| Your manuscript is complete, now what? Send it | | | | Jane moved into the room, and was surprised. |
| off to the publisher and/or agent of your dreams, | | | | She saw John sitting on the couch, his length lazily |
| right? | | | | stretched along the cushions of it. She was sure |
| Wrong... | | | | that he knew that she had no dowry, so why |
| Now that your manuscript is complete, and your | | | | was he here? Was she to believe that he thought |
| story is told you have a lot of work ahead of | | | | that she would not know it was he that had |
| you. First, you are going to want to polish your | | | | divested her of it? |
| script. I wish I had known as much about this | | | | This is a bit overdone, but you get the picture. It |
| when I turned in Crushing Desire and Bound by | | | | would be better written this way. |
| Freedom, Unbound by Love as I do now. It would | | | | Jane stepped into the room, eyes widening in |
| have made the final edit process easier, and more | | | | surprise. John reclined on the couch, stretching his |
| fruitful. | | | | length along its cushions. Her dowry was gone and |
| You can't finish a manuscript, and say it is good | | | | he knew it, having divested her of it personally. |
| enough. Unfortunately, it likely won't fly in the | | | | So then why should he be here? |
| publishing business. They will tell you, in no kind | | | | Removing the repeated and overused words |
| terms that the manuscript isn't polished, and that | | | | gives the passage a fresher sound. In fact, you |
| they can't accept it. I have discovered in my | | | | could remove the term 'in surprise', and 'stretching |
| research about the craft that there are steps | | | | his length along its cushions' in this passage as well. |
| that you must take when you revise a | | | | They really are implied. Surprise is suggested in |
| manuscript and I will list them for you here. | | | | the widening of her eyes. The word reclined |
| Steps to a final edit... | | | | insinuates that he is stretched out on the couch. |
| I can't say it enough. Edit your manuscript... Edit, | | | | As a romance novelist, however, I appreciate |
| edit, edit. | | | | that some things are left in for the craft's sake. It |
| Step one... | | | | is up to you. Remove what you can of the |
| Download a text to speech reader. | | | | repeated words without destroying your voice. |
| These things are amazingly helpful for first as well | | | | Step three... |
| as final edits. When you are reading your | | | | Give the manuscript to one, or more, trusted |
| manuscript, things might seem to be going | | | | reader(s) |
| smoothly. You know what you meant to write, | | | | A critique partner, or heck, even two or three of |
| and you are reading those words, and getting | | | | them can be invaluable. Give the script out to test |
| wrapped up in the prose. Even your critique | | | | readers. People who will read your scripts, and tell |
| partner might miss a small mistake. | | | | you (honestly!!!) what they think. They might give |
| Example- | | | | an opinion on the whole book, or on something |
| You meant to write: | | | | specific you ask for an opinion on, but they can |
| They moved from the kitchen, holding hands as | | | | be invaluable to you. Your readers can tell you if |
| they went. | | | | some question isn't answered, or if there is a |
| But what you typed was: | | | | major flaw. Some critique partners will go through |
| They moved form the kitchen, holding hands as | | | | chapter by chapter with you, and give you a |
| they went. | | | | detailed critique. |
| This is a mistake you can easily miss. I know that | | | | Example- |
| I have missed it form time to time. JK. A reader | | | | I have a critique partner who is critiquing my |
| -such as natural reader, which has a free | | | | current WIP chapter by chapter. I also have two |
| download of their text to speech software- will | | | | readers that read my WIP and tell me what they |
| catch these if you read along with it. I usually | | | | think on the whole. |
| open the text in natural reader, and my word | | | | Step four... Final read-through and polish. |
| processor as well. I can then follow along in the | | | | Once you have all the feedback, and have |
| word processor document and make corrections | | | | removed or reworded what must be fixed, it is |
| while the reader reads the text. | | | | time for the final polish. This is the spit polish, so |
| Step two... | | | | to speak. You really want to do your best for this |
| Remove repetitive words, and beginnings. | | | | part of the final edit. I often use natural reader |
| It is important to remove repetitive words, and | | | | for this part as well. I want to hear how the final |
| repeated sentence beginnings in the text. | | | | product is sounding. I keep listening until I can get |
| Overused words can get annoying and you might | | | | all the way through without revision. Then my |
| not catch them on first reread. Look especially for | | | | manuscript is ready. |
| words like had, was, and that. Make certain that all | | | | Step five... |
| -ly words, such as lazily, have a purpose. If not, | | | | There is no step five... Yay... If you follow the |
| omit them. Pay attention to words you overuse, | | | | previous steps, and polish your heart out, you will |
| and try to pare them in step two. Check your | | | | finally be ready to seek your agent or publisher. |
| manuscript for the words saw and noticed, and | | | | You will also have a far better chance that the |
| see that the are not telling instead of showing. | | | | search will be successful. |
| Example- | | | | |