The Writers Network News, Ego Clash, April 2021
The Writers Network News, Ego Clash, April 2021
In This Issue
One: From the Editor's Desk: Ego Clash
Two: Ask the Book Doctor—About Creative Issues
Three: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Four: Contests, Agents, and Markets
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The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2021, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission; however, you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to fellow writers.
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https://www.zebraeditor.com/
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Writer's Quote of the Month
Katharine Hepburn said, "If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun."
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ONE: From the Editor’s Desk—Ego Clash
Dear Fellow Writers:
A writer wrote a scathing email to a magazine client of mine. The writer criticized the edits I had made to his work and declared that he had been a professional writer for thirty years and knew what he was doing.
The publisher naturally passed the email to me and asked me how she should respond.
My blood pressure rose. How dare anyone question my abilities?
“Hey, girl,” my logical brain finally said to me. “It’s merely an ego clash. Get over it.”
The ego is the part of our brain that always wants to be right. Ego is willing to fight anyone who dares to claim more or better knowledge.
I needed to gain perspective. I needed distance. I closed my computer and left the house. I returned to my office later with a more open mind.
I reread the writer’s concerns before I wrote my response. I acknowledged that his writing was some of the best the magazine received. I then said the issues weren’t a problem with his grammar, but of the magazine style. He resented that I broke up some of his long sentences that were grammatical and in his opinion literary in style. I agreed that they were grammatical. I explained, however, that the magazine is not literary. It is geared to the general public, and the general public reads at an eighth-grade level. Long sentences raise the reading level too high for the general public.
He pointed out that I broke up his long quotations with an attribution. I explained that our magazine style is to keep everything clear from the start. Attributing a long quotation at the end or, as he had done, not attributing it until the next paragraph, was not our magazine style. For clarity we attribute quotes before or shortly after they start.
He raised other issues too. I explained my logic or the rule behind each change—some related to Chicago style, which the magazine follows.
I reread my response and felt sure it acknowledged his skills while it also pointed out my reasoning.
Editors should not have to explain their reasoning, but the writer deserved answers. I concluded with the fact that with his thirty years of writing experience and my fifty years of writing and editing experience, we make a good team. I meant it.
In the end his ego was appeased, as was mine. We were both right in our own ways. My logical mind—not the ego-driven one—saw the issue as nothing more than an ego clash. Creative people love their creations. They don’t want anyone to criticize or change them. I understand. I am, however, an editor, and it’s my job to make everything I edit be the best and most marketable it can be, whether it’s an article, essay, or book.
When I edit for writers, they have the option to accept my edits or reject them. When I edit for a publisher, though, as was the case with the magazine, only the publisher can accept or reject my edits. Writers do lose control of their “babies” in such a case. I sympathize. I’ve been there. Even decades after an editor changed something in one of my articles, I recall the change, consider her change incorrect, and resent it. I’m as human and ego-filled as any writer.
Sometimes we have to recognize that ego—not skill, necessity, or danger—makes us want to be right and fight. Sometimes, though, we must accept an editor’s word and move on. We might even learn from it.
Maybe.
Have you ever disagreed with a professional editor? What was the result?
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com
Author of two editions of WRITE IN STYLE, owner of Zebra Communications, director of The Writers Network, coordinator of the Florida Writers Association Editors Helping Writers service, and senior editor of Enjoy Cherokee Magazine
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TWO: Ask the Book Doctor—About Creative Issues
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: Why is it that one-word sentences, made-up words, sentences beginning with “and” and “but,” and clichés can be found in novels written by bestselling authors. But when a manuscript is sent to editors or copyeditors for proofing, these things are “corrected.” And when such are corrected, the content sometimes takes on a different meaning. I certainly don’t mean that glaring grammatical errors, i.e., dangling participles or an excessive amount of clichés, should be accepted, but why are creative issues not accepted?
A: Bestselling authors are not necessarily great writers but good storytellers and moneymakers. When you have a following as large as John Grisham or Dan Brown, you can break all the rules and publishers will still produce your work, because publishers know the books will sell regardless.
Acquisitions editors, manuscript editors, and agents, however, take a stricter approach with manuscripts that come from new authors. If you want to sell your work before you make a name for yourself, you must pay attention to the rules of grammar and punctuation as well as the guidelines for strong writing. Great writers know these things and may intentionally go against them for a specific purpose and on a rare occasion.
