I have been honored to have the privilege of helping fellow authors by editing their stories. What I generally do is to correct grammar as I try to keep the author's original idea. At times, it takes a reworking of a scene to make it work and at times, I 'flub the dub' and send back a less than stellar product. When that happens, blame me.
Okay, bad jokes aside, you can only do your best. The hardest part of editing is making sure you and the author are working in the same direction. Working with Angela Rasch taught me a great deal about editing, as well as helping me to improve my writing. At least, I like to think I improved...
If the editor and the author aren't working in synch, things can get confused, and the final product ends up a mix of two different visions. I've worked with a few authors, and I've been very lucky in that they were all very strong authors, with a clear image of where they were taking their characters. All I did was a little polishing, and made some suggestions. As my daughter says, easy-peasy.
Maybe you just need to work in a little more communication time? Most of the stories I've seen you edit were enjoyable, so I don't think it's a major problem!
One thing about editing for others is that you get to read the new installments before anyone else! LOL
Editing for others is a lot easier than doing it for myself. I know what the sentence or paragraph is supposed to say... whether or not that is what is in black and white.
Even while editing for Blackout, I have to be careful that I read what is written and not what should have been. Butttttt It is still enjoyable to help the newbies.
I just love it when a word at the end of a line is repeated at the beginning of the next line... I have to look carefully for those.
Okay! It's all your fault. For trying to make other's stories bettern it is your fault :) Feel better? How about we take your editing pay away, would that make it better? Hey, without editors, a lot of our work would be nigh unreadable. Thanks for the thankless job you do for others
Diana
I don't ever offer to really edit, I offer to proof and to offer suggestions period. One bit of advice to the newbies....
If a person offers to edit your work, PLEASE read some of their work before you just agree to their help!
No one who needs a lot of help with their own writing should ever offer to EDIT another's work! Sure, help with proofing and offer some helpful suggestions, but don't offer to edit, GEEZE!
To me, there is nothing worse than reading a story filled with mistakes and easily corrected oopses through proofing and then see that it had been proofed and edited by...GEEZE!
Really folks, beware, people might mean well when offering to edit your work, but read some of their works before accepting their help!
Just my humble opinion on this very important matter!
Huggles
Angel
I have done this in the past, and what I have done is basically proofed and fixed grammar and/or sentence structure if needed to make a better flow. I have never imposed by style on the auther and tried to leave it in their voice. It can be hard. Also, when I did it I would mark the corrections in red and send it back and let the author decide if what I did was better. Stan, you have done a great job, and as for missing something we are all human.
Your heart is in the right place, however, before sending the story back, may I suggest holding it for two days and rereading that story on either the second day or both days with highlighter in hand. than re-fix if needed, and hold one more and reread again.
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Comments
Nobody's perfect!
Not even me! (Missed it by this much!)
Okay, bad jokes aside, you can only do your best. The hardest part of editing is making sure you and the author are working in the same direction. Working with Angela Rasch taught me a great deal about editing, as well as helping me to improve my writing. At least, I like to think I improved...
If the editor and the author aren't working in synch, things can get confused, and the final product ends up a mix of two different visions. I've worked with a few authors, and I've been very lucky in that they were all very strong authors, with a clear image of where they were taking their characters. All I did was a little polishing, and made some suggestions. As my daughter says, easy-peasy.
Maybe you just need to work in a little more communication time? Most of the stories I've seen you edit were enjoyable, so I don't think it's a major problem!
Wren
Editing
One thing about editing for others is that you get to read the new installments before anyone else! LOL
Editing for others is a lot easier than doing it for myself. I know what the sentence or paragraph is supposed to say... whether or not that is what is in black and white.
Even while editing for Blackout, I have to be careful that I read what is written and not what should have been. Butttttt It is still enjoyable to help the newbies.
I just love it when a word at the end of a line is repeated at the beginning of the next line... I have to look carefully for those.
Zip
Blame you, Stan?
Okay! It's all your fault. For trying to make other's stories bettern it is your fault :) Feel better? How about we take your editing pay away, would that make it better? Hey, without editors, a lot of our work would be nigh unreadable. Thanks for the thankless job you do for others
Diana
Some people should not edit at all!
I don't ever offer to really edit, I offer to proof and to offer suggestions period. One bit of advice to the newbies....
If a person offers to edit your work, PLEASE read some of their work before you just agree to their help!
No one who needs a lot of help with their own writing should ever offer to EDIT another's work! Sure, help with proofing and offer some helpful suggestions, but don't offer to edit, GEEZE!
To me, there is nothing worse than reading a story filled with mistakes and easily corrected oopses through proofing and then see that it had been proofed and edited by...GEEZE!
Really folks, beware, people might mean well when offering to edit your work, but read some of their works before accepting their help!
Just my humble opinion on this very important matter!
Huggles
Angel
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
Editing/Proofing
I have done this in the past, and what I have done is basically proofed and fixed grammar and/or sentence structure if needed to make a better flow. I have never imposed by style on the auther and tried to leave it in their voice. It can be hard. Also, when I did it I would mark the corrections in red and send it back and let the author decide if what I did was better. Stan, you have done a great job, and as for missing something we are all human.
a wee bit of the snake that bites thee
Your heart is in the right place, however, before sending the story back, may I suggest holding it for two days and rereading that story on either the second day or both days with highlighter in hand. than re-fix if needed, and hold one more and reread again.