Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th
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In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th

In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th

Title: Celebrities For Breakfast
Author: Shelley Stout
Received: From Shelley Stout
Synopsis: Personal shopper to the stars, Judith Collington, refuses to spend one more day in LA, answering the whiney demands of her Hollywood clientele. To escape, Judith and her seventh-grader, Shannon, give up their lucrative lifestyle to run a bed and breakfast in central Illinois. Judith prepares to purchase the property, until it changes hands in a poker game. New owner: Hollywood actor and part-time egomaniac, Ren Spencer. Judith installs Ren into the nearest guest room, where he insists on heated towels and meals on a tray. She would love to hate him, except he’s pathetic in an endearing sort of way. Oh, and did I mention he’s about to become engaged?

If you really want the latest, just read Shannon’s private computer journal. Her bedroom wall is plastered with posters of her all-time favorite star, but Shannon could care less if Ren Spencer’s a has-been at 35. He’s so hot, she can’t stop writing love stories about him. So what if Ren drinks too much and has to sober up in jail? And why can’t Shannon just have a normal mother like everybody else?

CELEBRITIES FOR BREAKFAST is a romantic comedy told through Judith’s voice, but sprinkled throughout are Shannon’s journal entries and Ren’s two cents.

Title: Blue
Author: Lou Aronica
Received: From Lou Aronica
Synopsis: Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris’s fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman – and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed.

Title: The Christmas Journey
Author: Donna VanLiere
Received: From Ann Staszaleck with AuthorsOntheWeb.com
Synopsis: The eighty-mile journey of a common carpenter and a simple peasant girl is one of the most powerful stories in history. As books go out of print and stories fade from memory, the journey of Joseph and Mary and her delivery inside a common barn continues to bless and inspire hope in people around the world.
Accompanied by moving and beautifully rendered original watercolor illustrations throughout, Donna’s signature voice retelling shows that the story of the Nativity is alive in our modern world.

December 12, 2010
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Chick Lit Reading Challenge for 2011
Updates

Chick Lit Reading Challenge for 2011

I have been seeing a bunch of challenges popping up in the past week, but I have yet to see anything with just chick lit…so I decided to go for it and host my own! This will be my first year doing this, so there may be some bumps along the way, but I am excited to give it a try. So, welcome to the Chick Lit Plus Chick Lit Challenge for 2011!
Rules:
Challengers will read 12 chick lit books throughout 2011. You can obviously read more books of other genres, but you need at least 12 chick lit to count for this challenge.
Two of the twelve books need to be from debut authors. The debuts should be released in 2011. I am starting a new feature on my blog that will highlight new releases and debuts, so you can find suggestions there.
Start your own challenge post on your blog, and put the link in the Mister Linky below. This must be to the specific post mentioning the Chick Lit Plus Challenge, not just to your blog. This way, other challengers can link over to your page and see how you are doing! If you do not have a blog but wish to sign up, just email me at Samantha (at) chicklitplus (dot) com and I will get you signed up.
Please send me an email when you start a new book for the challenge. I will be doing a weekly post on the challenge, and I will mention all the books that are being read by challengers.
Starting in January, there will be a link specific to the challenge. Challengers can add their links to their book reviews.
Readers can join the challenge anytime between now and the later part of 2011. The books you read do not need to be selected beforehand, you can them add them as you go.
Prizes:
I have some fantastic authors that are willing to contribute their books to this challenge. There will be monthly prizes, and each reader who links over their reviews or emails me the book they are reading will be entered to win the monthly prize.
And that’s it! If you are wondering if a specific book will count towards chick lit, just send me an email and I will let you know. Also, if you have any trouble adding your URL below, send me an email with the link and I will get it added for you.
So I think that is it, but like I said, this is my first challenge I’m hosting, so if I missed anything please let me know, or I might be adding some info along the way. I hope you sign up and enjoy the challenge, and hopefully find some great books, authors, and new friends!

