Thursday, April 21, 2005

Whatyaknow

I didn't realize that you can buy software now that edits your novel for you until this morning, when I was cruising around for editing linkage. Next thing you know we'll have software that handles brain surgery. No, don't tell me if there is already.

While I was looking for articles and info on editing a novel, I was deluged by commercial sites run by editors for hire and writers turned book doctors. Some of them charge $25 a page, can you believe that? And no one is indicting these people? Evidently there are many mysterious but stunningly effective processes involved because they're very tight-lipped about their editing superpowers.

Some things on editing for which you don't have to pay $25 a pop:

Common Proofreading Symbols

Judy Cullins's How to Edit Your Articles as You Write -- this is about articles, but she makes some good suggestions on what to look for that can also apply to novels

Jennifer Joseph's A Few Tips on Editing a Novel

Crawford Kilian's advice on editing

Holly Lisle's One-Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle

Nanoedmo

Ray Rhamey is not tight-lipped about his editing methods, but shows how he uses them on his weblog Flogging the Quill. Ray will also do some free editing in return for permission to post your work as an example.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous12:28 PM

    Ah, FictionFixer.

    The funniest part is that there was a guy in my creative writing class who would have paid for it, if he hasn't already.

    He was very much into the technical side of things, and the Kincaid-whatsit readings.

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