Editing, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation

Learning how to self-edit is the best way to ensure that you become a consistently published author. The best way to learn this skill is to work with an editor. A good editor is also a teacher. He or she doesn't make wholesale changes without giving reasons. From these reasons, you can learn how to edit your own manuscript.

In fact, let me quote a passage from http://sfwa.org/beware/bookdoctors.html:

"Whatever your situation, hiring an independent editor shouldn't be like taking your car to a mechanic (i.e., you go away for two hours and when you come back your car is fixed). You'll get the most out of your experience if you treat it as a learning opportunity -- a chance to hone and improve your own editing skills. Self-editing is an essential part of the writer's craft. If you're really serious about a writing career, it's something you need to master."

All publishers worthy of the name provide free in-house editing. But when you submit your manuscript to the publisher, you want it to be the best you can possibly make it. When the publisher reads your submission, he'll be looking at how much work is involved in getting it "ready to read." You want him to decide it isn't much.

Clarity. Characterization. Plots and subplots. Pace and story flow. Natural speech. Description. Language. Readability. Organization. Spelling. Grammar. Word usage. Typos. Punctuation. Formatting. You want to learn how to look at all these things while you read your manuscript.

Here are a few things you can do to improve how well you self-edit.

After you finish writing your masterpiece, put it away for a while. This could be weeks or even months. You want to look at it with "fresh eyes." Instead of seeing what you meant to write, you want to see what you actually did write.

Print your manuscript and proofread it on paper. Away from the computer. I can do this on a bus or in a Muslim noodle shop, but I'm not sane. Maybe you can do it sprawled out on the bed. But trust me, on paper and away from the computer. You'll see more. I mark the printout with a pen, then go back to the computer to tinker, then print and repeat as needed.

Use the spelling and grammar features in your word processor. They aren't perfect, but if you know the rules, you can decide which suggestions to accept and which to ignore.

If there are certain mistakes you know you make often, you can look for them. Too many dialogue tags, perhaps, or overuse of certain words. (I overuse "that." Hello, Search feature in Word.)

Common Writing Mistakes has a list of mistakes I've seen in my years as an editor. Perhaps you'll find some things you weren't aware of.

Print it again. You missed something. You don't have to use new paper for this. You can print on the back. Save your money and some trees. Ink cartridges are a racket, aren't they? I suggest investing in a laser printer (tax deductible), finding a good place to refill your toner cartridges, and still complaining because they're a racket.

You'll never write "the perfect manuscript." But as you learn to write, and to self-edit, you'll learn to write one that doesn't require a lot of work to "fix." The publisher who likes your story will accept it, knowing you and their editorial department can quickly change what needs changing.

Maybe you're lucky enough to have a good second reader. I am. My wife taught English for over 20 years, we're both lifelong reading junkies, and she's honest enough to say more than "this is wonderful." She knows that's not what I need, and it's also not what I want to hear. I want her to point out where I need to improve. There is no writer, myself included, who can't benefit from an editor. Or two. Or ten.

You don't have to agree with everything an editor says. I've disagreed with all my editors, even my wife. But you should consider what your editor says. Other readers might have a similar reaction to your writing. Your editor will allow you to address those issues, so you can say what you want to say in the best way possible.

But it's possible that you don't know enough about "the rules" to self-edit yet. Maybe you're new at this, or you slept through English class, or you don't have the benefit of a skilled second reader. If you find that your manuscripts are rejected because of these problems, and you can't get free editing from a publisher, how can you learn to self-edit?

Well, I guess this is where I remind you that you can hire me.

http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/bookdoctors.html (mentioned earlier) clearly explains what I'm trying to do, what you should and shouldn't look for in any editor, etc.

Also, if you decide to self-publish, I'll help you make sure your book is the best it can be. It's terribly upsetting when a writer opens his or her newly printed book and discovers typos, misspellings, and grammar errors he or she missed.

I'm American, but you don't have to be. I've worked with authors from Australia, Austria, Belize, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and Uzbekistan. Yes, I'm fluent in "British English" as well. I married an Australian in October 2000, and I work regularly (telecommuting) as a legal transcriptionist for a firm in Hong Kong and in Singapore.

What Else Have I Edited?

I do freelance work at Elance, and you can view my feedback any time. You can also look at my resume.

I've been editing novels since December 2000, but I didn't record the titles for several years, so my list is woefully incomplete.

I began working at Twilight Times Books in May 2007 after previous stints at Books Unbound, Hard Shell Word Factory, NovelBooks Inc, Zumaya Publications, and CrossroadsPub. I also edited a textbook for Zhejiang University (China) which was designated a Key Learning Resource. I spent almost five years teaching Advanced English Writing at several universities in China.

The partial list of book titles is on its own page, called michael-larocca-edited-these.html.

I've also written and published five books of my own. Three EPPIE finalists. Then, after a long break, I've written more novels that aren't ready to send to the publishers yet. If you care, details are at http://www.chinarice.org/michael-larocca.html.

Testimonials

Let me briefly mention Elance and my resume again.

Mr. Michael LaRocca was the staff editor for a publisher which had contacted me for my short story collection 'Through Other Eyes'. I am happy to say that he did a thoroughly competent, professional job as an editor, and my book was improved as a result.

I can thoroughly recommend Michael's professional skills and knowledge. As an editor, he is able to satisfy the highest standards. He is meticulous, knowledgeable and competent.

His technique is to encourage the writer, while picking up all the faults, whether at the technical level of grammar, spelling and punctuation, or at the deeper levels of plot, characterization and description.

Robert Rich, Ph.D.

Michael LaRocca has edited my books. His command of the English language is better than mine and I have a B.S. Degree. I would recommend him highly for any position in which teaching and/or communicating in the English language is necessary.

