I have trouble making decisions. Especially when the decision involves thousands of dollars. Buying a new car can take me months, but then I keep a car for 11 to 15 years. My showing up over and over again at the car lot can drive new car salesmen to drink. Then when I go in to buy the car I get tired of the run around and the long time it takes them to fill out the paper work. I’ve made up my mind and I have the money in my hand, quit stalling.
I decided to go with a Editor recommended to me by an author I know. A author is a writer that finished a book and has published it.
This is going to cost thousand of dollars. I’m sure it will be worth it. I’m going with a content edit, then after the content edit I will get a line edit from the same editor.
I get a small discount for getting both of the edits from her. Sort of a package deal.
The editor gave me a sample edit of the first chapter of my book. What a mess. I had slaved over that chapter for weeks. I thought I had it solid. In the months that I had worked on the edits to get the book in shape to show an editor I had dropped a very important element (a piece of the time line) out of the first chapter. She was also able to give me some very important insight on the lead female in the book. Let’s face it, my characters are stiff and not very emotional.
Funny thing is the defense attorney at the jury selection the other day said I was curt and unemotional. Hey I’m an engineer.
The things the editor pointed out in her edit of the first chapter are going to take me days of hard thinking and even harder writing to fix. And I’m paying her to beat my writing up.
Well it looks like it’s oatmeal and sandwiches for the next couple of months. And I have Christmas shopping to do.
Stay strong, write on.
Professor Hyram Voltage