Emily March Fans discussion
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Quick Updates from the Moderators
Just a quick update today - to thank all of the new members who joined the group last week! Thank you so much and welcome! We have 239 members now and that is really exciting - growth is always a wonderful thing. Please contact the moderators if we can help you in any way!
I agree about the song"God Bless the Broken Road". It comes to mind when I think things should go a certain way and they are not going that way. JinaI think that that song is true and really fits all of the characters in Eternity Springs except maybe Celeste.
Enjoy most of the songs. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to add God Bless the Broken Road right now. It's a new one for me and I'm looking forward to it.
Would it help if I created an iTunes playlist from these songs? I can do that if there are people who would enjoy it. I have a trial subscription to Apple Music, so it allows me to create and share playlists with other iTunes customers...
Would it help if I created an iTunes playlist from these songs? I can do that if there are people who would enjoy it. I have a trial subscription to Apple Music, so it allows me to create and share playlists with other iTunes customers...
I remember this song now!! I love it! It's on our Spotify playlist too -- and it's on my playlist for the novel I'm writing...I love to write to music. Thanks for sharing it, Jina and reminding me, Melinda!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/god...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/god...
I meant to say Happy #Booklovers Day, everyone! What a wonderful time to be reading a great book series with such caring and compassionate people. I can't tell you how much it means to me to be celebrating it all summer long - and into the fall - with you.
Mod
Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.
Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book."Here is the link to the Reflection Point book. Don't know why it isn't on the front page.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
Brandi wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.""Thank you
Lesley wrote: "Brandi wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.""
Thank you"
Hi, everyone - for some reason, the folder was hidden, a whole new experience for me - but after digging through the help menu, I was able to get it to show up on the home page. Thanks so much for alerting me to the problem and for your patience while I played around this afternoon.
Thank you"
Hi, everyone - for some reason, the folder was hidden, a whole new experience for me - but after digging through the help menu, I was able to get it to show up on the home page. Thanks so much for alerting me to the problem and for your patience while I played around this afternoon.
Paula wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Brandi wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.""Thank you"
Hi, everyone - for some ..."
You are very welcome, thank you for fixing it.
Wow, here we are again, getting ready to start talking about another Eternity Springs novel (not that we haven't started mentioning it already...in our excitement). So here's your quick update for Tuesday:
1. I will follow up and make a list of songs on our Eternity Springs Playlist and post them this afternoon or early this evening, Pacific Time.
2. I'll be doing the random draw for this month's giveaway - the Kate Spade compact - and announcing it tomorrow.
3. Also tomorrow, I'll announce the Nightingale Way giveaway - prize(s) and entry "rules"... stay tuned.
4. I need to mention that I'm a bit slow on the uptake today because I've been fighting a summer flu-like illness and it has made it difficult to do any reading for the past 24 hours - the headache is fierce. So excuse me if it takes a bit longer than normal to respond to your comments - I will be all over it again as soon as this momentary misery runs its course.
5. I'm posting one LAST topic in the Lover's Leap discussion folder today, if you're interested in commenting as we close out our read/re-read of that wonderful book.
6. Peace and joy be with you all today.
1. I will follow up and make a list of songs on our Eternity Springs Playlist and post them this afternoon or early this evening, Pacific Time.
2. I'll be doing the random draw for this month's giveaway - the Kate Spade compact - and announcing it tomorrow.
3. Also tomorrow, I'll announce the Nightingale Way giveaway - prize(s) and entry "rules"... stay tuned.
4. I need to mention that I'm a bit slow on the uptake today because I've been fighting a summer flu-like illness and it has made it difficult to do any reading for the past 24 hours - the headache is fierce. So excuse me if it takes a bit longer than normal to respond to your comments - I will be all over it again as soon as this momentary misery runs its course.
5. I'm posting one LAST topic in the Lover's Leap discussion folder today, if you're interested in commenting as we close out our read/re-read of that wonderful book.
6. Peace and joy be with you all today.
Paula, I hope you feel better soon. A summer cold/flu seems to be worse than a winter one to me. Thank you for keeping up with everything even though you are sick. You are in my prayers for a quick recovery.