Darrell Bain, author of The Pet Plague, The Sex Gates, The Disappearing Girls, Life on Santa Claus Lane, and others

http://www.darrellbain.com/

My experience with Mr. LaRocca is that he always respected the integrity of the author's work. While he corrected problems, he never tainted the natural "flavor" of the author's narrative. As an author, that meant a lot to me. I've worked with Mr. LaRocca on two occasions, and he always delivered a quality product in a timely fashion. He makes excellent use of his time. His winning sense of humor makes him very personable--which is quite a feat, when you're just communicating via email. I would recommend Mr. LaRocca for any editing position without hesitation.

Lance Panzer

Lance Panzer is the author of Vampire Seductress; it is his first novel. This erotic love story of the Undead can be purchased on CD-ROM at http://www.booksunbound.com

Mr. LaRocca was one of two people who edited my first novel, Fire Lilies. This novel was the Winner of the 2002 Independent E-book Award for Best Romance and a Finalist in the 2002 EPIC Literary Award Competition for Best Historical Novel. Mr. LaRocca's excellent writing and editing skills helped propel my novel to the high level it achieved. I highly recommend him as he is both a skilled editor and writer. His own published books have been well received by the reading public.

Cynthia Leal Massey

Cynthia Leal Massey is the award-winning author of Fire Lilies, a saga of the Mexican Revolution, and The Caballeros of Ruby, Texas, a 2003 WILLA Award finalist for Best Original Paperback. She is the 2003 president of Women Writing the West and is on the adjunct English faculty at San Antonio College. Visit her website at http://www.cynthialealmassey.com.

Michael LaRocca is an outstanding editor. I was lucky to obtain his editorial service for a novel I had written. Before I asked for Michael's help, I had tried for years to find a publisher without any success. Shortly after Michael's work on my novel, a prestigious publisher wanted to publish my novel. Without Michael's skilful editorial service, the novel might never have been published.

LaRocca is a genius, and he has a special gift for the English language. This gift includes writing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry in addition to his wonderful editorial ability. LaRocca has an outstanding ear for the rhythms and sounds of the English language. In addition, he can write authentic sounding regional dialects, which is a skill not many authors have mastered. With such special language ability, it is not any wonder that LaRocca did not have any difficulty in getting his first four books published. He is just now at the age where a number of writers start to do their best work. I would not be surprised if LaRocca writes some great American literature in the future.

I have known LaRocca since 1987. He was a fine worker and a man of high moral principles when we were both employed by the American business company Honeywell.

Any university, school, or business organization that secures the employment of LaRocca should consider itself fortunate. That employer might some day be able to say that the great American writer once worked there.

Robert Clyde Moore

Robert Clyde Moore is the author of chess books; his Two-Move Chess Problems is a classic in its field, and he holds several world records in chess composition. Moore enjoys humor and is the author of Oddball Squadron.

I met Mr. LaRocca several years ago when I was an unpublished author and had just received my first publishing contract. To say that what Mr. LaRocca taught me in a few short months brought my novel to its fullest potential would be an understatement. I can truthfully say that it was because of Mr. LaRocca that I am where I am today.

Currently "Final Chapter," now in its 3rd printing, is still a best seller. This was the first book I worked on with Mr. LaRocca. My second novel with Mr. LaRocca's help not only was the greatest I had written, but ended up being bought out for movie rights before we could actually publish.

Since then, I have moved on, but still to this day keep Mr. LaRocca at the top of my list. After my movie deal I bought out my publisher and now own Crystal Dreams Publishing. When I need an editor that can truly help a new author I know I can always turn to Mr. LaRocca. Mr. LaRocca not only excels in his editing skills, but in the way he teaches one to appreciate the written language.

Yes as a writer I still make many editing mistakes, but now when I do, I hear Mr. LaRocca telling me to correct it and do it the correct way. If we had more teachers and editors in the world like Mr. LaRocca, we would all be great novelists.

TW Miller, CEO of Crystal Dreams Publishing

Contact Information

Whenever I edit, I look at clarity and ease of reading, typos, spelling, grammar, use of wrong word, punctuation, unwanted or missing spaces, formatting, pace and flow, language, dialogue, and organization. I've always taken pride in my attention to detail and my knowledge of written English, and all my edits include unlimited revisions. I'll point out any gaping holes regarding plots and subplots, characterization, and description.

My "standard price" is US two cents per word. If you send me a brief description of your book, the word count, and a 1000-word sample, I'll respond with a free edit of your sample. I'll also tell you my actual price, which will depend on how much work I believe is involved.

Send me an email.

Manuscript Evaluation

I've also started offering Manuscript Evaluation for US$1 per 400 words, in case you feel you'd rather have some feedback to learn from instead of a line-by-line edit that might lose sight of the forest because of all the dang trees. It's far cheaper than my standard editing service, and you might come away with more.

Send me your manuscript and I'll turn on Tracking. I'll fix anything I see like a proofreader, but I won't focus on that. Instead, I'll just litter it with Comments like jazz riffs, off the top of my head, where I tell you what works and what doesn't. It's feedback on a very personal level. Immediate real-time reader reaction, very subjective, just one guy's opinion.

I quoted someone earlier who said an editor should be a teacher and not a mechanic. Straight proofreading often does make me feel like a mechanic, and if you feel that's all you've gotten, that's a bad thing. With my evaluation, I give you a "peek behind the curtain" and show you how authors work their magic, using your very own manuscript to demonstrate.

If you're wondering what I get out of this lower price, besides job satisfaction, it's this. I read ads for editors who claim to read everything two or three times, and I think "what a slacker." You have to be very good at what you do for me to properly edit your manuscript with only three reads. But with an evaluation, I only read it once. Then you do the work and learn from the doing. Nice, eh?