December 12, 2010
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Beauty Review: Too Faced Primed and Poreless
Chick Lit Plus

Beauty Review: Too Faced Primed and Poreless

I have a new favorite beauty brand, Too Faced Cosmetics. Recently, I picked up their Primed and Poreless Face Primer, a little fun gift for myself to try out something new. I have never used a primer before, but have read many good things about the magical powers they can do to one’s face. And let me tell you- I love this product! The directions advise to use a nickel size amount and spread evenly over your face, and it will help smooth skin and banish pores. Too Faced even boasts that this primer will leave skin hydrated and firmer, and make your appearance seem brighter, younger, and fresher. The primer goes on underneath all makeup, foundation, bronzer and concealer included, and helps makeup go on smoother and stay on longer. And I stand by all those qualities! The pores on my cheeks were basically gone, my skin looked smoother and even felt much, much smoother, and my makeup lasted longer throughout the day- even through my workout routine! What really amazed me about this product though it how it covered a scar on my nose. I had my nose pierced for some time in college, and when I removed the ring I got a wonderful bluish scar left in its place. I have not been able to find anything to help conceal the mark, not even Estee Lauders “miracle puddy” that costs $100. But the Primed and Poreless helped fade the color once applied! I couldn’t believe when I looked in the mirror and could barely notice my scar. I definitely recommend this product for anyone who wants to erase pores, smooth skin, and help hide any imperfections. It doesn’t completely conceal acne, so I use a foundation over top, but it really does help make the skin look fresher. At $30, it might seem a little expensive, but I don’t have a problem paying for a product that actually works!

December 4, 2010
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My Reward for Working Out
Chick Lit Plus

My Reward for Working Out

I love checklists. From grocery lists, shopping lists, daily to-do lists, I make them all. I love checking items off my list so much, that sometimes I add an item that I’ve already completed to a list, just so I can have the satisfaction of checking it off. A little overboard, perhaps, but my checklists help me accomplish my goals.
One list in particular has been on my mind lately, and this is my workout list. Each month I make my new workout list, dividing the month into four weeks. Week One is my warm-up week, the week with the least amount of activities. Weeks Two and Three are the hard weeks, the ones where I really have to push myself to get each workout complete. And the Fourth week is my cool-down week, not quite as simple as Week One, but definitely easier than weeks Two and Three. I alternate between going to the gym, completing workout videos at home, and doing my trusty workouts I tear out of magazines such as SHAPE or WOMENS HEALTH.
I have been doing this workout list for about a year now, and I love it. My neurosis for checklists comes in handy here, because I want to be able to check those workouts off. If I instead had no list and just told myself I’ll work out when I can, I know I wouldn’t be as motivated to get myself to the gym. But lately, I’ve noticed myself slacking off. I make excuses: the cold weather, boyfriend is hogging the TV playing Xbox, Dancing With the Stars is on…whatever it may be. I wasn’t completing my weeks in time, therefore I wasn’t able to check off those workouts. I needed a new plan, a way to motivate myself even further to always have time for my workout routines.
I’ve read in a million different places that rewarding yourself is a great way to keep up with a diet or workout plan. Don’t drink a soda all week- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. Complete all your workouts on time- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. My problem with this solution- if I want a hot fudge sundae, I will go out and buy myself one. I’ve never been good at limiting what I eat, especially if it involves ice cream. Or chips. Or candy. Anyways, you get my point. So what would motivate me?
Money! Everyone loves money. This is my new plan: Take $20 out of my checking account at the start of each month. Five dollars represents each week. If I complete a week on time, that five dollars can go back in my wallet. If I fail to complete my week on time, that five dollars will go into my darling pink piggy bank with all my loose change, not to be seen again until the bank is full and I go cash in (usually take around 9-12 months to fill). Now technically, this is a win/win for me. I win, I get my money back. I lose, I put my money into savings, which is a good thing. But I have a difficult time putting my hard earned dough into a savings account, I want to keep it in my greedy wallet. So in order for me not to lose five dollars a week or twenty dollars a month to Miss Pink Piggy, I will have to keep up on my workouts, and keep crossing them off my list. I just started this new plan last week, and I’m happy to say I finished in time and the five bucks went back in my wallet 
Does anyone else have a workout plan? How do you keep yourself motivated to get your sweat on? I would love to hear anyone’s suggestions!

