think that’s a truly wonderful thing. So far as standards, I think most authors take their work pretty seriously, so I don’t see that being an issue in the big scheme of things. Plus, I think readers can be trusted to recognize and appreciate quality much more than they’re given credit for by some people in the publishing industry.
Q: What are the most common errors you see in an authors work?
A: I see a lot of errors where an author clearly has a particular word in mind, but they’ve written a similar word instead, something that is either a homophone or a random misspelling that’s one letter off. For instance, “coach” instead of “couch” or “flash” instead of “flush.” It can certainly make for some entertaining reading.
Q: What advice would you give to new authors?
A: Invest in your work. Invest the time to make your story what you want it to be. Get feedback from people you trust. Join an online community, even if all you ever do there is lurk. There are so many authors out there willing to share their wisdom and experience (or to just commiserate for a while, if that’s what you need). As solitary as writing can be, you really don’t have to go it alone. And most importantly, when your manuscript is finally done, hire a copy editor!
Well, it sounds like that all checks out. Looks like we’re releasing another one with no charges. Sigh. RELEASE THE PRISONER!
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