Pub Talk: The order of edits

Hi, guys! How the heck are you? Before I get into my second ever Pub Talk, a couple of announcements. I got my release date! It's September 24, 2013. :) :) :) Things could still change because, well, they tend to, but for now it's official!

And I got my official author picture! (Check out the sidebar.) Huge thanks to the uberly-talented Erin of Erin Summerill Photography.

Now let's talk the kinds of edits you get after getting a book deal. There's so many different kinds, they can get a little fuzzy. I'm going to say when I got each of mine, too, just in case you're curious. Of course, every single publisher is different and every book is different. Even other debut authors with Random House with fall 2013 release dates have slightly different schedules than I do. But I think it's good to hear numbers from different authors, just so you can see the range. Plus: interesting. (Or is that just me?)

Content edits
What are they usually called?
First round edits, second round edits, etc. Sometimes Editorial Letter. (As in "Oh, my gosh!" *waves letter* "I just got my first editorial letter!" Or as in, "Yay." *gnashes teeth, pulls out hair puts on a smile* "Fourth round edits. Party.")

Who:
These come from your editor.

# of rounds:
I've heard as few as one and as many as five. I had four.

What are they like:
It kind of depends on your editor. Most write a letter and talk about the things that could be made stronger in your manuscript. (I've heard of one who doesn't use letters at all, but writes every suggestion on the manuscript itself.) They aren't "fix this problem this way" kind of suggestions. They're more like "Here's a problem. How would you like to fix it?" Which is nice, because then you can figure out best how to address the issue, so it can still be done in the way you want. But.... then YOU have to figure out how to best address the issue. (This is where the hair pulling, teeth gnashing comes in.) The awesome thing about it, though, is that you can run ideas past your editor. And editors are crazy smart.

When did I get mine:
1st round: February 2012. 2nd round: May 2012. 3rd round: June 2012 4th round: June 2012. Mine took a total of 4 1/2 months to complete.

Line edits
What are they usually called?
Um... Line edits. Or sometimes they're just included in the "edits" umbrella. Or sometimes they aren't called anything at all.

Who:
These come from your editor.

# of rounds:
Pshaw. Idk. I had four. Each editor is different. A lot only do one.

What are they like:
This depends on your editor, too. Mine likes to print out the manuscript, then mark on it. I got a marked up manuscript with each editorial letter. Some like to do it with comments in a document in Word. Some don't do any line edits until after all the content edits are done. Some may not do it at all. If there are huge changes (like huge chunks being rewritten or changed drastically) in first round edits, it's unlikely line edits will come with it, because it'd kind of be pointless. They're fairly easy... Or at least that's what you go along thinking as you're cruising through your manuscript at a fast rate, then you hit something that's SO not easy. It'll be things like awkward wording, word reps, things that are unclear, or questions that affect other parts of the ms (the screeching stop kinds of things ;)).

When did I get mine:
1st round: February 2012. 2nd round: May 2012. 3rd round: June 2012 4th round: June 2012. I did mine in the same 4 1/2 months as content edits.

Copy Edits
What are they usually called?
Copy Edits, plain and simple.

Who:
These come from your COPY editor. Not the editor you've been working with. Sometimes the copy editor works for your publishing company, and sometimes they're a freelance copy editor.

# of rounds:
As many as it takes. Basically they come to you, you make changes, they go back to the copy editor. There will sometimes be further questions on the things you fixed, or grammatical fixes that need to be made on things you changed. It goes back and forth until everything's all sparkly.

What are they like:
In general? I don't know. I've only ever seen my own. (Which I started on yesterday! Yay!) I'm going to assume that it's a fairly consistent thing, though. I got my manuscript as a Word document, with Track Changes turned on. The CE (copy editor) checks for grammar, punctuation, things that don't match the house style, awkward wording, and CONSISTENCY. This one is huge. They check to make sure that if you say it's May 15th, or, say a Tuesday on one day, that your timeline actually matches that. Or that your description of this character that was on the page for two seconds matches what you said about them 57 pages earlier. Things like that.