Paula wrote: "Wow, here we are again, getting ready to start talking about another Eternity Springs novel (not that we haven't started mentioning it already...in our excitement). So here's your quick update for ..."Hope you feel better, Paula!
Thank you for your well-wishes, everyone. I was felled like a tree this afternoon and am sending this message from my mattress.
I wish you all well for tonight and will catch up tomorrow morning. I am under the very skilled care of my husband, who is also a nurse. LOL.
I wish you all well for tonight and will catch up tomorrow morning. I am under the very skilled care of my husband, who is also a nurse. LOL.
Paula wrote: "I remember this song now!! I love it! It's on our Spotify playlist too -- and it's on my playlist for the novel I'm writing...I love to write to music. Thanks for sharing it, Jina and reminding me,..."I'd love to know more about the novel you're writing. Is it romantic comedy, historical fiction, one of those steamy love stories... come on spill. Then let us know what it's called and where to get it. I will be first in line to buy a copy on release day!
Sincerely,
Jina Gibbs
Ps. I hope you feel better soon. My family had something circulate last week, hot then chills, bad headache and nauseous. It passed in 2 days time for each of us. I said a healing prayer for you so you can get back to reading/writing. Take care.
Jina wrote: "Paula wrote: "I remember this song now!! I love it! It's on our Spotify playlist too -- and it's on my playlist for the novel I'm writing...I love to write to music. Thanks for sharing it, Jina and..."
Thank you Jina.That sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with, just add muscle and joint aches and that's the clinical picture. I just crawled out of bed after 15 hours practically dead to the world. So far, so good!
A little about the novel: It's called Where Angels Lie. It's a dark but hopeful love story set around the holidays. The synopsis, a chapter excerpt, and the first teaser photo are here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
It will publish on Amazon in ebook format in late November, and a print version will also be available.
Thank you Jina.That sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with, just add muscle and joint aches and that's the clinical picture. I just crawled out of bed after 15 hours practically dead to the world. So far, so good!
A little about the novel: It's called Where Angels Lie. It's a dark but hopeful love story set around the holidays. The synopsis, a chapter excerpt, and the first teaser photo are here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
It will publish on Amazon in ebook format in late November, and a print version will also be available.
Lesley wrote: "Paula wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Brandi wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.""Thank you"
Hi, everyo..."
Get well soon, summer colds & flu are worse than having them in the winter I always find.
Lesley wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Paula wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Brandi wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Ladies I have just finished Reflection Point, Savannah & Zach's story but there are no folders for this book.""
Thank y..." Yes ... when getting out of bed is considered an accomplishment AND your daily cardio workout, I can say that summer flu is up on top of the heap.
Thank y..." Yes ... when getting out of bed is considered an accomplishment AND your daily cardio workout, I can say that summer flu is up on top of the heap.
Does anyone have special plans this weekend? On Saturday afternoon, we are meeting up with our son, Joel, and his almost-fianceé, Rebecca for a special wine tasting event at a place called the Bubble Room (J Winery is known for pinot noir, a variety of white wines, and sparkling wines). The tasting lasts a couple of hours - it's very leisurely and served with gourmet treats that are paired with the wines.
The rest of the weekend will be the usual...laundry, housework, reading, writing, and also checking in here to see what our wonderful members are up to. Take care, everyone - I'll be checking back in a bit later today!
The rest of the weekend will be the usual...laundry, housework, reading, writing, and also checking in here to see what our wonderful members are up to. Take care, everyone - I'll be checking back in a bit later today!
You'll be close to my favorite winery in Calistoga, Chateau Montelena..My children and grand-daughter are visiting from Santa Barbara. We will be going to the beach and kayaking around in the lake. Good time for it, in the 90's this weekend.
Michelle wrote: "You'll be close to my favorite winery in Calistoga, Chateau Montelena..