December 2, 2010
4 Comments
In My Mailbox: Week of November 21
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of November 21

In My Mailbox: Week of November 21st

Title: Goodnight Tweetheart
Author: Teresa Medeiros
Received: From Ayelet Gruenspecht/Gallery Books
Synopsis: Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah’s stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she’s intrigued. What’s all the fuss? Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, “MarkBaynard”—a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical—Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living? Or is he? Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love and loss—a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Title: The Hating Game
Author: Talli Roland
Received: From Talli Roland
Synopsis: When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she’s confident she’ll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she’s perfected from years of her love ’em and leave ’em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it’s revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Title: How I Learned to Love the Walrus
Author: Beth Orsoff
Received: From Beth Orsoff
Synopsis: When Los Angeles publicist Sydney Green convinces her boss to let her produce a documentary for the Save the Walrus Foundation, the only one Sydney Green is interested in saving is herself. The walruses are merely a means to improving her career and her love life, and not necessarily in that order. Sydney would’ve killed the project the second she learned she’d be the one having to spend a month in rural Alaska if it had been for any other client. But for rising star and sometimes boyfriend Blake McKinley, no sacrifice is ever too great. Yet a funny thing happens on the way to the Arctic. A gregarious walrus pup, a cantankerous scientist, an Australian sex goddess, a Star Wars obsessed six-year-old, and friends and nemeses both past and present rock Sydney Green’s well-ordered world. Soon Sydney must choose between doing what’s easy and doing what’s right.

November 22, 2010
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Why Should You Hire An Editor?
For Writers

Why Should You Hire An Editor?

When I first started taking my writing seriously, I pounded out a rough draft in a few short months. I read it over, made a few changes, and thought it was perfect. Time to start agent querying, right? So wrong. I read on a few different blogs that you should always have someone else read through your work before you start the query process, so I found a writing contest, entered, and paid $40 to have an editor give me a critique on my first chapter and synopsis. The response came back positive; I was told I was a good writer with a definite story-telling ability, but that my characters needed some tweaking and possibly my plot a new direction.
I was so confused! I thought my manuscript was perfect and I would have agents lining up to represent me. I asked a few Twitter friends to critique my first chapter for me, and their comments came back similar to what the editor had said. Before I began writing, I didn’t have any professional training in the world of fiction. I focused, signed up for workshops and seminars, bought books on writing and editing, and began the process of learning how to be a great writer. Now, I am hard at work on my fourth rewrite of my manuscript, and finally can really grasp character development, the mechanics of dialogue, syntax, proportion, and so much more!
So why should you hire an editor? Perhaps you are like me last year, new to all things writing and publishing, and need some guidance along the way. Without having this editor and my virtual friends look over my chapters for me, I would have started querying agents who probably would have laughed at my work! Another great reason for hiring an editor is simply to have a fresh set of eyes looking at your writing. Writers become invested in the characters, they know how they will act, interact, fight, love, etc., so it can become increasingly difficult for the writer to see flaws. Readers will find them easily, and they can be a huge distraction, possibly even having the reader give up on the book.
As an editor, I read through your manuscript one time, just simply reading. If anything real jarring stands out, I will make note of it, but the first read-through I am just getting to know your story, your characters, and your voice. The second time I read through is the in-depth session, where I will make notes on anything that I think doesn’t work in the story. I don’t want my critiques to be all negative of course, so I also add the elements I think work and should be kept. My goal is to never re-write your scenes, instead give you a fresh take to help you go back and edit your own work. I don’t believe editors should go in and change everything on your manuscript. I think editors should give opinions and suggestions, but in the end, help the writers understand, so eventually they can do the majority of editing themselves.
I can say with conviction that hiring an editor was the best choice I made in my writing. Without her help, I would have continued thinking my first draft was the best I could do, without understanding why readers wouldn’t be as invested in the story. I hope that you will give a serious thought to hiring an editor, whether it is myself or someone else, because I believe than can be a huge asset to your writing career. If you would like to contact me regarding my editing services, please email me at Samantha (at) chicklitplus (dot) com.

