On References

Well, it's happened again. A writer I know went online today to complain that she'd paid an editor to review her manuscript and when she received the finished product, the errors and typos were out of control. In this case, the edited version was now littered with improper punctuation, incorrect dialogue tags, and spelling changes that reflected a European style while this book was intended for an American audience.

I really can't stress enough how important it is to know what you're getting before you pay an editor to work on your story. A true professional will not be insulted if you ask about punctuation placement, his/her stance on the Oxford comma (I'm a big believer, by the way), or if (s)he knows the difference between "affect" and "effect." 

Ask questions, my friends. Ask for references--not just the names of authors (where you might just get the editor's buddies who'll tell you what a fabulous product they received) but titles of books you can review for yourself. Ask more questions. Ask for a contract. Ask more questions. Be absolutely sure you and your prospective editor will see eye to eye on the majority of your concerns before sending your money.

Publishing is a business as well as an art. Put the left side of your brain in gear before hiring anyone to do work that will affect your bottom line!

Are You READY For an Editor?

In the last two weeks, I've had to turn down three clients.

Why?

They weren't ready.

Nobody's perfect, and one or two issues are expected in any manuscript submitted for edits. But if simple problems like improper punctuation, hundreds of instances of smiles and looks (She looked at him, he smiled at her...) rather than true body language signals, no indication of setting or time, too many dialogue tags or incorrectly placed dialogue tags, starting the story in the wrong place, and other rookie errors litter your manuscript, you'll easily be pegged as a newbie writer with a rough first attempt.

Sure, I could shove my conscience into a dark closet, take their money, fix their typos and punctuation errors and send them into the self-pub world without properly preparing them. After all, who am I to judge them?

Who am I? Well, I'm not just an editor. I'm an author. And I'm a reader. And if I allow a writer to release a shoddy product with my blessing, I'm basically peeing in my own pool. I'd rather not. I take great pride in my profession and in helping other authors achieve publication status. But I'm not about to tarnish someone else's dream to line my pocket with a little cash.

So...are you really ready for an editor? Answer the following ten questions honestly:

1. Do I have a complete story?
2. Do I understand and utilize the concepts of GMC, POV, and Show vs. Tell?
3. If my story is more than fifty pages long, does it include chapter breaks?
4. Have I used punctuation properly to the best of my knowledge?
5. Is this work entirely my own with no issues where I've cut and pasted info?
6. Am I confident in my research?
7. Has a beta reader or critique partner reviewed this work?
8. Do I use a good balance of description to convey mood and tone?
9. Have I properly formatted the manuscript according to the editor's requirements?
10. Can I handle criticism and make educated decisions regarding changes my editor will recommend?

If you can't answer, "Yes" to all ten of these questions, you're not ready, either.

I apologize if this bursts your dream, but your editor is not your ghostwriter. The emergence of self-publishing has opened doors to writers who might never have seen their work published otherwise. But that doesn't mean you don't have to learn your craft before you publish. A concert violinist doesn't just pick up an instrument, pluck the strings, and become first chair at the Met. Athletes don't just decide to play one day and sign a multi-million dollar contract with a professional team the next. Practice and education are crucial! You need to know the ins and outs of writing, grasp and utilize the concepts of good storytelling, and most of all, you have to work hard at it. 

Join writing organizations, find critique partners, read. Don't just read for pleasure. Read to learn. Notice the way an author manipulates his characters to evoke emotion in you. Absorb the way the story unfolds naturally, smoothly, with you going along for the ride. Even if it's just to figure out how to end a sentence, pick up any newspaper, magazine or storybook and take a look at the sentence structure and punctuation.

By the way, if you can answer, "Yes" to all ten questions and you're looking for an editor, let's talk.

Ask the Editor: Dialogue Tags

Melissa D sent me the following: I'm confused about how to use punctuation with dialogue. When should I use a comma and when should I end with a period? What's the difference between single quotes and double quotes? And if the character is asking a question, does the question mark go inside or outside the quotation marks?

Another great question, and a source of much frustration for me when I see it done wrong in published work! Thanks, Melissa.

In the U.S., we always use double quotation marks for dialogue. Single quotation marks are only used inside double quotation marks.

“I want to watch ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” Robbie shouted.

Punctuation goes inside the quotes.

“Too bad, Robbie,” Nicole replied. “‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ is on tonight.”

Clear as mud? Okay, let’s try another.

The witness hesitated.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” the attorney told her. “Simply repeat what the defendant said to you for the court record.”

After a long moment, the witness sighed and leaned forward to speak directly into the microphone. “He said, ‘I’ll kill you first!’” she whispered in a tone roughened with raw emotion.

“And how did you respond?”

“I asked him why.” Her voice, though softer than a child’s coo, carried volumes across the silent courtroom. “‘Why are you doing this to me?’ I’d never given him a reason to distrust me.”

If the the dialogue is a question, the question mark goes inside the quotes: "Why are you doing this to me?" or "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked.

Notice, too, that my dialogue tags are not capitalized—except in the last exchange. Why? Because the last exchange is not a dialogue tag. “Her voice…carried…” is an action. “He said,” “she cried,” “he exclaimed,” “she whispered,” “he asked,” etc. are all dialogue tags. “He rose from the table.” is an action. “She glanced up.” Action. “Mom hung up the phone.” Action. If “Mom exclaimed, and then hung up the phone,” it’s a dialogue tag. Dialogue tags complete the dialogue and are included as part of the dialogue. Even dialogue that ends with a question mark or exclamation point is part of the dialogue. Actions are separate thoughts and require a new sentence. If you took away the dialogue and the rest of the passage is still a complete sentence, requiring no further clarification, it's not a dialogue tag.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“What do you care?” She slammed the door so hard the walls shook.

“What a witch!” he said to no one in particular.

“Jerk!” With one last scathing look at the house, Carrie stalked to the waiting cab.

Let's try to separate those four.

#1. He asked. (He asked what? Incomplete thought=dialogue tag.)

#2. She slammed the door so hard the walls shook. (Complete sentence.)

#3. He said to no one in particular. (He said what? Incomplete thought=dialogue tag.)

#4. With one last scathing look at the house, Carrie stalked to the waiting cab. (Complete sentence.)

Hope this helps! If not, feel free to email me at ginaardito@gmail.com for additional clarification!

Colon or Semi-Colon?

I read a lot of self-published work. Punctuation is a major issue in works that have obviously not been vetted by a competent editor. Be honest. Do you know when to use a semi-colon and when to use a colon? Do you even know the difference? This is a colon : This is a semi-colon ;

Got it? Okay, let's move on. Colons are used to define time or a list.
5:30 p.m.
or
The menu offered three different sauces for pasta: alfredo, marinara, and bolognese.

Semi-colons are used like commas (note they have a comma in them!) to separate independent clauses or in the place of a comma when commas are already used to differentiate a group.

Ron packed up the bats; Charlie herded the kids into the station wagon.
or
Jeremy introduced me to his sister, Pam; her husband, Lou; and their son, Robin.

**Note that by using the semi-colon in the above sentence, I've clearly shown the reader that Pam is Jeremy's sister and Lou is Pam's husband. If I'd just used commas, I could have been discussing four people instead of two: Jeremy's sister, Pam, Pam's husband, and Lou. (And look! I used a colon to define the list. Dang, I'm good!)

Still confused? Don't sweat it. But before you hit "upload," make sure you've got a really good editor to clean up these pesky little issues!