My children and grand-daughter are visiting from Santa Barbara. We will be going to the beach and kayaking around in the lake..." We love Chateau Montelena too! It's not too far from our favorite place, Schramsberg Vineyards, also in Calistoga. When hubby has a day off again - next Friday (!) - we plan to visit Calistoga for the day. It was terribly smoky throughout Mendocino and Sonoma County yesterday because of the wildfires east of us - the first time this year that it's been too hazy to see the hills. I hope you are having fun at the lake - it sounds wonderful, relaxing and refreshing!
My children and grand-daughter are visiting from Santa Barbara. We will be going to the beach and kayaking around in the lake..." We love Chateau Montelena too! It's not too far from our favorite place, Schramsberg Vineyards, also in Calistoga. When hubby has a day off again - next Friday (!) - we plan to visit Calistoga for the day. It was terribly smoky throughout Mendocino and Sonoma County yesterday because of the wildfires east of us - the first time this year that it's been too hazy to see the hills. I hope you are having fun at the lake - it sounds wonderful, relaxing and refreshing!
I hope you had fun wine tasting. I have always wanted to go to one of those. I like some wine every now and again when we have went to a friends house. I have a beautiful wine rack my Mom gave me as part of a housewarming present but I have no wine bottles in it. Can anyone recommend their favorite wines? This weekend when we weren't in the emergency room with Sarah due to hives and fluid built up in her legs, Sarah, myself and our puppy Little Bit tried to nap. I slept at least 10 hours since last evening. I am trying to get over a lack of sleep headache. I want to thank everyone for your prayers and kindness. You guys are the best.Sincerely Yours,
Jina Gibbs
Being near the heart of wine country (the Northern CA aspect of it anyway), Ray and I have lots of favorites - but it depends on what you like: white, red, sparkling; dry, semi-dry or sweet/dessert wines. Before we moved here, I thought, "wine is wine is wine" - boy, was I wrong. I've learned so much in the last 8 years. If you have an idea of what you've enjoyed with friends below, I could offer some suggestions.
I hope Sarah has gotten relief from her hives and that you are catching up on your rest. Be good to yourselves. I've taken most of today off, just to gather my energy for the coming week. Take care & keep us posted. :-)
I hope Sarah has gotten relief from her hives and that you are catching up on your rest. Be good to yourselves. I've taken most of today off, just to gather my energy for the coming week. Take care & keep us posted. :-)
Well --- it happened again. The discussion folder for threads about Dreamweaver Trail showed up on my Goodreads list of folders, but NOT in the discussion group! I do believe Goodreads has gremlins. Nevertheless, I've re-created it, so those of you who are reading ahead of the group...feel free to start tossing us some comments in there! Sorry if there was any confusion as a result of the mix-up. And thanks to Emily for noticing!!
Hi, everyone -- I'll be on the road today, traveling back and forth to the far corner of Mendocino County for my healthcare consulting business; it's so far out there's no use for my phone and very little use for my wifi (unless I go outside, stand on a hill, and hold my phone up in the air, which doesn't always work, either).
I'll be checking in later - and I hope everyone has a great day going so far!
I'll be checking in later - and I hope everyone has a great day going so far!
What's everyone reading this weekend? Nightingale Way? Reflection Point? Something else? I'm reading a book I've been asked to review - and I hope to write a bit as well...who's having some late summer fun?
Hoping to get started on Reflection point but have a few other books that I have to review to get done first. But first have to get through my 20 reunion from High School. Ugh, i can't be that old yet.
I hear you, Brandi! Where does the time go? The book I'm reading is dark...I can't wait to get back to something that makes me feel like I've been on vacation without leaving home.
I have a question for whoever knows or has ANY advice. I have noticed that we have several book reviewers and writers in this group. When I was in college my advisor asked a couple of us students who were on the Dean's list to edit and review an upcoming textbook and for doing that we got the current textbook for that class free plus $500. I was wondering how a person can become an editor/reviewer/proofreader. How do you apply for something like that? Where do you find the jobs like that? I absolutely love reading and all kinds of books. It would be a dream job and perfect since I could use some extra income. My daughter has been turned down for disability 5 times so I probably should get a lawyer to help. Thanks for any advice or tips. Also I do think Goodreads has gremlins I had been getting updates and emails sent when y'all would post new things. That's stopped recently. So... can someone tell me what book the group is supposed to be on now? I am nearly finished with Nightengale Way. Am I way behind? I see some people are up to Teardrop Lane. Thanks for the help.