November 21, 2010
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Indulging vs. OVERindulging
Chick Lit Plus

Indulging vs. OVERindulging

Indulging. Over indulging. What is the difference between the two? I know that I have been lucky to never really struggle with my weight, I have good genes and the motivation to work out to thank for that, but I am trying to be more aware of my diet now that I am getting older. My metabolism is bound to be slowed one of these days, so I try to be conscious of what I eat. I hate hearing celebrities and models say they never eat chocolate. Fried foods. A bag of Skittles. I mean seriously, where is the fun if all you ever eat is grilled chicken and lettuce and wash it down with some green smoothie? Over half of my social outings consist of meeting in a restaurant, trying out new desserts or the loaded nachos. Is there really no other way to achieve a tight bod unless we throw all the foods we love out the window?
I wasn’t buying it. Not only do my taste buds clash tremendously with healthy foods, I have a sweet tooth, plain and simple. Mix that in with the fact that I can’t cook, and eating out becomes a staple in my life. So could I really get myself to eat better with all these obstacles in my way?
I have posted before on how I switched up my diet recently, drinking fruit smoothies for breakfast and replacing Kit-Kats with yogurt. But I found that the more I forced myself not to eat the things I love, the more I desperately craved for them. I needed to find a balance, a way that I could enjoy the best of both worlds with starving myself, or finding myself bingeing on unhealthy foods because I missed them so much.
The answer came one day when a co-worker brought it donuts for breakfast. I flew to the conference center and grabbed the biggest sprinkle donut, preparing to demolish the thing in five minutes. I took my first and closed my eyes with happiness, a donut over my strawberry-banana smoothie tasted a thousand times better. I took another bite, glaring at the bottle on my desk filled with my smoothie. It glared back. A third bite, and I stopped. What if I only ate half the donut, then drank my smoothie? I would still be able to indulge my sweet tooth, but not over indulge on a sugary breakfast.
And viola, the solution to quit over indulging stared me in the face. It’s okay to continue eating the things I wanted to eat, as long as I wasn’t going overboard. All things are good moderation, and I believe this includes sweets. Instead of banning myself from that bag of Skittles, I will eat a handful, then put the bag back in my desk. When hunger strikes again, I will get out my yogurt, instead of reaching for more Skittles. It’s not easy all the time, nothing really ever is, but I feel that with consciously being aware over indulging, the less likely I am to do it. So next time you reach for that piece of cake, ask yourself: are you indulging, or over-indulging?

November 9, 2010
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Interview with Jesi Lea Ryan
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Jesi Lea Ryan

Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: I love writing beginnings. The first five or six chapters of a novel come very easy to me. I typically plan out the characters and the basic plot in my head before I even sit down to the computer, so those chapters just flow out of me. It really is the easiest and most exciting part for me.

Q: What was the hardest part about finding an agent?
A: Everything about finding an agent is hard—that’s why I am going without one for my first book. The market right now is really tough for new writers to break in to. Agents are reluctant to take chance on new talent when publishing houses are decreasing production. Every agent that I have talked to tells of how busy they are with their existing clients. That makes it hard to take on new talent.

I queried agents for about two months, but in May 2010, I while attending the Romantic Times Convention, I met Jean Watkins, the managing editor for DCL Publications. She liked my idea and asked me to send her the first three chapters. Less than a week later, Jean offered me a contract to purchase it. You’d be surprised how much of this business depends on meeting the right person at the right time.

Q: Your first novel, Four Thousand Miles, was released October 7th. Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
A: I was traveling in England last summer and ended up staying at this medieval farm that has been turned into a bed & breakfast. It was set in the Kent countryside in the middle of sheep pastures and wild flowers. It was truly the most romantic setting I could imagine. I started day dreaming about Natalie, my main character while I was there. What better place for an American woman to fall in love with a hot guy with a British accent!