So, basically, there's changes (which you can STET, which means to leave it the way you had it) grammar-wise, and there's queries. (Which is funny, because query really means something completely different to us than it does to a CE!) You answer the queries, and make the appropriate changes if needed, until it comes back with no more queries.

The weird/scary/exciting part:
After that first round of copy edits, your ARCs are printed, based on the changes that were made in that round. Sometimes, with all the changing / changing back that goes on between you and the copy editor, mistakes can creep in. Yes, it's terrifying to know that it's a little out of your control that errors can sneak their way into your ARCs! Luckily, the CE is totally on your side, so hopefully there aren't many.

When did I get mine:
1st round: September 2012. Hopefully mine will take three days, because that's how long I have. Eek!

First Pass Pages
What are they usually called?
Pass Pages, or sometimes Galleys

Who:
I have no idea. And now I feel bad that I have no idea.

# of rounds:
Usually one. But if there are many changes, there may also be Second Pass Pages.

What are they like:
The manuscript comes to you, printed out, looking just like it will look in book form. It will have whatever the title page is going to look like (probably in the same font as your cover), the dedication, acknowledgements, etc. will all be there, the fonts and typesetting is all done, page numbers are there, and chapter headings will look like they're going to look. This is your LAST CHANCE to make changes. But.... they can't be too big of changes. Preferably not anything that's going to change what page the text is on. Usually, it'll just be a last chance to make sure that there are no typos or wording changes that need to be made before it goes to print.

When did I get mine:
I haven't yet.

And then, you celebrate, because all edits are done! Well, that is, until you dive into the next book. ;)



P.S. It's Jessie Humphries at the B-Word's birthday! If you get a chance, head over and wish her a great one.

W is for What I wish I had known before pitching to an agent

I am a huge, huge, huge proponent of pitching your book in person to an agent.

Why? Because of what it gets you! I'm sure you know that agents get tons of queries every single day. A good portion of them (like 90%) come from people who haven't worked very hard on perfecting their craft. Agents know that if you go to conferences, you're likely in that top 10%. If you go to a conference AND pitch, you're likely a top 10% writer who has a book close to being worthy of representation. They don't have to wade through that 90% to get to you. Not only that, but it gives both of you a chance to know each other. And that's invaluable.

Tip #1: If you can get a pitch session with an agent / editor, do it!

Here's what I wish I would've known before pitching. (It's important to know that the conferences I've been to are ones where you pitch to one or two agents, and have a dedicated 10 minute scheduled time to meet with them. I know some conferences do a pitch-a-palooza type event where you go from agent to agent, and only spend a couple of minutes at each one. At that type of pitching event, there are a couple of these tips that might not apply.)

Tip #2: if you don't get a pitch session, get on a waiting list, because people cancel theirs all the time.

I pitched to my agent last year at the same conference I'm going to next week. It almost didn't happen, though! I was, quite possibly, the first person to sign up for the conference, so I could've had my pick of agents to pitch to (each person can have a max of one pitch).

Buuuuut.... I figured I would fumble my way through a pitch, so it would be better to just send a highly crafted query. Eventually, a good friend talked me into it, but by then the pitch sessions were already taken. So, I went on a waiting list.

Tip #3: Figure out what you want to cover. Don't memorize a script, but do memorize the points you want to cover. Then you can talk like a normal person about it.

I went to a class on how to pitch at a conference two months earlier. I had my 2-3 sentence pitch ready, and practiced on everyone who would listen, working to make it sound conversational, but still cover everything I wanted to cover.

Tip #4: Go with other questions in mind.

