Cyn

The more things change, the more they remain the same is a witicism I heard a lot growing up.  I think I have finally experienced this phenomenon in my life.  For seventeen years I taught school and that meant grading a large amount of papers.  Because I was a middle school teacher and I wanted my students to know how to properly put together a term paper, I graded note cards (don't hiss now), outlines (yeah, we all know what a p.i.t.a. they are), rough drafts (a painful necessity) and then after pouring my heart and soul into the corrections I was sure my students would make, the final draft (phew, it's over).

I'm doing it again.  Supposedly for money.  The jury is still out on that, but in the meantime I feel like I've gone back to grading term papers.  In fact, I've done four student essays for my own kids.  So far, one of my efforts netted my eldest the first 100% ever given out by the instructor.  And, no, I didn't write it.  The subject matter was about a Japanese samuri named Saigo and quite frankly, I didn't understand a lot about why my son thought he was important.  My ignorance though, didn't stop us from doing a happy dance over the end results of his paper.

So, how did we manage the feat?  First off, I wasn't the only set of eyes to look at his work.  His friend, Cameron L. nailed him regarding passive voice so I didn't have to.  I got to hit him up over content and its clarity, or lack thereof.  I also, lovingly, as only a proud mother can, pointed out that the paper didn't really match his thesis.  Although I haven't seen the final product, I have the feeling between Cameron and I, a major rewrite took place.

So, why am I dwelling on this?  Because one of the most important steps an author can take in moving their career forward is in listening to the editor.  Editor's don't have a vested interest in the creation of the story.  They have a financial one and they want that sucker to sell and sell well.  After all, they recommended to the publisher that your story was one they must have.  Your editor's reputation is on the line, their neck in the hangman's noose.

For all you wannabes and those struggling to find a place to sell your stuff...if you have not read The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman, you are missing an important component of understanding why an editor rejects manuscript after manuscript.  It's a small book, easily read in small pieces, with examples to illustrate Lukeman's points.  Other than access to a dictionary, thesaurus, and the Elements of Style this book is a contemporary must have.  I heartily recommend its purchase.

If you apply Lukeman's lessons you'll be way ahead of the publishing game.