Sincerely Yours,
Jina Gibbs
Brandi wrote: "Hoping to get started on Reflection point but have a few other books that I have to review to get done first. But first have to get through my 20 reunion from High School. Ugh, i can't be that ..."
Have fun Miss Brandi! I have wrote some reviews for books on Amazon and Books-A-Million and I enjoy telling people about great books. However I have read a couple books that I didn't like at all but had to write a review as an English assignment. I was honest and gave my opinion not just on the plot but also the authors way she/he set the book up. Have you ever given a negative review? Has anyone given a negative review? I find its harder to write a review for a book I dont like. Is it the same way for you? I am really interested to know what your opinions are on reviewing books. Thanks.
Sincerely Yours,
Jina Gibbs
Hi Group!I want to thank everyone for the prayers, support and kindness. The sent hugs are as it says in Emily's book a special kind of magical medicine. Sarah is finally on the mend (I think). She had to return to the Emergency room 3 times in 5 days following release from the hospital after her heart ablation, angioplasty, and EP study. She broke out in hives from head to toe, even in her mouth, scalp and ears. They think that was from either the anaesthesia or the iodine or betadine they used to clean her body. Then she filled up with fluid. She was 132 pounds the morning of surgery and 5 days later was 147. So they put her on prednisone for the hives, lasix as a diuretic and also had to prescribe tramodol and flexeril for the pulled muscles and muscle spasms in her neck from her neck being stretched to far for too long during surgery. Now the hives are nearly gone, she has lost about 7 pounds of the retained fluid and the swelling in her neck as well as the bruising is better. We have been trying to catch up on sleep and housework etc... A mom's work is never done. However God is great and hopefully once she heals she will feel so much better and will be much healthier. Thank you again for being the greatest bunch of ladies in a reading group I have ever been in. I am so glad God put y'all on my guest list.
Sincerely Yours,
Jina
Brandi wrote: "Hoping to get started on Reflection point but have a few other books that I have to review to get done first. But first have to get through my 20 reunion from High School. Ugh, i can't be that ..."
Brandi my 40th reunion is coming up so your just a young thang.
Jina wrote: "Hi Group!I want to thank everyone for the prayers, support and kindness. The sent hugs are as it says in Emily's book a special kind of magical medicine. Sarah is finally on the mend (I think). Sh..."
Jina, I am so thankful that Sarah is doing so much better. She has had a difficult time but I pray the future is all good and full of many blessings. Have a great weekend and I hope you all get some much needed rest.
Paula wrote: "What's everyone reading this weekend? Nightingale Way? Reflection Point? Something else? I'm reading a book I've been asked to review - and I hope to write a bit as well...who's having some late su..."After a couple of recommendations I am going to read Robyn Carr's Virgin River. The series is supposed to be like Eternity Springs.
Jina wrote: "I have a question for whoever knows or has ANY advice. I have noticed that we have several book reviewers and writers in this group. When I was in college my advisor asked a couple of us students w..."Jina, I would love to know the answer to your question also. I have wanted to know how to be an editor/reviewer of books for a long time and may have time to pursue this in the very near future.
Also, Reflection Point is the next book in the series to be read starting on 8/25. You are on schedule. A lot of the group are just reading ahead of the schedule.
KK wrote: "Paula wrote: "What's everyone reading this weekend? Nightingale Way? Reflection Point? Something else? I'm reading a book I've been asked to review - and I hope to write a bit as well...who's havin..."Oh oh oh you'll love love love Virgin River!!!! Jack is super hot ex military and the woman in the book is a hoot!!! Boy Howdy! The series is super great and has some parallels to Eternity Springs. The older woman that is the Celestey person doesn't really do things as uplifting as Celeste. I'll just say that the older woman in Virgin River is sneaky. I'll re-read the series with you if you want company.
