tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post6673045937916834463..comments2023-08-21T09:58:38.424-03:00Comments on Fantasy Pages: Publishing and egoDenysé Bridgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02275440875115096018noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-85776799074389343572013-07-28T14:24:15.941-03:002013-07-28T14:24:15.941-03:00I love this! My ego does not ever stretch much pas...I love this! My ego does not ever stretch much past my editor, who can take it back a notch real quick, lol, but, hey, I am also a kick-ass student! <br />Stacy Rogersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-4218973308115782872013-07-27T18:42:25.596-03:002013-07-27T18:42:25.596-03:00Well said, everyone. It is maddening when people t...Well said, everyone. It is maddening when people think they should start at the top instead of working their way up, that just because they have a computer and spell check they can be a writer and an editor.<br /><br />Even the best writers need an editor to look over the manuscript prior to publishing. And any writer that thinks they don't need an editor is either an amateur or a fool. Sorry if I offend anyone.<br /><br />Let's hope that the crap out there will eventually sink to the bottom. The writers only in it for the money will tire of all the hard work that goes into publishing a book. The serious writers will continue to write because it's what they love to do and they care about putting out quality work.<br /><br />Kelley<br />Kelley Heckarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05673342477988998070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-16903641075974328012013-07-27T14:05:43.271-03:002013-07-27T14:05:43.271-03:00Well said, as usual, Roberta. I think the current ...Well said, as usual, Roberta. I think the current trends are helping to create far too much crap in the publishing world. I was asked to vote for best contemporary romance today, and honestly when I ran down the list of entries, I saw the same book, over and over again, different title, different authors, different covers - but ALL knock offs of Fifty Shades of Grey, trying to catch the current fad... Many of these new books are also recycled fan fictions, so that fine line of plagiarism is being pushed, too.Denysé Bridgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02275440875115096018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-75279060339401974392013-07-27T14:00:40.216-03:002013-07-27T14:00:40.216-03:00THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm guilty of making my sh...THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm guilty of making my share of dazzling errors when I write, as well, which is why I am eternally grateful for good editors and proofreaders. Anyone who offers constructive critique is a Godsend to writers who actually give a damn about their craft, and are always looking for ways to learn and improve.<br /><br />I agree completely with all you've said, and thank you for stating it so eloquently. Will have to check out your Facebook page now!!Denysé Bridgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02275440875115096018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-31426423851428010132013-07-27T13:49:10.641-03:002013-07-27T13:49:10.641-03:00Oh boy, do I have a lot to say about this one. In...Oh boy, do I have a lot to say about this one. In a nutshell: BRAVO!! I could not agree more. I critique/beta-read/review, and I'm also a published author. I'm one of the lucky ones, so far - my current publisher seems to really care about how books turn out. But I have seen ghastly errors and downright sheer junk in "published" books. These I do not complete--I send them back to their owners and suggest other venues. (No, I don't suggest the book boneyard.) <br /><br />I have the curse my dad has--spelling and grammar perfectionism. I could spot misspellings from my teachers when I was in the third grade, and was reading and comprehending at an 11th grade level when I was ten years old. But I still find honking bad mistakes in my own work, so I welcome editing and suggestions. And that includes this missive, although it's just a post, not an essay.<br /><br />However, here's another unbelievable trend: people who advertise their "editing" services who cannot spell/create a well-structured sentence EVEN IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS! To them I say: clean up your own house and then go clean others'. <br /><br />I don't read or review romance--so not my thing. You might as well ask the cat to knit you an overcoat. So I can't comment on that. But I have seen my share of crapola on the site I admin on Facebook, Euphrates Bookstore. I had to ban someone for obscenity--then I got run up the flagpole for suggesting another book cover was walking a thin line between what I would accept and what would be banned. There are rules of decency, but they seem to have eroded a lot. I have my standards, and I won't part with them.<br /><br />Well, this became an essay after all...But I think I'm done now...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25733593.post-11673501317146539662013-07-26T21:50:51.491-03:002013-07-26T21:50:51.491-03:00Two memories came to mind as I read this. First, ...Two memories came to mind as I read this. First, from high school: I was already writing (I actually wrote my first story in second grade), but I really wanted to learn more about writing in general, so I paid close attention to my literature teachers when they discussed how specific authors worked. The statement that has stayed with me ever since dealt with Ernest Hemingway: everything he wrote had to be carefully edited because his grammar was terrible. I figured if Hemingway could deal with always being edited, I should.<br /><br />Then, in the '80's, when I was heavily involved in writing both fanfic and original SF&F for print fanzines, and also served as a proof-reader for two of them, I remember hearing repeatedly of fanwriters who would send notes with their submissions saying 'This doesn't need editing; I was very careful', or 'My friends have already gone through this, and it doesn't need any editing.' We all laughed about it, and shrugged it off because these were definitely 'amateur' writers.<br /><br />Sadly, it appears that this self-important attitude has spread far beyond fanwriting. I keep discovering really obvious, pathetic, errors in books that I've paid real money for, and all I can do is shake my head, and whisper a prayer that somehow true professionalism will return. That people will realize that admitting a need to be edited is a strength, not a weakness, and that self-publication would be much improved if editors and proof-readers could be involved.Robertahttp://rlstuemke.webs.comnoreply@blogger.com