The hardest part of being a writer is still learning to see my work with a modicum of objectivity. It is hard, almost impossible, especially after the first draft is done, and I feel as if my work is a miracle. It IS a miracle to finish a first draft. It is a time to celebrate and dance a jig or have a glass of wine. But soon it is time to start draft two, then draft three. Hard work…it is something every writer, published or not, is very familiar with.
So how on earth do you get from polite notes of rejection to getting an agent not only to read the entire manuscript, but offer to represent your book?
One way is to work with a freelance editor.
Donald Maass spoke to Writer Unboxed. I posted the first segment on Wednesday…here is the second part of that conversation.
http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/07/interview-donald-maass-part-2/
In it, Mr. Maass mentions his wife’s, Lisa Rector Maass and her Third Draft NYC. I had the pleasure of hearing both Mr. and Mrs. Maass speak at a conference in San Francisco in 2008. What I heard them say helped me look at my work in a new way, and helped me work toward fixing it, and making it better. I think their classes and the information I garnered from them helped me to finally sell THE QUEEN’S PAWN in November 2008.
Lisa Rector Maass’s website is:
And if it is too expensive for most to work with Lisa Rector Maass directly, she speaks at conferences often, as does her husband. It is worth the time and money to hear them speak…at least, it was for me.
Another freelance editor who helped my work get better is Alice Osborn, based in Raleigh, NC.
Alice and I met at a writer’s conference in Wilmington, NCÂ and she helped my work immensely over the years. In my experience, she has a very good eye for story and for making writing better.
Freelance editors can help us see things about our work that we would never otherwise discover. They can open the door to a new way of looking at things, a way to tighten our prose and raise the stakes of our story to make not just agents and editors want to read it, but people buying books as well. And that’s the ultimate goal. Reaching readers with the worlds we have created.
As a writer (first and foremost) and a free lance editor (second but for actual income), I appreciate writers who appreciate editors, and I love editors who can help me improve my own writing and stories by enhancing, not squashing, my own voice and the story I’m trying to tell. It’s much easier to see errors, flaws, or areas for improvement in someone else’s work than it is in my own, that’s for sure.
Robb, I absolutely agree. A good editor is absolutely worth their weight in platinum. “enhancing, not squashing” is exactly the thing we need as writers…someone to help make the story better while still letting it remain our story.