Sincerely Yours,
Jina
Jina wrote: "KK wrote: "Paula wrote: "What's everyone reading this weekend? Nightingale Way? Reflection Point? Something else? I'm reading a book I've been asked to review - and I hope to write a bit as well......"That would be great to have a buddy to read with and discuss the books. I will friend you on Goodreads so we can do that. Yea!
Oh, I love the Virgin River series too. In fact since I finished Eternity Springs early, I am rereading Virgin River!
Michelle wrote: "Oh, I love the Virgin River series too. In fact since I finished Eternity Springs early, I am rereading Virgin River!"Yea! I love having wonderful people to discuss wonderful books with! Please add me Miss Michelle. Boy Howdy this is fun!!!
Jina wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Oh, I love the Virgin River series too. In fact since I finished Eternity Springs early, I am rereading Virgin River!"
Yea! I love having wonderful people to discuss wonderful boo..." Of course you two know that now I have to add yet another series to my TBR list...! Off to find Virgin River...
Yea! I love having wonderful people to discuss wonderful boo..." Of course you two know that now I have to add yet another series to my TBR list...! Off to find Virgin River...
KK wrote: "Jina wrote: "I have a question for whoever knows or has ANY advice. I have noticed that we have several book reviewers and writers in this group. When I was in college my advisor asked a couple of ..."
KK, thanks for jumping in on this thread to reassure Jina she's not behind! I started to answer, then I realized that the dates on our bookshelf didn't match the dates of our reading folders, so I had to go back and edit them so members wouldn't be confused. That didn't take long, but I also had to run out on a quick errand, so I didn't get back around to answering the original question! (It's one of those weekends...)
I'll tell you how I got involved in reviewing, beta-reading, proofreading and editing. I've always loved to write, but was too insecure to write "publicly" - e.g., I was reluctant to venture outside of the realm of the creative writing required in university classes, or the technical writing expected in the work world. I'd been encouraged to write since a very young age, but because writing is such a personal thing, I kept everything private for fear of being judged or criticized.
That changed in 2012, when I had major surgery and was stuck at home for 12+ weeks of recovery. Earlier in the year, I'd started dabbling in social media (Twitter and Facebook), and because of my love of reading, became acquainted with several authors, both self-published and traditionally published. One of them asked me to write a review of his book, and I hesitated. That led to a deeper discussion with him about my fear of "exposing" my writing to an anonymous and sometimes harshly judgmental social media world. He convinced me to just do it. Social media has revolutionized the publishing industry because of what they refer to as "user-generated content"; this basically means that anyone who wants to have a voice can have one on social media - simply by talking about what they love. And because readers are so important to authors (and vice-versa), we are presented with an unprecedented opportunity to be part of the publishing cycle, and that's exciting.
I took the leap, wrote my first review, and didn't look back. Next thing I knew I had started a blog and ramped up my presence on Twitter and Facebook, growing more confident every time an author took the time to thank me for writing a review. Once I put myself out there as being interested and available to beta read works in progress, and to review books prior to publication, the requests came pouring in - mostly from indie authors, at first, and from traditionally published authors and their agents later on.
I also signed up with a couple of promotional services that were looking for reviewers and bloggers - promotional services, like the one I run called Passionate Promotions, are always looking for readers who are interested in leaving reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and other sites. I then joined NetGalley, which is free, and looked for books from traditionally published authors, requested to review them, and became acquainted with several that I would have otherwise never had the opportunity to get to know and love. Over time, I developed a decent reputation for reviewing and now I have to turn down more offers than I'm able to accept.
If you want to review - all you have to do is start doing it - find authors in the genres you like, read and post a review; or contact them on FB or Twitter and offer to review their upcoming book(s). Authors appreciate reviews so much!! It's very gratifying. I love it so much I can't believe I waited so long to try.
I'm planning to publish a blog article soon about how to write reviews well...but there are already lots of articles on line if you want to Google them. You can also look at my website and see my reviewing philosophy, if you like:
http://paularadell.com/book-reviews/.
