Life gets in the way

It has been a while since I blogged, but I guess that I've been too busy just living life to write about it. However, that is no help to readers of this blog.

So, where do I start? People call and email every day asking if we can recommend an editor or a designer. The short answer is, "No."

Certainly you don't want us to give you a generic referral to someone who just is not a match with you. Editors and designers must be as passionate about your book as you are - their job is just to make it better. You need to find professionals who can work with you to produce a stellar book.

It is important to find an editor who understands your book's genre. An editor has to make your ideas flow in a grammatically correct manner, and to ensure that the writing still sounds like "you". A good editor can keep your "voice" while improving the readability of the material. It is also important that your personalities complement each other. You want the editor to suggest changes in a way that you can accept and you must be able to communicate your wishes clearly to the editor.

A good designer can change the appearance of the pages in your book from hard-t0-read to clear-as-a-bell and easy on the eyes. I recall taking some of my book to the designer who said, "OK. Just leave it with me for a few days." When I returned to look at her work my response was, "Oh. That's what it should look like." The difference with her subtle changes was amazing.

Good editors and designers are defintely "worth their salt" as my mother used to say. Make sure that you hire good ones because after all, they are working on your "baby".

Denise