Words from a Book Editor (Part 1 of 2)

(This post comes from Vicki Crumpton.)

When I receive a proposal, I evaluate far more than the manuscript. I look at platform, professionalism, marketing angles, other books in our list, and a host of other things before I even get to the manuscript or sample chapters.

When I start working on a contracted manuscript, I look at the technical things, such as grammar, style, punctuation, and word count. Amazingly, authors occasionally miss that by as much as 20,000 words. That always concerns me.

This is where publishing gets fun: I love it when a manuscript comes in far better than I dreamed it would be when we contracted it. I love it when I get so involved in reading that I forget that I need to work on the manuscript. I love it when authors hit home runs.

A good author-editor relationship is like most other good relationships. There’s a common interest. There’s good communication. There’s respect. It often goes beyond just work, though, because we share things that are happening in our lives. Over the course of my career, most of my authors would say they also count me as a friend, as I do them.

Vicki Crumpton, Executive Editor for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, acquired a number of award finalists and winners, as well as several New York Times' bestsellers, including 90 Minutes in Heaven. She holds an M. Div. and Ph.D. from Southwestern.

Writing Articles (Part 18 of 21)

Polish the article again.

You've edited once and you're finished.

I doubt it.

Keep editing and revising it until you know you can’t make it better.

Look for redundancies. Most writers tend to overwrite and to say the same thing three or four times with different words. In print, you need to say something only once (unless you're using it as a literary device). Therefore, when you polish, aim for brief articles and short chapters.

Today, articles run 800 to 1800 words and if you stay below 1200 words, you're probably about right. Chapters have also gotten shorter. For an example, look at the novels of James Patterson. None of his chapters takes up more than five pages. Each is one scene, and a decade ago editors would have combined several of them into a single chapter. Patterson caters to the byte-size generation and his books consistently hit the best-seller lists.

My writing may not hit the best-seller lists, 

but I can make it the best writing I'm capable of producing. 

And if it's my best, that's good enough—for now.

Writing Articles (Part 17 of 21)

Polish your writing again.

I like to rewrite. Sound crazy? Not to me, because I enjoy finding ways to make my writing better. Below are some of the things I look for when I get into Serious Mode Editing.

I scrutinize for clichés, fuzzy thoughts, grammatical problems, poor word choice, and favorite words I've used too often. I ask myself: Have I written with a logical progression? Too many writers touch on a topic and four paragraphs later go back to the same point.

Another thing, I read the final sentence of a paragraph and the first of the next to see if I've made good transitions. If you read the two previous sentences, you'll see that by starting this paragraph with "another thing," I made a transition. You had no trouble following my thoughts.

I get rid of clutter, such as redundancies and laborious phrases. A good rule is that if I can think of a simpler word, I use it in place of a long word. We write to communicate, not to impress.

I check sentence length. When I get above 20 words in a sentence with no commas or semicolons, I've already strained the grasp of some.

I especially look for clichés. I'm weary of reading those overused phrases. At Christmas, for example, I must have read 50 ads that touted the perfect Christmas gift. Not only is nothing perfect, but the word has become meaningless.

I'll deal with clichés another time, but think of it this way: If it's an expression you've heard before, it's probably a cliché. Find a different-but-clear way to say it.

I will revise my manuscript. Then I'll do it again. 

There is no magic number of revisions, 

but it's always more than one.

Writing Articles (Part 16 of 21)

Shorten those sentences.

Grumble if you like, but terse-and-clear is the mark of good writing. 

Whether or not you think a sentence is too short, in order to write well, it probably isn't too short at all.

Read that 22-word sentence again. You can cut words. Whether implies or not. At all is redundant and you can cut in order. I'd suggest you make the sentence read this way: If you think a sentence is too short, it probably isn't. Not only is the revision shorter, but it's clearer and more readily understood.

When I first started to write, the late Charlie Shedd taught, "Never make a sentence longer than 15 words." His words were a bit arbitrary, but in those days 50 words wasn't too long for a sentence. Yet I vigilantly limited my sentences so I didn't exceed than that number. After a time, however, I realized that 15 makes choppy writing.

Here's how I say it today: "Let your sentences average no more than 20 words." Good writing doesn't demand a word limit on a sentence. Take as long as you need to express a thought. Afterward, go back and ask if you can eliminate words or perhaps make a long sentence into two.

If you write succinctly and clearly, you're one rung higher on the good-writer ladder. You can figure out the antithesis of that statement. Antithesis is a good word, but it may be beyond the vocabulary of some readers. Why not say the opposite? That's another tip.

Good writers cut ruthlessly. 

I am becoming a good writer, so I cut ruthlessly.

Writing Articles (Part 15 of 21)

Revise and polish your article.

