Beatnic_jazzman
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2010
- Posts
- 142
Hi,
I have a problem; I am looking for a particular kind of editorial help. I have several stories written but not yet ‘polished’ enough (to my mind) to put forward for publication, they lack an element of 'feminine perspective', I’m not sure that my portrayal is wholly ‘accurate’ and cohesive.
My stories fall generally into the ‘romance’ category though I intend them to go in the ‘novelettes’ listings. They range in setting from current to sci-fi to wizards and magic, an eclectic mix built around boy meets girl and then they make love.
I have for almost a year now been searching for an editor to help me with this, I’ve had several that started out fine but either dropped or found reason to excuse themselves. My last two attempts saw a five part story have three chapters finished and a ten part story have five of its chapters finished. Some of the reasons given are that my story is “To technological”, “To complex”, the last declined any further editing, declaring that “It is far too large an undertaking” she felt “Inexperienced”, most have praised them as readable, entertaining and ‘hot’.
It may be that I should be looking for a beta reader, someone who could offer advice from a female mindset. Once the story is complete is time enough to run the fine tooth comb through for grammar and spelling. I have continued writing and now have a couple of stories finished and yet more near completion, obviously I’d like to free myself of this backlog, get them published and see if they’re worth the fuss I’m making. I’d be asking for a commitment lasting months rather than weeks dealing with a single story, as they tend to run to multiple chapters, my current one is twenty thousand words long and maybe halfway done.
I’m getting very tempted to publish them as is, but then I’d probable want to take them down to re-edit as soon as I saw them in print with the comments. So I sit here in a quandary, is it worth building a backlog whilst searching for the mentor I need, or is publishing and appealing for help in an addendum to the story the way to go?
I’m writing this in the hope that someone will fit the profile and read this and be willing to dip a toe, or that advice proffered might lead me to settle on a course of action.
Thanks.
Frank B.
I have a problem; I am looking for a particular kind of editorial help. I have several stories written but not yet ‘polished’ enough (to my mind) to put forward for publication, they lack an element of 'feminine perspective', I’m not sure that my portrayal is wholly ‘accurate’ and cohesive.
My stories fall generally into the ‘romance’ category though I intend them to go in the ‘novelettes’ listings. They range in setting from current to sci-fi to wizards and magic, an eclectic mix built around boy meets girl and then they make love.
I have for almost a year now been searching for an editor to help me with this, I’ve had several that started out fine but either dropped or found reason to excuse themselves. My last two attempts saw a five part story have three chapters finished and a ten part story have five of its chapters finished. Some of the reasons given are that my story is “To technological”, “To complex”, the last declined any further editing, declaring that “It is far too large an undertaking” she felt “Inexperienced”, most have praised them as readable, entertaining and ‘hot’.
It may be that I should be looking for a beta reader, someone who could offer advice from a female mindset. Once the story is complete is time enough to run the fine tooth comb through for grammar and spelling. I have continued writing and now have a couple of stories finished and yet more near completion, obviously I’d like to free myself of this backlog, get them published and see if they’re worth the fuss I’m making. I’d be asking for a commitment lasting months rather than weeks dealing with a single story, as they tend to run to multiple chapters, my current one is twenty thousand words long and maybe halfway done.
I’m getting very tempted to publish them as is, but then I’d probable want to take them down to re-edit as soon as I saw them in print with the comments. So I sit here in a quandary, is it worth building a backlog whilst searching for the mentor I need, or is publishing and appealing for help in an addendum to the story the way to go?
I’m writing this in the hope that someone will fit the profile and read this and be willing to dip a toe, or that advice proffered might lead me to settle on a course of action.
Thanks.
Frank B.
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