Q: How long did it take you to write Four Thousand Miles?
A: It took about four months, but I wasn’t writing every day. Like I said, I am good with beginnings, but I tend to stall out about six-ten chapters in. Then, I take a bit of a break and think about where I want the story to go and how it will progress. I tend to change my mind a lot in that period. Since I don’t believe in sitting in front of a blank screen, I put the story down and walk away for a while. I might not be physically writing, but I am planning it out on my mind. Once I am comfortable, I go back to the computer. I might do that three or four times during the course of a novel.

Q: When you were in the writing process, did you have a certain routine you followed? (such as so many words written a day, so many pages edited, only wrote in one place?)
A: Not at all. I am awful when it comes to writing organization. I don’t plot outline, I never know how it is going to end and I don’t force myself to write when the muse is not calling me. That, by the way, goes against every piece of writing advice I have ever been given, but it works for me.

Q: How did you celebrate when you sold Four Thousand Miles to DCL Publications?
A: I didn’t really. I guess I kept waiting for something bad to happen. The company offered me the contract before seeing the whole novel and I was suspicious. I thought they might read the full manuscript and change their mind! I guess publishing a book was such a dream come true that it took a while to sink in.

Q: We are from the same hometown- Dubuque, IA- though we both no longer live there. What are some things you miss about Dubuque? I always ride the Fourth Street Elevator when I’m back!
A: I live a bit closer to Dubuque than you do, so I probably get back more often. My mother lives there along with a few other relatives. Mostly, I spend time with them. It is fascinating though how much the city has changed in the eight years since I’ve been gone. The city has done a great job on the new river front.

Q: What are you currently reading, and what are some of your favorite genres?
A: I read a lot—several books a week. I’m pretty open to genres. I don’t read westerns or sci-fi. I tend to gravitate to female authors, but not purposely.

At this very moment, I’m reading two books, one by my bed and one that I keep in my purse for reading every time I get a chance. Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen is my at-home book. It’s a paranormal romance revolving around the Mayan end-of-world prophecy of 2012. My purse book is the steampunk novel Changeless by Gail Carriger. Oh! I’m also listening to a book on tape in the car—The Inner Circle by TC Boyle…one of my favorite authors.

Q: What is your best advice for aspiring writers, especially those who didn’t go to college to pursue a degree in writing?
A: Some of the best writers never went to college. Don’t get me wrong, I love to learn and I think my education was valuable, but even my writing program in college didn’t prepare me for the business of writing like writing query letters and finding an agent. If a person seriously wants to write, my best advice is to read. Read a lot. Read many different genres and levels of writing. Read commercial fiction and literary fiction. Find out what type of book you’d like to write and really study how other authors write books similar to yours. There is a pattern to novels. If you read enough of them, you will unconsciously follow it.

Q: Where would be your dream vacation?
A: I LOVE to travel! I have been to some amazing places over the years. One place that I want to visit that I haven’t yet is India. I love the culture, the food, the twangy sitar music… I actually planned to go there a few years ago, but the trip fell through and I went to Nicaragua instead.

Q: Lastly, where can readers go to purchase Four Thousand Miles?
A: That every easy! The book will be available at most online sellers within the next couple of months, but until then, you can download the ebook straight to any computer or e-reader from the following website http://www.thedarkcastlelords.com/romance-ebooks-15.htm. The cost is only $6.50…way cheaper than new release print books. Best of all—no shipping and handling fees!

November 8, 2010
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Guest Post from Author Heather Wardell
Chick Lit Authors

Guest Post from Author Heather Wardell

I don’t believe in writing absolute garbage just to have words on the page, but I also don’t believe in editing while writing a first draft. I’ll write, “Ian smelled great” in the first draft, and by the final draft it’ll be, “I closed my eyes and breathed in Ian’s scent of fabric softener and lumber. Only the wife of a carpenter would find the smell of wood sexy.” The short version is fine for a first draft, and it avoids me sitting there staring at the screen or page trying to find the perfect words. The first draft isn’t about perfect words. It’s about words that do the job.

So how do you get from “Ian smelled great” to the more detailed lines? Here’s how I do it.

