I have this number in my head that keeps going up. Three more edits… five… seven. This after reading my book for the umpteenth time, and after having beta readers edit it for me. It makes me wonder how the hell books ever manage to get published in the first place. I imagine some grammar robots spinning through the book the way Christopher Reeve did as Superman (what was he reading?), catching mistakes that somehow always sneak past me. It makes me wonder what happens to our brains when we write that allows for such complete and utter negligence. Does being in the zone suck up so much focus that grammar falls by the wayside? I imagine that for any time other than our own this would have been perfectly acceptable. It was enough for writers to keep their writing organized – let alone coherent – that the mundane was forced on others out of sheer necessity. Now that we have the tools to do so ourselves the burden falls on us. This wouldn’t be entirely troublesome if I wasn’t so damned neurotically inclined to execute every widow and orphan (words that dangle from paragraphs, laughing at me behind hideous stretches of open space) from my book.
Speaking of unfortunate technological baggage, what’s with this whole author platform trend?
[Literary Agent] : Yeah, we’re going to need a platform to demonstrate whether or not you’re marketable.
[Me] : I’m sorry, what?
[Literary Agent]: A platform. A base of people interested in your work. You can go about this using [insert latest tech craze here].
[Me]: You want me to market myself? I thought that was your job.
[Literary Agent]: The truth is marketing budgets aren’t what they used to be. Authors are expected to shoulder the costs.
[Me]: Okay, so let me get this straight. I spend three years writing a book while working as a waiter (refuse to freelance – see Be Kind to Your Muse for reasons why), risking my entire career in the process, and you’re telling me that before you even look at it I have to spend god knows how much time trolling the internet in an attempt to seduce people to follow/friend/like me???
[Literary Agent]: I’m afraid so. Everyone’s doing it.
[Me]: Fuck you.
That’s how the conversation would have gone if my balls weren’t chopped off every time I speak to someone ‘in the biz.’ Still, here I am, whoring my creativity for all to see. Funny thing is, I may have over reacted. There is something substantially fulfilling about meeting so many interesting and like-minded people. On the flip side, I should be editing…
Oh right. I should be editing. Peace.
Haha! Had to laugh reading your agent conversation. There days it’s all about platforms and social media. If only we could just hide away under a rock… Blergh!
Your dialogue between you and the agent WAS HILARIOUS!!! I couldn’t stop myself. It helped me release a great amount of stress. “Just when I thought I had problems”, I said to myself. Ironically, I bet you didn’t do as much as editting on your entry!
I think the trick is to turn this whole platform building thing into something you actually enjoying, you know? Mingling with the people and all that.
I think that’s a terrific way to look at it. Thank you ~
so, yeah, I was really surprised at how many comma mistakes my manuscript had…an editor friend had a look at the first 70 pages. it was a blow to my BA English ego. honestly, you just get so used to seeing the words on the screen and hearing them in your head, you literally don’t see the little mistakes anymore.
happy editing! your writer friends are here to vent to.
I hear ya on the edits. I’m slogging my way through it now, too. And, I know there are more in my future.
I think after a point, we can no longer see the trees through the forest and our mind inserts what we know over what is actually there.
Either that or Gremlins put their mitts over our eyes.
I hear ya on the platform thing. I read a book about 10 months ago that lit a fire under my ass. I’m not even published yet. But, it seems like it’s never too early to start getting out there.
What’s funny is, it’s the writers who end up following each other to help each other out. We can’t get fans until they read something we write. I guess the ‘biz’ doesn’t get that part. LOL
Thanks for stopping by Lather. Write. Repeat.! I’m looking forward to following the journey that is your writing!
XO
Lenore