Now I'll move on to the other things you expressed interest in...in a separate comment.
KK, thanks for jumping in on this thread to reassure Jina she's not behind! I started to answer, then I realized that the dates on our bookshelf didn't match the dates of our reading folders, so I had to go back and edit them so members wouldn't be confused. That didn't take long, but I also had to run out on a quick errand, so I didn't get back around to answering the original question! (It's one of those weekends...)
I'll tell you how I got involved in reviewing, beta-reading, proofreading and editing. I've always loved to write, but was too insecure to write "publicly" - e.g., I was reluctant to venture outside of the realm of the creative writing required in university classes, or the technical writing expected in the work world. I'd been encouraged to write since a very young age, but because writing is such a personal thing, I kept everything private for fear of being judged or criticized.
That changed in 2012, when I had major surgery and was stuck at home for 12+ weeks of recovery. Earlier in the year, I'd started dabbling in social media (Twitter and Facebook), and because of my love of reading, became acquainted with several authors, both self-published and traditionally published. One of them asked me to write a review of his book, and I hesitated. That led to a deeper discussion with him about my fear of "exposing" my writing to an anonymous and sometimes harshly judgmental social media world. He convinced me to just do it. Social media has revolutionized the publishing industry because of what they refer to as "user-generated content"; this basically means that anyone who wants to have a voice can have one on social media - simply by talking about what they love. And because readers are so important to authors (and vice-versa), we are presented with an unprecedented opportunity to be part of the publishing cycle, and that's exciting.
I took the leap, wrote my first review, and didn't look back. Next thing I knew I had started a blog and ramped up my presence on Twitter and Facebook, growing more confident every time an author took the time to thank me for writing a review. Once I put myself out there as being interested and available to beta read works in progress, and to review books prior to publication, the requests came pouring in - mostly from indie authors, at first, and from traditionally published authors and their agents later on.
I also signed up with a couple of promotional services that were looking for reviewers and bloggers - promotional services, like the one I run called Passionate Promotions, are always looking for readers who are interested in leaving reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and other sites. I then joined NetGalley, which is free, and looked for books from traditionally published authors, requested to review them, and became acquainted with several that I would have otherwise never had the opportunity to get to know and love. Over time, I developed a decent reputation for reviewing and now I have to turn down more offers than I'm able to accept.
If you want to review - all you have to do is start doing it - find authors in the genres you like, read and post a review; or contact them on FB or Twitter and offer to review their upcoming book(s). Authors appreciate reviews so much!! It's very gratifying. I love it so much I can't believe I waited so long to try.
I'm planning to publish a blog article soon about how to write reviews well...but there are already lots of articles on line if you want to Google them. You can also look at my website and see my reviewing philosophy, if you like:
http://paularadell.com/book-reviews/.
Now I'll move on to the other things you expressed interest in...in a separate comment.
So -- reviewing is one of the easiest places to start. On Facebook and Goodreads, following the authors you really enjoy is a great place to start a relationship. Joining an author's street team/fan page is a great way to keep up and find out when they need reviewers or beta-readers.
I've always had an eye for spelling and grammar. I proofread road signs and cereal boxes just for entertainment...because typos and grammatical errors make me crazy (and often give me some belly laughs). Even the best published authors can end up with minor typographical or grammatical errors in their books - good, objective proofreading is a useful skill to have for your own writing as well as for helping others. It does require two things: a good command of the language AND reference books, because grammar and punctuation rules are not necessarily top of mind for most people, and even those who are considered experts make mistakes. There are some rules that apply to everything - and some rules that are really flexible when it comes to fiction - sentence structure being one. Proofreading takes an eye for detail and more than one pass at the manuscript; it also requires looking things up anytime you are unsure. It takes practice.
Beta-reading is a more general type of review process where an author sends you a manuscript that is in progress, but not necessarily final, and asks for feedback. Does the story flow? Is the pace too fast, too slow or just right? How do you feel about the characters, the dialogue, or other aspects of the story itself? Are there any obvious inconsistencies? (Lots and lots and lots of questions). Beta-reading is lots of fun, because you have a chance to comment on how the story impacts you as a reader -- what it makes you feel, what questions you are left with, what works well - and what might work better.
