February 22, 2015 by Debi Graham-Leard
Several weeks ago, I purchased ten hours of editing and met my first-ever editor via phone. We discussed the level of editing I was expecting from her, and she explained how to use the “Track Changes” feature of MS WORD.
She emailed my first two chapters with not only comments to deepen characters or clarify a scene, but line editing for minor punctuation and grammar corrections. Time used: 3.5 hours.
When I panicked that my ten hours was being used up so quickly for such a small portion of the novel, she explained that she wanted me to see what a complete edit would include. That at some point, line editing would be necessary before going to print or e-book.
The next three chapters arrived with comments only, using another 2.25 hours.
Although I’m very pleased with her suggestions, and have no doubt that my story will be improved with her input, I’m thinking I’ll tackle my own line editing after we finish fine-tuning the chapter details.
Posted in Publishers, revision | Tagged editing services, editor, fiction, first novel, hiring an editor, manuscript, publisher, revise, revision, self-publishing, WORD Track Changes | 2 Comments »
January 22, 2015 by Debi Graham-Leard
…my road to self-publication that is.
Riverhaven Books forwarded an analysis of my story by one of their editors.
First the good news:
The author has a well-conceived mystery. There are very good twists and turns, especially at the end. The writing is straight-forward and follows a logical structure. There will be little required in terms of correcting punctuation or grammar.
And now the not-as-good news:
However, I think there is developmental work to be done. I would recommend that the author work on character development, backstory, subtlety in dialogue, and that she check with law enforcement professionals on some of the legal practices described, as some don’t ring true.
I can either try to develop these improvements on my own, or hire this same editor to work with me. Her 10-hour contract costs $30 per hour…sounds like a good investment to me!
I’ll keep you posted as we move along!
Posted in Publishers, revision | Tagged big-box publishers, editor, fiction, first novel, good news, manuscript, manuscript evaluation, revise, revision, self-publishing | 3 Comments »
January 6, 2015 by Debi Graham-Leard
Well, it’s finally happening. I’ve given up on agents who don’t respond, and am submitting my first novel to a local self-publishing company here in southern New England.
One of their editors will read my story and provide a quote for editing, formatting, ISBN, uploading to the internet and Kindle, etc, etc., etc.
No idea how long this process will take. I’m excited to find out how the cover art is created. I know how I want my story visually depicted, but don’t know if my idea can be translated.
So I’m off!
Posted in Publishers | Tagged fiction, first novel, manuscript evaluation, publisher, self-publishing | 2 Comments »
August 30, 2014 by Debi Graham-Leard
Well, the contest for unpublished authors was moved forward by two months, and closed to new entries yesterday. Within the coming month, the editors on staff will read through the submissions and select their three favorites. These will be passed up to the owner, who will request the entire manuscripts from those three authors.
Wouldn’t it be thrilling if I were chosen as one of the final three?
All I can do now is make final tweaks and wait for that hoped-for call to ring my phone.
Of course, I have begun working on story #2, along with the plot issues that come with any new project. My victim is fleshed out, I know how he’s done in. I even know who does it. And I know who is falsely accused. But I haven’t figured out the why yet. Can’t get too far into the story until that major component is created.
And so my waiting game begins…my fingers are crossed!
Posted in Contests | Tagged deadline, editor, fiction, first novel, manuscript, manuscript evaluation, waiting game, writing contest | Leave a Comment »
My intentions were good. Two contests for unpublished authors loomed in front of me, but both required that my story be completed before I send off the required number of pages to each. Not a total surprise. What if they picked me??? I’d have to submit the entire manusript without delay!
And, so, I’ve been working with determined dedication to finish that final revision…dump the overwriting, be sure the strongest verbs are in place, eliminate those nasty buggers ‘just’ and ‘only’ and ‘then’ .
When I logged onto one of the contest websites…which had opened on May 1, and would not close until the end of June…I got a sinking feeling when I read the notice that the contest is closed! They had received the maximum number of submissions in a little more than a week. Slam, bam, thank you, ma’m.
