Stay True to Your Craft
It’s your work, no-one can take that away from you!
Every writer wants to be picked up by a traditional publisher. They tirelessly send out query letters and manuscript submissions in hopes of that one publisher that will take their work seriously and say “YES! Your manuscript is wonderful and we want to publish it.” They wait for that one letter, only to continue receiving rejection letter after rejection letter.
One day they may open that mailbox and see a letter addressed to them from a major publishing house, only to think to themselves that it’s just another rejection letter. The writer opens the envelope to find that it is a letter telling the writer that the publishing house is interested in the manuscript! The writer is so excited that he runs into the house to call the publishing company and accept the agreement. “When and where do I sign?”
Not so fast! You better look at the fine print. Do you really want to give up all rights to the publishing house? Do you really want to have an editor, that doesn’t know you, or how you write, hacking up your piece of art?
It’s your piece of work that you spent valuable time on. Don’t let someone else take that away from you. Always stay true to your craft!
Being published by a traditional publisher is a dream come true for most writers, but remember one thing, unless you’re already a top author, you won’t have much say in how your end product will come out. Many top authors started out publishing short stories and articles in magazines, newspapers, and literary journals. Some went the way of self-publishing or using small independent presses to get their stories noticed.
Would I love to have my story accepted by a large traditional publisher? Of course I would! But at the same time, if an editor starts hacking my piece of work, my “baby”, to pieces, I’d rather self-publish. If I self-published, or used a small press, I could hire an editor to look over my work, if needed, and my work would stay intact. It would still be my piece of work; not some editor’s version of it.
Don’t get me wrong, an editor is a crucial part of the publishing process. But, if that editor doesn’t take the time to get to know you, or your writing process, or the way you think while writing, then that editor isn’t going to be a good editor for your work. He, or she, will edit your work to read the way he/she wants it to sound, not how you want it to be perceived.
A good editor will read through your work a few times. The first read through should be to look for spelling and punctuation errors. The second read through should be to get a feel for the story and check for critical errors, such as using the same tense, present or past, throughout the manuscript. The last read through should be to really read the story and see if it works. A good editor will give you feedback on what they thought of your work, any suggestions he, or she, may have to help it along.
Whichever route a writer goes, via traditional publishing, self-publishing, or indie publishing, the writer should always stay true to his, or her, craft. Don’t change your piece of art for an editor that may not like the type of genre you write. If that editor comes back with suggestions that make sense to you, then by all means, take that into consideration. If you like your manuscript better the way you wrote it, then keep it that way and have another editor read it.
It’s your piece of work that you spent valuable time on. Don’t let someone else take that away from you. Always stay true to your craft!