Finally, editing is a more complex thing to get into. There are several different levels from basic proofreading to line-by-line edits, to even more advanced copy-editing, where you work with the author in the "slash and burn" stage - the most challenging, difficult and personal aspect of the editing process, in my opinion. There are many people on FB that call themselves editors, and truly are not qualified. I've cleaned up many manuscripts that were a mess, after authors paid hundreds of dollars to an editor that misrepresented the quality of their work.
If you are really interested in editing - check out online groups and organizations, like the Editorial Freelancers Association. There is a lot of info available to you without having to pay a membership fee.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions. I'm happy to answer specific ones if I can. Note that I do not hold myself out as an expert - it's something I'm very passionate about, and I continuously take courses to help me improve - but I still do it as a freelance endeavor, so there may be others in this group with more and better experience.
I've always had an eye for spelling and grammar. I proofread road signs and cereal boxes just for entertainment...because typos and grammatical errors make me crazy (and often give me some belly laughs). Even the best published authors can end up with minor typographical or grammatical errors in their books - good, objective proofreading is a useful skill to have for your own writing as well as for helping others. It does require two things: a good command of the language AND reference books, because grammar and punctuation rules are not necessarily top of mind for most people, and even those who are considered experts make mistakes. There are some rules that apply to everything - and some rules that are really flexible when it comes to fiction - sentence structure being one. Proofreading takes an eye for detail and more than one pass at the manuscript; it also requires looking things up anytime you are unsure. It takes practice.
Beta-reading is a more general type of review process where an author sends you a manuscript that is in progress, but not necessarily final, and asks for feedback. Does the story flow? Is the pace too fast, too slow or just right? How do you feel about the characters, the dialogue, or other aspects of the story itself? Are there any obvious inconsistencies? (Lots and lots and lots of questions). Beta-reading is lots of fun, because you have a chance to comment on how the story impacts you as a reader -- what it makes you feel, what questions you are left with, what works well - and what might work better.
Finally, editing is a more complex thing to get into. There are several different levels from basic proofreading to line-by-line edits, to even more advanced copy-editing, where you work with the author in the "slash and burn" stage - the most challenging, difficult and personal aspect of the editing process, in my opinion. There are many people on FB that call themselves editors, and truly are not qualified. I've cleaned up many manuscripts that were a mess, after authors paid hundreds of dollars to an editor that misrepresented the quality of their work.
If you are really interested in editing - check out online groups and organizations, like the Editorial Freelancers Association. There is a lot of info available to you without having to pay a membership fee.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions. I'm happy to answer specific ones if I can. Note that I do not hold myself out as an expert - it's something I'm very passionate about, and I continuously take courses to help me improve - but I still do it as a freelance endeavor, so there may be others in this group with more and better experience.
Paula wrote: "So -- reviewing is one of the easiest places to start. On Facebook and Goodreads, following the authors you really enjoy is a great place to start a relationship. Joining an author's street team/fa..."Dear Paula,
Thank you so much for answering my questions and giving me a place to start. I have wrote several reviews on Amazon that later I got an email that my review was helpful to someone and also was asked a question by someone about the book, so I answered that and another email was received saying that was helpful.
I know what you mean about coming across typos and errors in books, newspapers signs etc.. making you crazy. It does the same thing to me. Its like fingernails down a chalkboard. I read a book one time that had over 50 spelling errors and also changed the characters spelling of their name for half of the book. Then in one passage a person who had died 4 chapters before was in a current dialog. Needless to say I had to look back at the chapter and check and yep, they buried Missy. Things that make you go "hummmm".
I am going to check into those things you suggested. If you ever need assistance in anything I am more than happy to help. After I look through and read those links I may have more questions if thats ok. Thanks again for all the information.
Sincerely Yours,
Jina Gibbs
I have a question for everyone. What draws you to buy a book? or at least read the back to see if you want to read it? I am also curious about what everyones favorite genre is.