Imagine my disappointment.
However, I did not dispair! On Friday, I submitted my pages to the second contest via registered mail.
I’d be happy to end up in the finalist pile. But ecstatic to be chosen as the winner.
Cross your fingers! Cross your toes!
Posted in Contests | Tagged first novel, manuscript, revision, waiting game | Leave a Comment »
January 26, 2014 by Debi Graham-Leard
For the past few years, I’ve listened to well-meaning comments from two writing groups, manuscript evaluators and uninterested agents. After a particularly brutal critique session this past weekend, my brain finally kicked and I experienced an “ah-ha moment”.
I had lost my title character.
A comment made several months ago at a mystery writers conference to “start with the body” sent me off on a major rewrite to move my chapter thirteen to page one. This forced me to re-introduce my potential suspects after the body dropped. What I sacrificed was providing my future readers with a sense of my characters as they responded to each other. Without real-time dialogue, the victim morphed into dreaded and story-slowing back story.
And so, last Saturday, as I drove home with my ego bruised and my head spinning, it occurred to me that all along I’ve been categorizing my story in the wrong genre. Since the first word was put to the page…or more accurately, onto the screen… I’ve considered it a mystery, but it doesn’t start out that way. It’s more accurately defined as perhaps ‘women’s fiction” that becomes a mystery with a dash of romance along the way. I’ve just found a blog called “Women Fiction Writers” and subscribed.
I’m no longer writing for some unknown agent or publisher with an unknown laundry list of what sort of story they are seeking at the moment. I am writing for myself. The story that has been in my head since the beginning has resurfaced and set me free. Will I self-publish? Most likely.
Are my instincts right? Who cares! All I know is that I’m reinvigorated about bringing my original concept to life on the page!
Posted in revision | Tagged agent response, big-box publishers, Chapter One, fiction, first novel, Genre, manuscript, manuscript evaluation, polished, revise, women's fiction, writing groups | 3 Comments »
November 11, 2013 by Debi Graham-Leard
This past weekend, I attended Crime Bake in Dedham, MA. Sponsored by Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, this conference is always inspiring, but not without its disappointments to a budding author.
First, there was the ‘First Page Critique’ session after lunch on Saturday. When my first page was read, only one agent defended my efforts because she has seen my progress. But neither she nor the other four agents raised a hand to indicate they would read further.
Second, my pitch to an agent, hoping to hook her into asking for my first three chapters, fell on deaf ears. This could be my fault, because I decided to change my genre from mystery to romantic suspense after the pitch practice session on Friday night. I’m going back to mystery genre.
Third time was a charm! My manuscript evaluation was provided by Ray Daniel, a Boston author. He pointed out that although my writing is good, and my verbs are strong, I’m asking my reader to hang in with me for a third of the novel before we find out that there is a body. Over the months, I’ve changed my opening scene too many times to count, but Ray’s words made sense to me. I finally got it!
So I flew out of bed early on Sunday morning, rushed to my computer and opened a new file. I pulled Chapter 12 forward, did a bit of tweeking and printed off a new page one. When I arrived at the Dedham Hilton for the final day of the conference, I bumped into Ray within minutes and asked what he thought of the new first page. He gave it a thumbs up…yea!
My writing days will now include not only regular revision, but a re-sequencing of my chapters to move my suspects into the middle.
But, oh, how exciting this is!
Posted in Agent Review, Conferences, Seminars, Uncategorized | Tagged agent response, Chapter One, conference, Crime Bake, fiction, first line of chapter one, first novel, Hook, manuscript, mystery genre, novel pitch, opening scene, revision, Sisters in Crime | 4 Comments »
October 22, 2013 by Debi Graham-Leard
An email arrived inviting me to choose my top three agents for the pitching session at the Crime Bake Conference, sponsored by Sisters in Crime New England and Mystery Writers of America during the weekend of Nov 8-9-10.
