Authors on Lit Using Editors?

[Unsung Muse]

Hi There!

Just wondering if many of you enlist the help/advice/services of editors via the lit site while working on your stories? Would like to hear your experiences, if you don't mind sharing!

Curious,

 

[TheEarl]

Hi There!

Just wondering if many of you enlist the help/advice/services of editors via the lit site while working on your stories? Would like to hear your experiences, if you don't mind sharing!

Curious,

Hi Muse; welcome to the AH.

I use ediotrs, although not as often as I should, as I'm usually impatient to get my story out there. And I have to say that they've been, without exception absolutely superb. As a general rule, they've made my story twice as good, at least. Plus, the Story Discussion Circle is the place where I learned my craft and where I really should go back to in order to continue learning my craft.

Go for it.

The Earl

 

[rgraham666]

I haven't myself.

I have several proofreaders and an editor, all denizens of this forum. I asked in PMs or e-mails if they wanted to do so. They agreed.

If you need an editor, ask. Good people here.

 

[Penelope Street]

I tried the volunteer editor program, with absolutely no luck. That's not to say the program has no use, it just didn't work for me. Eventually, and it did take a while, I met and began chatting with a few other authors whom I respect. Discussion of existing stories led to discussing upcoming works and we began trading editing favors. Hardly a step by step plan, but that's what worked for me.

 

[TheEarl]

Sorry, I didn't realise that you were talking about the volunteer editor program. All of my editors I've met on the various boards.

The Earl

 

[Stella_Omega]

I've had two editors thus far, and both of them were from this forum- not the volunteer list.
And I felt like I knew them both at least a little, and trusted in each one's judgement.

It's been the greatest pleasure so far- having REAL LIVE editors that pay attention, care about craftsmanship and treat the erotic content as something legitimate!

 

[Penelope Street]

Sorry, I didn't realise that you were talking about the volunteer editor program. All of my editors I've met on the various boards.
The Earl

I didn't see where there was any indication that the volunteer editor program was the specific topic either.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

I was doing volunteer editing for a while, but time constraints began encroaching. I have one story that I will be wanting an editor for, but that is still some time off, although I do already know who I'll be asking.

I seriously recommend using one. And I seriously recommend not shitting on their efforts as a few people have done by critiquing their editing. They are their for the greater good of the site.

 

[Weird Harold]

Hi There!

Just wondering if many of you enlist the help/advice/services of editors via the lit site while working on your stories? Would like to hear your experiences, if you don't mind sharing!

Curious,

I haven't completed a story for several years, so my experience with the volunteer editors is severely out of date -- but my best story is what it is because I used the volunteer editor system to find five different opinions on the story by contacting ten editors through the volunteer editor list.

The five editors that edited the story all found different things that needed fixing and/or reconsideration; combining the various edits gave me a much better idea of what worked and what didn't.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I have never used an editor, partly because I have always been afraid of what they might tell me to do. I wouldn't mind trading services like Penny mentioned.

 

[Alex756]

Finding editors amounst contacts on the site -- great

Using the volunteer editor program --- NEVER, not that I didn't try

Out of 8 people I tried contacting through the program, not a single one returned an email. A few years back I tried the same thing and probably emailed 12 people and never got a response.

I normally just sweet talk a couple friends into editing though, for my halloween one, I ended up doing a quasi bigish rewriting post editors which was not reviewed so any mistakes are 100% my own, but they both found differant things and I think really made the story better by pointing out where I was screwing up

~Alex

 

[Colleen Thomas]

As with any joint endeavor, you have to have a personality meshing to work with an editor. Different people want different things from an editor.

For me, the best editors I have found are people I met on this forum and got to know. While long term, your best bet is finding individuals you trust and can work with, I really reccomend the volunteer editors. It may take some time and effort to find one who fits what you want, but I think it's time well spent.

 

[Unsung Muse]

This has been extremely helpful, thank you.