Paula, thank you for all the information. As with anything, it is more complex than it would seem to edit, review and proofread. I will definitely read the articles on reviewing. I just give my opinion on the book I have read but have noticed a lot of the reviews are a rehash of the book. So there must be more to it than I have done. I think proofreading and perhaps editing would be best for me. I cringe every time I read a book and find significant errors in them and wonder who proofread the book. They can be spelling, words out of order, grammatical, punctuation, etc. If I have to read a sentence more than once to understand it, there is a problem. Unfortunately I find them often. Do self-publishers usually have editors and proofreaders?
The information you provided was very interesting and helpful and definitely worth looking into. I am a detail person and love a challenge. Thank you!
Jina wrote: "I have a question for everyone. What draws you to buy a book? or at least read the back to see if you want to read it? I am also curious about what everyones favorite genre is."Jina, I read the description of the book and that is often enough to get me to buy the book. However, I have so many books I have purchased that way and that I have yet to read that I am trying to be more selective. So I try to read the reviews and get books that have really great ratings. Of course, if it is a favorite author I just buy the book based on past experience and I gave several I read all their books.
I have quite a few books because Kobo, my main go to book store, often has sales on books and I have a tendency of buying several at once that sound really good. They are from all genres because my mood changes as to what I want to read. So I have something available at all times. Then I usually get caught up in a book that is part of a series that I just gave to read and all the other books get put on hold. I am definitely a book junky. LOL!
I am also signed up on Bookbub.com and have a kindle that I use predominately for Bookbub. I usually get the free books that sound interesting from this app but also sometimes buy for my kindle and kobo readers. This allows me to read new authors and I have found a few that I have really liked. Of course, this only adds to my have available to be read books.
Years ago I only read thrillers/suspense/mystery books. Now I prefer to read romance. I do like suspense, paranormal, drama, mystery added to the romance to make it more interesting but I really want a happy ending. I love books where the characters are funny and quircky that make me laugh and cry. But also stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. Eternity Springs is a perfect example of what I enjoy. Also, Maya Banks KGI series or Julie Garwood's FBI series, Catherine Coulter's FBI series, Johanna Lindsey's Mallory Family series. Just a few examples.
What I found I am having trouble reading these days is thrillers/mystery/suspense where there is constant killing in the story. I have read some recently or rather listened to on audiobooks and wound up skipping to the end just to find out what happened to the killer. I found them to involve such evil minds, and horrific torturous deaths of innocent people that they make me sick to read. I know this is a staple of this type of story and years ago it would not have bothered me because I always wanted to know the psyche behind a killer. Just cannot stomach it anymore. Do you feel the type of books you read has changed over time?
Even though there is usually a lot of drama in romance, a well done one with a happy ending makes me happy. Sorry if this is way more info than you wanted.
I had a great day yesterday with my son, his wife and my beautiful granddaughter Olivia, "Livvie" who will be a year at the end of next month. We all visited with an uncle and aunt who are not able to get out of their house easily and had an all around wonderful day.
Jina wrote: "Paula wrote: "So -- reviewing is one of the easiest places to start. On Facebook and Goodreads, following the authors you really enjoy is a great place to start a relationship. Joining an author's ..."
Your story about the one book made me laugh -- hard. I have never come across a resurrected fictional character before. This is exactly why authors should never, ever edit their own work, no matter how good they are! It sounds like you have a lot of potential to do some good in the book world - and you know you can ask me anything, anytime. We learn from each other every day, especially in our group here!
Your story about the one book made me laugh -- hard. I have never come across a resurrected fictional character before. This is exactly why authors should never, ever edit their own work, no matter how good they are! It sounds like you have a lot of potential to do some good in the book world - and you know you can ask me anything, anytime. We learn from each other every day, especially in our group here!
From Jina - two songs added to our spotify playlist:
Sending Me Angels, Delbert McClinton
Eagle When She Flies - Dolly Part..."
I agree, KK - I feel extraordinarily blessed to be here.