LJ Sellers and Barbara Milbourn Discuss Book Editing

In today's podcast, two editors talk about editing fiction and non-fiction. Not only do Barbara Milbourn and LJ Sellers get into the common mistakes they see authors make in their manuscript:

• Point of view shifts without clear sense of who is telling the story
• Lack of transition from one scene or character to another
• Formatting dialog
  
• Balance of dialog and action/exposition/internal thought
  
• Telling rather than showing what the character is thinking
  

they also discuss how to determine rates for editing. Should it be per hour or per page? They also mention how using a contract to outline the cost of editing is fair to the client and helps to develop trust.

A book published by a major publishing house has gone through developmental editing, copy editing, and rounds of proofreading before it comes to the market. This ensures the book will be an enjoyable read. Self-publishers and authors who use subsidy publishers to bring their book to market don't always have an editor work with them. Yet, editing is just as important as writing a good story because it makes a book worthy of the reader's time.

LJ gives the best explanation on why a writer cannot edit his or her own work. Most authors are truly surprised by how much more work a manuscript needs. They are shocked and even appalled by all the red lines on marked up copy when it comes back from the editor.

Click here to listen to the interview with LJ Sellers...