Call it editing, revising, or polishing, it means you work on the article until it's the best you can do.

As I wrote earlier, I wrote 18 full drafts of my first article. After that, I revised each a few times. Perhaps 15 on the second article (I no longer remember). By then, I had gained knowledge on how to write. I continued working to improve.

I still write occasional articles and I go through the same steps, but I write fewer drafts. I rarely go beyond the third draft. Even on the third, it really is polishing and not editing.

Here are a few hints on polishing your work.

* Look for awkward or laborious sentences.

* Seek ways to cut unneeded words. Get rid of adjectives and adverbs that don't enhance the writing.

* Sharpen your focus (if needed).

* Look at the number of times you use the same word in your article. If you use a word 12 times, that's too many. Look at a thesaurus for synonyms (but don't use one unless you know what it means). 

My article is never good enough 

until it's good enough for me to say I can't improve it.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 8 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Religious Terms

The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style has a comprehensive list of what religious terms should be capitalized. Here are a few examples:

* Bible and Scripture are capitalized, but biblical and scriptural are not. Similarly, capitalize the Almighty but not almighty God.

* Lowercase the apostles, the apostle Paul, Paul the apostle, and apostolic, but capitalize Paul’s title Apostle to the Gentiles and John’s the Beloved Apostle.

* Only capitalize the word Bible in phrases like “Bible study” and “vacation Bible school.”

* Noah’s ark and the ark of the covenant are lowercased.

* Lowercase baby in “the baby Jesus” and child in “the Christ child.”

* Lowercase body in “the body of Christ,” whether referring to the church or Jesus’ physical form.

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 7 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Small Caps

Earlier editions of the industry-standard guidelines suggested using small caps in certain instances, but the latest editions recommend not using them at all.

A.M. and P.M.

Instead of small-capped a.m. and p.m., use lowercase with periods (a.m. and p.m.).

B.C. and A.D.

Instead of small caps with periods (B.C. and A.D.), use full caps without periods (BC and AD).

NOTE: AD is placed before the date; BC after. Examples:

* 3000 BC

* AD 62

Abbreviations for Scripture Translations

Instead of using small caps for abbreviations of Scripture translations (KJV, NASB, etc.), use full caps (NIV, NKJV).

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 6 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Titles and Headings

Titles of books, chapters, songs, poems, etc. (as well as headings and subheadings) should follow these capitalization guidelines.

Capitalize:

* the first and last words of the title

* the first word following a colon or a dash

* all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
* subordinate conjunctions (when, if, as, so, that)

Lowercase:

* articles (a, an, the)

* prepositions (through, up, down, on, etc.)

* coordinate conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for)

* the words to and as

Here are some examples:

* Four Theories concerning the Gospel according to Matthew

* Looking Up Directions, Writing Them Down, and Typing Them Out 

(Note: up, down, and out are used as adverbs here, not prepositions)

* Talking on Your Cell Phone in a Writers’ Conference Workshop

For hyphenated compounds in titles:

* Capitalize the first word in the compound phrase.

* Capitalize all other words except articles (a, an, the), prepositions (in, on, over, up, down, through), or coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for). Example: Hard-and-Fast Rules for Writers

* If the first part of the word is a prefix that could not stand alone (anti, pre, etc.), lowercase the second part of the word (unless it is a proper name). Example: A Non-Christian’s Guide to Post-resurrection Philosophies

* Capitalize the second part of a spelled-out number or fraction. Examples: (1) Heather’s Twenty-First Chapter (2) A Two-Thirds Majority

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 5 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Regional Terms

Regional terms that are considered proper names should be capitalized. Adjectives and nouns are not. Here are some examples of capitalized terms:

* Central America

* the Continent (Europe)

* the East/North/South/West

* Eastern/Northern/Southern/Western Hemisphere

* Eastern culture

* Middle East(ern)

* the Midwest (US)

* North/South Pole

* the Orient

* an Oriental

* the Pole

* the Northwest/Southwest

* West Coast (US)

* Western world

Northern and Southern California are capitalized, but this does not extend to other US states.

Here are some examples of lowercased terms:

* central Europe

* eastern, easterner

* eastern seaboard (US)

* the equator

* northern Africa

* oriental culture

* polar regions

* the south of France

Topographical Names

Names of mountains, rivers, oceans, and islands are capitalized. When a generic term is used descriptively rather than as part of the name, or if it is used alone, it is lowercased. Examples:

* the California desert

* the Hudson River valley

* the Hawaiian Islands

* the island of Hawaii

* the Kansas prairie

* the valley of the Mississippi

Capitalize the generic term when it applies to two or more names preceding it. For example:

* “… the Illinois and the Chicago Rivers.”

