Quite by accident I discovered something I’m passionate about and that’s editing. Probably not my own manuscripts, which is challenging and frustrating, but helping other writers to unlock their hidden gems. Of course, I don’t have extensive trainer or years and years of education, but I’ve been trained by some of the best in the editing industry, and read hundreds of books a year. I know what I like and what I don’t like, and am better at catching the errors in the work of other creative people than I am with my own manuscripts. Who knew? It’s good to know what you’re passionate about.
After spending a week reading through the manuscript for Lady’s Night–TWICE, I finally have it personally edited for my own satisfaction. But who knows. Editors like things nice and tidy, short and sweet. They don’t really care if what you wrote is the most profound thing since the Bible, they want to sell to a want-it-now-don’t-give-me-fluff generation. We’ve been iPhone’d, iPadded, iPodded, iTuned, and ePub’d to death. I really believe the (i) stands for IMMEDIATELY.
We live in an instant world. Instant coffee, instant news, instant entertainment. We don’t have time to sit and enjoy, “Call me Ishmael” anymore. We don’t want 36 pages describing a flower from Hawaii, or a species of whale. We simply don’t have the time. Yet. We surround ourselves with modern conveniences that allow us more free time. What’s up with that?
My whole point today, is that editors know the market, they understand this “instantaneous” world, and know what people want to put on their eReader or iReader or uReader, whatever the latest and greatest device there is to make our lives less complicated. Go figure.
Editors, the necessary evil for the greater good.
Help me decide which cover is the best, (There are just renderings that I created myself, not professional by any means.):
Original Cover
And the typical romance cover:
Please vote by leaving a comment. Thank you.