This picture shows a page from one of my current projects, which I plan to release in early 2011. The main character, Mary, has just been turned down for her dream chef job and is now camping out on the restaurant’s doorstep until the owner Kegan agrees to hire her. On this particular page, Mary goes to a nearby coffee shop and is then confronted by one of Kegan’s staff members.

Note that I am working on a print-out, double-spaced and single-sided, of the manuscript. It might seem like a waste of paper, but take a look at how many notes I’ve added (and this is an average page, not one with unusually high changes). Trying to squish those into tiny margins would make the process impossible.

I use my own code to mark up the pages. There’s a “No P” scrawled about halfway down, which means that I don’t want a new paragraph there, and “New P” in the second last paragraph where I do want one. There are official proofreading markings out there, but I find them too hard to remember. These are just for me so I can use whatever I want.

Before going through the book scene-by-scene, I like to read the entire book top to bottom. I do my best not to fiddle with or peek at the manuscript between revisions, so this read brings it back to my mind and also lets me get an overview of what’s really on the page instead of what I think I’ve written. It’s amazing how different those two can be.

After that, I start with the first scene and read it sentence by sentence. At least, I try to. In practice I bounce around the page, making a correction in sentence five and then going back to change the change when I hit sentence eight. But I do give each sentence my full attention at least once.

I’m watching for emotions and physical sensations and people’s movement in space. I’m making sure that I haven’t over-complicated a situation. (In the first draft I had Mary carrying a cushion around so she didn’t have to sit on the cold concrete in the rain. I removed it because it didn’t add anything but an unnecessary prop.)

I’m also analyzing how I’ve put the words together: if I repeat words or re-use a structure, I want to be sure I’ve done it intentionally. (I learned so much about this from Margie Lawson’s “Deep EDITS” online course; while I don’t use her actual editing technique I still refer to my notes for the rhetorical devices that can add such depth and interest to writing.)

Be especially vigilant in the early scenes. Finding a character’s voice can take a while, and I for one tend to do the written equivalent of running around in circles yelling, “Hey, where are you?” at the beginning of a book, which results in a lot of unnecessary elements.

When I’ve finished a scene, I type it in right away. (Take another look at the notes above. If I left it until I’d finished the whole book, I’d have no idea what I was trying to do!) I don’t type mindlessly, though. I read as I go and pay careful attention, and often change a word here or there as I enter the corrections.

After the typing, I re-read the scene, out loud if I can and in my head if I can’t, to make sure it all flows, and then it’s on to the next.

I won’t bore you with the second draft of the entire page shown above, but I will give you the before-and-after versions of the last few paragraphs.

First draft:
“He’s said it himself and it didn’t make any difference.”

She squatted down in front of me. “I’ve worked for Kegan since he opened Steel, longer than anyone else here. So listen up. What you’re doing is pointless. If you think he’s going to feel bad because you look so pathetic–”

“I don’t think that.”

Second draft:
I wouldn’t have expected him to do such a thing. “He’s said it himself and it didn’t make any difference. Why does he think sending you would work better?”

She didn’t bother answering. “I’ve worked for Kegan since he opened Steel, longer than anyone else here. So listen up. What you’re doing is pointless. He’ll never hire you. He said as much yesterday when we asked why you were out here.”

My stomach twisted at this revelation. He really didn’t plan to hire me if he’d told his staff. But she’d probably pass along whatever response I gave, so I made myself smile and say, “We’ll see.”

She rolled her eyes. “If you think he’s going to feel bad because you look so pathetic–”

“I don’t think that.”

You can see that I did make additional changes as I typed in the corrections, adding a few short sentences and reorganizing some words. I view the typing stage as one more chance to make the book shine.

This book’s edit took me about seven weeks (I work Monday-Friday) and I did about ten pages a day. It’s tiring, and occasionally frustrating when the right word just won’t come to mind, but it’s important. This is a tough industry, and you don’t want to send out your book with any rough edges that might bother agents and editors. If you choose to self-publish instead, you still need a thoroughly edited book written to the highest standard you can reach, because readers deserve that. Put in the time and you’ll be amazed at how wonderful your book can be!

November 4, 2010
8 Comments