Not to be cruel, but the question above had four sentences, and half of them unnecessarily began with conjunctions. The four sentences used “but” three times and used i.e. (which means “that is”) whereas e. g. (which means “for example”) would be more appropriate. A professional editor would have “corrected” those things, improving the quality of the writing. The key word is “quality.”
Although I don’t critique or edit emails I receive, I wanted to make a point about how an editor might improve—not necessarily correct, but improve—a manuscript.
It’s true that a one-word sentence adds emphasis and increases the pace of a passage. Overused, however, the ploy loses power and leads to weak writing. Beginning a sentence with a conjunction such as “and,” “but,” “so,” “therefore,” and “however” is not an egregious error and may even add power, but attentive writers know that the formation also creates a sentence fragment, and too many fragments or too many sentences beginning with the same word, and the writing grows feeble. The goal of a good writer is to create strong prose.
If editing a sentence changes the meaning, the original meaning wasn’t clear. The basic tenant of strong writing is this: always be clear.
Lazy writers may grumble about having to stick to rules and guidelines, but adhering to them makes the difference between weak writing and lasting literature.
Q: I have a client whose manuscript has a limited omniscient point of view and gets into the perspective of a woman and her boyfriend. These perspectives are not in separate scenes, but within one scene, all through the book. Nobody else’s thoughts come in anywhere, so my question is this: can an author do that? I’m thinking it will be a deal breaker with a publisher, but the author is quite determined to keep it. What do you think?
A: Creative writing tends to have guidelines, rather than rules. The guidelines say to use only one point of view per scene and that each scene should be in the point of view of the most important character in that scene. New writers hoping to sell to a publisher are wise to follow that guideline, because, as you suspect, ignoring the guideline could be a deal breaker with many a publisher.
I recall reading a wonderful book with two perspectives of each scene, but the author handled it brilliantly by putting the points of view in separate chapters. One chapter was a scene or situation written from the woman’s point of view, and in the next chapter, the same scene was told from the man’s point of view. The book rocked!
Has anyone ever succeeded while disregarding the current one-point-of-view-per-scene recommendation? Yes. John Grisham comes to mind. He tells great stories, but in at least one book I read, the POV was often in three or more characters within the same scene. It drove me crazy. If a writer has a reputation and readership as strong as John Grisham’s, perhaps it’s fine to ignore rules and guidelines. Yet-to-be famous writers, though, are more likely to meet with success if they follow the tenets of strong creative writing.
Bobbie Christmas is a book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. She will answer your questions too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/.
For much more information on these subjects and hundreds of others of vital importance to writers, order PURGE YOUR PROSE OF PROBLEMS, a Book Doctor’s Desk Reference Book at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
Bobbie Christmas’s award-winning second edition of WRITE IN STYLE: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing is available from Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/y7ppcdkd or buy it directly from me at https://tinyurl.com/y7p9xkbb.
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THREE: Of Interest to Writers
Members Write . . .
In response to my letter last month regarding the importance of getting facts right, even in fiction, Pat Wald wrote, “I find errors of facts very distracting when reading both fiction and nonfiction. I also wonder if many books are even edited anymore, because of the misspelling and horrendous grammar. I strive to complete reading any book I begin, but these distractions take away some of the joy.”
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Editing Tip: Farther/Further
Farther/Further
“Farther” and “further” are easily confused. Here’s how to tell the difference:
Further: refers to abstract situations. Example: Her disease debilitated her further.
Farther: refers to concrete, measurable distances. Example: The school is farther away than I thought.
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Bobbie’s Blog
Newest blog post: “Hard-Copy Editing Versus Electronic Editing. What’s the difference?” Does one type of editing have an advantage over another? See https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/hard-copy-editing-versus-electronic-editing/.
For other writing tips and some personal experiences, access the Write In Style blog here: https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/
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National Writing Day is June 24 this year. How do you plan to honor that day?
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CMOS Online Q & A
This month someone posed the following question to The Chicago Manual of Style Online, and it’s an issue I run into quite often in the manuscripts I edit:
Q. What is the proper spacing BETWEEN paragraphs? Is it the “space” connected with the font size?
To get the answer to this question and many more based on Chicago style, go to http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/latest.html.
THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE sets the standard in book publishing for issues such as punctuation, capitalization, and much more. If you write fiction or nonfiction books, you will want to know about Chicago style or be sure to use a professional book editor intimately familiar with Chicago style.