This year, the organizers are offering eleven agents and editors for our selection process. Bios for them all are provided on the Crime Bake website.
And so my analysis began! I read each bio to discover what sub-genre that agent is seeking at the moment, and their experience in the publishing industry. A follow-up exploration of each corporate websites with a browse through their most recently published authors solidified if they seem to be a good match for my mystery/romance story.
I settled on my top three, registered my picks via the online form, and will now wait until I register at the conference to find out which one is my assigned agent.
The pitching session will take place on Saturday afternoon during the conference weekend. Those authors who are participating will be collected outside the pitching room, and herded in as a group to spend our five minutes in front of the pour assigned agent. If all goes well, and my pitch includes enough of a hook, the agent may request more of my story. Wouldn’t that be encouraging?
Cross your fingers!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged agent, agent response, agents, fiction, Hook, Mystery Writers of America, novel pitch, Sisters in Crime, waiting game | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2013 by Debi Graham-Leard
Well, today was the deadline to submit 15 pages for a manuscript evaluation at the upcoming Crime Bake Conference, sponsored by Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
After several revisions, I managed to condense the first 13 pages of my story to end with Chapter 2 where the initial hook hopefully sinks in. The first page was a cover sheet, and the second a one-page synopsis. How difficult was that to write??? All the broad strokes on one page!
My submission will be assigned to an agent, an editor, or a published mystery writer for evaluation. I’ll find out who when I register on November 8.
The two of us will find a quiet corner in the Hilton Hotel and spend fifteen minutes together. She will tell me what she thinks of my story and my writing. It will be a nerve-wracking experience, but a necessary evil. After sending my story through two separate writing groups, eliminating my original opening chapters and many unnecessary scenes, plus rewriting the first page a gazillion times, I can only hope that my evaluator thinks my story is in pretty good shape.
During this conference, I will also pitch my book to the attending agents. Maybe I’ll finally get a bite!
Posted in Agent Review, Conferences, revision, Seminars, Uncategorized | Tagged agent response, deadline, fiction, first line of chapter one, first novel, Hook, manuscript, Mystery Writers of America, opening scene, revision, Sisters in Crime, Synopsis, writing groups | 1 Comment »
September 3, 2013 by Debi Graham-Leard
After I joined the Cape Cod Writers Center several years ago, I heard that there was a well-established writing group near me in the town of Stoughton, MA. Knowing how important it is to get feedback from readers, especially other writers, I joined them immediately and have never looked back.
This group is comprised of several teachers, a retired insurance agent, an engineer, and a grandmother, among other members who drift in and out of the group as life permits. The manuscripts vary from coming of age stories to historical novels to mysteries and everything in between. At any particular meeting, we will have between four and eight participants, all eager to hear and be heard as we make suggestions to improve each others efforts to put a story on paper.
Sometime after joining, I was asked if I’d be interested in forming a new writing group with another writer who lived in south Plymouth, about an hour’s drive from my home. My answer was an enthusiastic “YES!” We meet at least twice each month. Members have joined and dropped out, our number has gone up and come back down, but we remain a viable resource of gentle critique with only improvement in mind.
When yet a third group was formed in my area via a website called “Meetup.com”, I thought I could handle the extra work involved to not only prepare my own piece for submission, but to review the writings of the other members. After several meetings, I came to the conclusion that three was too many and dropped out.
And so, I have settled back into my original two groups and am content. Each member zeroes-in on a different aspect of the writing, which carries a value beyond compare.
My advice on writing groups? Find one where you feel that most members are making valid suggestions to improve your story, and keep on writing!
Posted in revision | Leave a Comment »
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Several weeks ago, I purchased ten hours of editing and met my first-ever editor via phone. We discussed the level of editing I was expecting from her, and she explained how to use the “Track Changes” feature of MS WORD.
Debi Graham-Leard 