I don't think anyone wants to read a book that has grammatical errors and sentences that make no sense. I am by no means a good typist and this often shows in my blog posts. I do the usual spell check and two days later I read the blog post and spot several issues in one form or another. If you are looking at publishing a book or document, I highly recommend getting a good editor before your book goes to a publishing agency. From my experience, you cannot rely on one person to do the job right, and do the job well for you. I am in the process of working with editors and my publishing company to get Comet the Red Bus republished due to numerous grammatical and word errors. This is a costly exercise as I purchased over 200 of my own book to sell locally, these all have issues. Yes, I can still sell them at a discounted rate, but it is numerous thousand dollars for a faulty product and one the publishing agency is not prepared to take credit for. You can always catch others’ mistakes, but rarely your own. This is simply the nature of writing. Getting entirely outside your own head, your intentions, and seeing your copy with “another's eyes”. Don’t let anybody fool you, the only “self-editing” you should do is before you turn that manuscript over to a real editor. What does an editor do? In simple words, an editor polishes and refines your text. They give direction to the story by enhancing the major points, pulling the spotlight on places where the readers should focus. They chop out what doesn’t fit and what is nonessential to the purpose of the story. They will ensure that the final product is the best it can be. Why shouldn't the writer self-edit?
I can't say loud enough... Check, rest, check, get an editor, and then get a second opinion if needed. Thats my advice based on experience. So...... what shall I write about in the next blog? I am enjoying writing the blogs to give myself some experience and giving my brain some exercise during this lockdown we find ourselves in. Can't wait to share the next one with you all. Chris
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AuthorAfter the outstanding success of his first children’s picture book, Comet the Red Bus - Around the City, Author Christopher Candy has continued to write the next book in the Comet the Red Bus series. Working full-time as a Manager for Tranzit Coachlines, Christopher has many years of bus-related experience that brings his characters to life. Christopher is based in the Tararua region and enjoys spending time with his partner, farm animals and pet dog, Tupance. You can see updates from Christopher, including new releases, giveaways and more, on his website or social media accounts. Archives
October 2023
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