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 4 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Pronouns for God

Today, most book publishers, even religious ones, prefer that pronouns referring to God or Jesus be lowercased. Several Bible versions lowercase pronouns for deity, including most of the newer translations. Therefore, capitalizing such pronouns can make a book seem old-fashioned and may give modern readers a sense that the book is irrelevant to their daily lives.

Some authors resist this trend, feeling that capitalization of deity pronouns shows respect for God. But in the English language, capitalization is mainly used to distinguish specific things from general things. We capitalize both God and Satan, Gandhi and Hitler, because they are all proper names, not because we respect them.

In general, capitalize pronouns for deity if:

* you want your book to have a deliberately old-fashioned tone,

* you quote extensively from a Bible version that capitalizes deity pronouns, or

* you’re writing for a publisher who currently uses the capitalized style.

If you have a strong preference that differs from the publisher’s, ask if they’ll allow it. Be prepared to decide whether this is going to be a deal-breaker for you. 

Whichever style you choose, make sure you are consistent throughout the manuscript.

NOTE: If you capitalize pronouns for deity, do not capitalize who, whom, or whose. But do capitalize You, Your, Yours, Me, My, and Mine.

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 3 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Academic Subjects, Courses, and Degrees

Academic subjects are lowercased unless they form part of a department name or an official course name. Examples:

* I majored in contemporary literature.

* I pursued graduate studies in philosophy of science.

Official names of courses are capitalized. Example:

* I registered for Basic Manuscript Editing.

Degrees listed on a résumé, business card, diploma, directory, etc. are capitalized. But in running text, names of degrees should be lowercased. Examples:

* a master’s degree

* a bachelor’s degree

* master of business administration

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 2 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Professional Titles

Civil, military, religious, academic, government, and professional titles are capitalized when they immediately precede a personal name and are thus part of the name. Titles are lowercased when following a name or used in place of a name. Examples:

* President Washington; the president General Patton; the general

* Cardinal Richelieu; the cardinal Professor Jones; the professor

* Governor Johnson; the governor John Kerry, senator from Massachusetts

In promotional or ceremonial contexts (such as a list of donors or corporate officers), titles are capitalized even when following a name. Example:

* Cristina Lopez, Manager of International Sales

A title used in place of a personal name is capitalized in such contexts as a toast or formal introduction, or when used in direct address. Examples:

* Ladies and Gentlemen, the Prime Minister.

* But Captain, that man’s a stowaway.

* Hello, Mr. President.

* What’s the prognosis, Doctor?

Terms of Respect

Honorific titles should be capitalized. But general terms of respect are not. Examples:

* His/Her/Your Majesty

* His/Her/Your Excellency

* His/Her/Your Honor

* my lord, my lady

* sir, ma’am

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 7 of 4)

Keiki raised the question that all editing groups have to face: Do we all need to write in the same general field? For example, many groups invite only fiction writers.

I personally oppose the limited-scope memberships. If our aim is to write well, we need to take advantage of any opportunity to improve.

Even more important, novelists need to learn to write narrative passages, which is a common weakness in fiction; nonfiction writers need to figure out how to write anecdotes and good stories.

Most important to me is that we can always glean and grow from other writers. Too many fiction writers in editing groups begin to sound like each other. By editing outside their area, members gain information that they probably wouldn’t otherwise read.

Good writers seek opportunities to grow.
Regardless of the genre, they can learn from each other.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 6 of 4)

Lisa asked me to show examples of how we edit a submission. You can do it several ways. If it's a face-to-face group, write on the paper itself. When you hand it back, it's easy for the writer to see what you've edited.

If it's online, I use different methods. I suggest the use of Comment boxes. (Two of the publishing houses I work with use only Comment boxes for their edits, so it's good to learn how to use them.)

How Editing Groups Work (Part 5 of 4)

Peter Lundell sent this email:

I’m lost in semantics. The online group I’m in does basically, in an online format, what you’ve described in these “How Editing Groups Work” posts. But we call it a critique group. I’m having a hard time distinguishing what you’re calling editing and what we’re calling critiquing.

Here’s my response.

Writers’ critique groups formed in the days when it was expensive to make copies of manuscripts. They were set up so they could read their manuscripts aloud. It’s an old-fashioned method that seems to have survived. Across the country people still sit around a table and read their manuscripts while the others listen without interruption. They make comments at the end of the reading.

In 1971, I decided what I wanted and formed such a group. I formed a group where I didn’t have to listen to anyone read aloud (or bore them with my reading aloud). As far as I’m aware, no one else called them editing groups in 1971. I did that intentionally to distinguish us.

I started the face-to-face group and called us the Scribe Tribe. A week before each meeting, we mailed copies of our manuscripts to every member—and we kept the membership to no more than nine people. Sometimes that meant typing (as in tsing a typewriter and making carbon copies) the manuscript twice or three times.