In other threads, I was getting the sense "direct" editing exchanges were possible (in time). I think it's wonderful... it speaks volumes about the "spirit" of this forum.

I'm really looking forward to developing relationships here that might take this direction. At the moment, I'd feel it an imposition to ask for editing assistance. I've only been here a week... plus I'd have so little to offer in exchange! I certainly don't feel qualified to review or edit in trade.

Will definitely run my next story through the volunteer program!

 

[Quiet_Cool]

So basically the volunteer program isn't the best route, but using an editor can be very helpful, yes? ANd it would be best to choose one from the board here?

I've only used one once, and that was the rewrite for the Anthology project, when I had EL re-read one I was submitting. Mostly, I write long and don't feel all that comfortable asking people to read 10,000 or more words that they may dislike from the first line.

Seems rude.

Q_C

 

[Alex756]

Hmm I see multiple people looking for editors that means a good chance to swap stories amoungst people

Maybe start a new thread? for AH people looking for an editor? post a breif desc of your story and length and see who is willing?

Sorry for typos, fish tank accident

~Alex

 

[Penelope Street]

At the moment, I'd feel it an imposition to ask for editing assistance. I've only been here a week... plus I'd have so little to offer in exchange! I certainly don't feel qualified to review or edit in trade.

This is crap. Being new doesn't make your opinions less valid than anyone else's. If you can read, you have something to offer; you may even be that breath of fresh air someone needs to snap them out of their rut.

 

[Penelope Street]

Hmm I see multiple people looking for editors that means a good chance to swap stories amoungst people

Maybe start a new thread? for AH people looking for an editor? post a breif desc of your story and length and see who is willing?

Sorry for typos, fish tank accident

~Alex

Great idea. I'm afraid a continuing thread might get lost in the AH shuffle, but I don't see why one couldn't start a new thread when seeking an editing exchange.

Hope the fishes are ok.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Hmm I see multiple people looking for editors that means a good chance to swap stories amoungst people

Maybe start a new thread? for AH people looking for an editor? post a breif desc of your story and length and see who is willing?

Motion proposed.

This is crap. Being new doesn't make your opinions less valid than anyone else's. If you can read, you have something to offer; you may even be that breath of fresh air someone needs to snap them out of their rut.

Motion seconded, or so it would seem...

Sounds good.

Motion carried.

Sorry for typos, fish tank accident

~Alex

Um... yeah, I have to ask.

What happened?

Q_C

 

[Boxlicker101]

This has been extremely helpful, thank you.

In other threads, I was getting the sense "direct" editing exchanges were possible (in time). I think it's wonderful... it speaks volumes about the "spirit" of this forum.

I'm really looking forward to developing relationships here that might take this direction. At the moment, I'd feel it an imposition to ask for editing assistance. I've only been here a week... plus I'd have so little to offer in exchange! I certainly don't feel qualified to review or edit in trade.

Will definitely run my next story through the volunteer program!

When I refer to editing, I don't mean making extensive changes. I mean doing things like correcting mechanical errors, changing some wording and sentence structure so the story reads better, and stuff like that. Anybody can do this with somebody else's stuff, although it might be harder with their own.

 

[Alex756]

Um... yeah, I have to ask.

What happened?

Q_C

Well unlike my LAST fish tank accident, I have a very expensive side hobby called keeping salt water tanks

LAST time I accidently stuck my hand into a torch coral, luckily not my big frogspawn that wouldfa sucked...

But this time we're selling off a largeish Acrylic tank we don't have a use for (I think its a 145 gallon) well anyways, its awkward to lift and all, and my hubby and I were setting it on ther stand to take pics of it, and I grabbed it wrong, and slashed my finger real good.

I should just post a thread of my fish tanks and my fish since I normally have some sort of injury related to them

Just need to upload my good pictures of the tanks

Figured I'd hurt a finger right before NaNo

~Alex (self appointed AH salt water fish expert )