Then I went into my pitch session I speed-talked my way through it, because that's what I do when I'm nervous!I don't ramble-- I leave things out. So my pitch was done less than 30 seconds. She had asked me questions and I had answered them, and under the two minute mark, she had requested my full. Then she said, "Do you have any questions for me?" I had not even thought about questions for her! I just sat there, completely awkward, saying "Um.... Uh.... Oh.... Uh.... Nope?" Then I shook her hand and left, with seven minutes of our meeting unused!

People, don't do what I did! (See how willing I am to embarrass myself for your benefit?) Think about what you really want to talk about. This is golden time. Ask about their agenting style. Ask about the industry. Ask about the process. Ask about craft. You can even ask questions about your book-- like things about the plot you can't figure out. Ask about ANYTHING writing related! Chat. See how your personalities mesh. Just don't leave seven minutes early.

Tip #5: Don't cancel your pitch if your book isn't ready to send!

When you signed up for a pitch-- yeah, it was five months earlier, and you thought your novel would be ready, but it isn't. Don't cancel your pitch! IMHO, the only reason to cancel a pitch is if you got an got an agent between when you signed up and the conference. If your book isn't ready (but you're working hard to get it there), pitch the book anyway. When you send a query to an agent and they request pages, you should get it to them within about 24 hours. When you pitch, you have a YEAR to get it to them. A year! So don't stress that it isn't all the way ready when you pitch! You have plenty of time to make it shine. You are pitching to see if that story idea fits with them, if they think its a marketable enough idea that they want to see pages, and if it's a story they have the right contacts to sell.

Tip #6: Your pitch session doesn't have to be used to pitch.

That ten minutes you've signed up for is YOUR TIME. Use it wisely. You've bought not only that agent's (or editor's) time, but their expertise. And it is expertise in an area they are incredibly passionate about! They WANT to help you.

Let's say you signed up for a pitch, but it just doesn't feel right to pitch your book, for whatever reason. Those ten minutes are still yours! I've had friends use them in ways other than pitching, and the agents in every case have been more than willing to help out.

• A friend brought their query letter and asked for a critique.
• A friend brought their first three pages and asked the agent to read until they would normally stop, and then talk about what stopped them.
• And I've had friends say, "I'm about to start writing a new novel. I have these five [or however many] ideas, but I'm having troubles deciding which one to use." Then they tell the five ideas, and ask which is the most marketable idea.

Tip #7: Don't be nervous. Really.

And the most important thing: remember that they are just people! I know it feels like they're rock stars, but they're completely normal. It kind of helps to remember that when you're sitting across a table from them. :)

V is for Verbalizing your Vision in a Pitch Session

Since we're heading into the heart of writer's conference season, let's talk pitching! Because if you thought that clicking send on a query while sitting at your computer in your nice, comfortable home was hard, it's nothing compared to pitching in person! (Not to scare you or anything if you are about to do it for your first time.)

But first, a poll! (And fail on my part for the poll! I didn't think to put a valid option in the second question if you answered no on the first question. So if you answer no on the first, just guess how you'll be when/if you ever pitch. M'kay?)

Quizzes by Quibblo.com | SnapApp Quiz Apps

Me? Um.... I may have been a little nervous at my first pitch. I may have told about my story in a speeding bullet voice, and finished 30 seconds into the pitch. It's a safe bet to say I didn't ramble. Definitely not cool and collected. I have debated whether or not to post this picture, because the body language tells pretty much how I felt.

Nervous hands? Check. Fake laughing to cover up the nervousness? Check. The conference photographer (wanting to get a picture of a pitch session or two) in the room to witness it? Check.

But that's me. And that's Sara. (Isn't she adorable?) And I had absolutely no idea at the time that my fumbling / shaking / speed-talking with her would one day mean I could call her my agent.

But I can't say I didn't learn anything! I'll have you know, though, that the next time I pitched, it went 1000 times better. Tomorrow, I'm going to post about what I WISH I would've known before I pitched. Because life is better if you know a few things before you pitch.

So what's been your experience with pitching? Are you pitching to an editor or agent anytime soon?