I wanted members to write on the manuscript so I could take the various responses home with me and ponder what they wrote.

In the days since the Scribe Tribe and the proliferation of the Internet, the words have tended to become interchangeable, but I still use editing when it means people edit manuscripts sentence by sentence. As long as read-aloud groups remain, I’ll insist on the word editing.

Editing groups edit manuscripts.
That’s why I call them editing groups.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 4 of 4)

One person acts as the evaluator on a manuscript. This person is responsible to guide the discussion. Normally each person leads the discussion on only one manuscript and encourages everyone to participate in the oral evaluation.

1. Set a time limit. In the Scribe Tribe we set 20 minutes for this task. If handled efficiently, that's usually enough time.

2. The editing begins with general comments on the entire manuscript. This includes structure, outline, beginning, plot, and conclusion.

3. Members use this time to speak about things they did not write when editing the manuscript.

4. Once each member has had the opportunity to make overall comments, the next step is a page-by-page discussion, including syntax, word choice, and clarity.

5. After the page-by-page discussion, the evaluator asks for any closing or overall comments that have arisen through the editing procedure.

When writers help each other,
all learn and improve the craft.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 3 of 4)

(Continued from the previous blog.)

6. The evaluation serves as part of the process of learning the craft. Members strive for honest opinions, tempered with kindness.

7. Members don't tell others what to write. They try to help each other write better and to make manuscripts marketable.

8. No one has to accept or implement anyone’s comments. (Take the ones that help; forget the rest.)

9. Members make no negative value judgments ("This is bad"), but offer suggestions for improving the writing.

10. Members won’t repeat comments made by others. If they have nothing new to add, they will say so.

11. Meetings center on assisting members to improve their craft. Members agree to stay on topic and not divert the group from its task.

12. When members make comments, they will offer at least one positive comment. Writers need to know what they are doing well and what isn’t working.

13. When the group discusses a person’s writing, that person may not talk or comment. This guideline forces them to listen to the comments. It also prevents their defending their writing. No one has to accept or implement anyone’s comments.

14. After everyone in the group has given comments, the person edited may ask questions. They will confine their questions to issues that didn’t arise during the group discussion or about any comments they want clarified. It is not a time to refute another’s comments.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 2 of 4)

Procedures for an Editing Group

When I started the Scribe Tribe, I knew what I wanted to learn, and I didn't want distractions or disruptions. The longer the group met, the more I was able to write what I called procedures or guidelines to make us more efficient. I wrote the following advice for face-to-face groups, but most of this can apply to on-line groups.

1. Members commit themselves to (1) submit a manuscript as often as the group agrees; and (2) edit each submission received.

2. All members submit manuscripts to each other. Members agree to read all submissions and write comments on the manuscript. Send the edited manuscript to all members.

3. Except in unusual circumstances (and all members must agree), we ask non-submitting members to leave the group.

4. On MS Word, members submit publication-ready manuscripts, such as double-spaced, 12-point fonts, one-inch margins, headers on each page, starting the first page 3–4 inches from the top.

5. Members write editorial comments on the manuscript. They ask questions, point out difficulties, or suggest a different outline or approach. They often write a summary comment at the end of the manuscript.

How Editing Groups Work (Part 1 of 4)

Beyond what I've written in previous blogs, here are reasons for joining or starting an editing group.

1. It’s a humbling experience: Someone can always help improve our writing.

2. An editing group is one way for us to learn professionalism. Remember the principle: A group edits my work, it does not criticize me.

3. An editing group offers a sense of identity. We’re no longer alone in our desires and ambitions.

4. We associate with other people who can understand us and our dreams. An editing group can offer support and affirmation as we pursue our craft.

Join an editing group,
learn from others,
and prepare yourself to become an outstanding writer.

Being Edited (Part 6 of 6)

Here are additional reasons for joining (or starting an editing group).

1. Being part of a group enables us to dig deeper into ourselves. As we pull from within, we more readily accept ourselves, others, and our world. It doesn't matter whether we write theological texts, murder mysteries, or personal-experience articles. The more we write, the more we look inward and examine ourselves.

2. We offer support and affirmation and become a true mutual-help group. About the second year of the Scribe Tribe—the editing group I organized and led for nine years—I realized that we not only helped each other, but we also cared about one another. As members shared their writing, regardless of the topic, they shared themselves. I learned to appreciate and to care about them. They reciprocated: They cared about me.

Through the years, I've watched writers discover healing from childhood trauma, rape, incest, divorce, addiction, and countless other problems by writing about them. Many who didn't specifically address their issues found acceptance among other writers and that gave them the courage to resolve their problems.

You want to become a good writer?
Start with a willingness to be edited.