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Common Grammar Errors
CNBC outlined the eleven most common grammar errors, and I agree. I find these errors in more than fifty percent of the books I edit. See if you make these errors as well. https://tinyurl.com/zuspe24c
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A Plea from Across the Pond
Adopt a Book & Rescue a Small Publisher
https://www.hollandparkpress.co.uk/adopt-a-book-rescue-a-small-publisher/
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WRITE IN STYLE: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing
WRITE IN STYLE teaches writers how to strengthen their writing style and create a fresh voice, one that publishers and readers want to read.
Order your copy today at https://www.zebraeditor.com/book/write-in-style-how-to-use-your-computer-to-improve-your-writing/
or
https://shop.booklogix.com/Write-In-Style-Second-Edition-6295.htm?categoryId=-1
or
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Style-Computer-Improve-Writing-ebook/dp/B0167MCY6C
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How to Write a Book Proposal
http://shereebee.com/book-proposals-at-a-glance/
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FOUR: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Native Skin
Creative nonfiction and poetry for people with skin.
Creative Nonfiction: Must be an original work, Not previously published.
3,000-word max
Poetry: Must be original work, previously unpublished poem or translation*
*Please submit original language with translation.
3 Poems Max per Author
Deadline: May 23, 2021
Yes! We pay a teeny tiny contributor’s fee for all contributors upon publication. The possibility for the fee to vary per edition exists, but the first edition contributor’s fee was $100, and we expect to pay the same for the second edition. The magazine is self-funded by the founder, does not request submission fees, and does not charge for subscriptions. This is why the fee is small at this time.
Email your writing submissions in Word format with your bio + .jpg photo to Submit@NativeSkinOnline.com.
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The Point
info@thepointmag.com
312-345-3224
The Point Magazine
30 N. LaSalle St., Suite #2240
Chicago, IL 60602
The Point is a print and digital magazine of philosophical writing that embodies two distinct but complementary convictions: on the one hand, that humanistic thinking has relevance for contemporary life; on the other, that our lives are full of experiences worth thinking about. Each issue contains three sections: ESSAYS that blend memoir, criticism and journalism to examine the ideas and beliefs that shape our world; a SYMPOSIUM that gathers contributions on a topic chosen by the editors (e.g. privacy, sports, film, marriage), and REVIEWS of pretty much anything at all.
The Point adheres to no specific political or social agenda; instead, we ask our readers to participate in a dialogue between diverse intellectual traditions, personalities and points of view. The goal is a society where the examined life is not an abstract ideal but an everyday practice.
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Blue Mountain Press Accepts Books and Greeting Cards
Blue Mountain Arts, Inc.
P.O. Box 4219
Boulder CO 80306
bmpbooks@sps.com.
www.sps.com
Book Guidelines
Publishes hardcover originals, trade paperback originals, electronic originals. “Please note: We are not accepting works of fiction, rhyming poetry, children’s books, chapbooks, or memoirs.” Pays royalty on wholesale price. Pays royalty advance. Publishes manuscripts 12-16 months after acceptance. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 2-4 months. E-mail to request submission guidelines.
Nonfiction subjections include personal growth, teens/tweens, family, relationships, motivational, and inspirational but not religious. Query with SASE. Submit proposal package including outline and 3-5 sample chapters.
Poetry: “We publish poetry appropriate for gift books, self-help books, and personal growth books. We do not publish chapbooks or literary poetry. We do not accept rhyming poetry.”
Query. Submit 10+ sample poems.
Greeting Card Guidelines
Looking for contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people today want to communicate to one another, but don’t always know how to put into words. Because our cards capture genuine emotions on topics such as love, friendship, family, missing you, and other real-life subjects, we suggest that you have a friend, relative, or someone else in your life in mind as you write. Writings on special occasions (birthday, anniversary, congratulations, etc.) as well as the challenges, difficulties, and aspirations of life are also considered. We are looking for new, original, and creative writings that do not sound like anything we have already published. The poem length does not matter, so long as it can fit on a card. We publish both long and short pieces anywhere from 50 to 300 words.
We are not looking for rhymed poetry, religious verse, or one-liners. Try to avoid frequently overused words and phrases, such as “special,” “gift,” “sending you a hug,” “birthday wishes for you,” and “angel.” We receive a large number of submissions about mothers, sons, daughters, and love. For these themes, we consider only writings that are refreshing and unique or that express age-old sentiments in new and different ways. (Hint: Avoid lines like “You were always there for me,” “I remember when you were a baby,” “I am so proud of you,” and “You are my dream come true.”)
You can submit your greeting card poetry in the submission form on https://www.sps.com/greeting-card-guidelines-submissions or to editorial@sps.com. You may include as many different works as you wish in the same submission. See guidelines for full submission information.
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