Working with an Editor or Editing 101

[LadyVer]

I'm wondering if it's possible for an editor to look at work already submitted?
I'd like to clean up a few of my stories and perhaps expand on a couple, I've started editing them but it seems rather pointless if I'm missing the errors every time.
Plus there's the UK thing...

Did you look on the monthly availability thread for an editor, or create a thread asking for editing help? I've helped writers with editing their published Lit stories for resubmission. You should be able to find an editor. Oh, the UK thing. That's probably like the Canadian thing. Some editors don't have an issue with non-US English. (I'm not one of those though). Nothing personal.

 

[LadyVer]

Anyone ever have the comment issues in Track Changes, where instead of the text that has been selected for the comment being highlighted, pages of text are highlighted? I sent an edited document to the writer, and all was fine and normal on my end. He sends it back with the issue I'm talking about, but doesn't mention anything weird. When I see the issue on my end, it drives me nuts because it's distracting. So I email my writer asking him if he'd had any issues on his end. He says when he received the doc from me, it had the issue. Maybe it didn't drive him nuts.

Anyway, what I ended up doing to clear the comment highlighting, was delete the comments, after making notations, and it wasn't until I deleted the last comment (probably around 20), that the highlighting finally disappeared.

I did a google search for this issue, but so far haven't come across anything about this.

He's not using Word from a computer. He's using a generic wp app on a tablet, I think.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

PS The doc is 100 pages.

It's called 'content decay,' the issue of this kind of problem in collaborating across different operating systems and software. Going forward, I'm asking writers what software they used to write their story. The writer of the 100-page story is using Kingsoft Office.

 

[LadyVer]

Joe: "Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword."

Legacy John: Why do you keep quoting scripture?

Joe: Because your ass is getting kicked in biblical proportions.

http://jakonrath.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/me-hugh-howey-and-legacy-john-on.html

 

[LadyVer]

Happy Valentine's to all editors.

I just finished a 100-page project. Currently working on a 50-page project. Both have themes of BSDM. A new 87-page project is waiting, after I take a break from editing.

 

[LadyVer]

Anonymous feedback from authors

"This message contains feedback for:
This feedback was sent by: Anonymous

Comments:

Thank you for taking the time to read and leave your kind comments on my story.

*DO NOT hit the REPLY button to respond to this email.*

=====================
Please Note: This feedback was sent by a visitor to the Literotica.com website without revealing any information about you to the person who wrote it. If you do not wish to receive anonymous feedback, you can log into the member area at Literotica.com and turn the option off for your account. If you have questions, please contact Webmaster@Literotica.com."


This is the second anonymous note I've received lately from an author about my comments to their Lit story. While I appreciate that the author took the time to thank me, I have no idea who the author is or what story this is about because I've commented on more than one story recently.

I didn't even know my account had Anonymous commenting turned on. I just disabled it though.

I would advise writers not to thank their readers anonymously. One generic comment to your story thanking readers is good enough.

 

[JonB1969]

When working with an editor, it is important that the writer not delete all the editor's comments in MS Word Track Changes. It's also important that the questions the editor asked in the comments be answered.

Tag: Today's experience with an editing project

Something I would suggest for the editors. Don't Save, but Save As. That way you preserve the original file but save your changes in a new file, especially if the author wanted you to do everything in Track Changes, which I only recently learned how to do in Open Office.

 

[LadyVer]

Something I would suggest for the editors. Don't Save, but Save As. That way you preserve the original file but save your changes in a new file, especially if the author wanted you to do everything in Track Changes, which I only recently learned how to do in Open Office.

Good advice, Jon. I always save different versions of a project. The problem with Track Changes, for me, is that authors use different software and/or different devices when creating and editing documents which can cause issues with Track Changes on my end, and some authors don't know how to use it. And then there are those who hate it.

Thanks for commenting, Jon. Nice to know I'm not talking to myself.

 

[JonB1969]

Good advice, Jon. I always save different versions of a project. The problem with Track Changes, for me, is that authors use different software and/or different devices when creating and editing documents which can cause issues with Track Changes on my end, and some authors don't know how to use it. And then there are those who hate it.

Thanks for commenting, Jon. Nice to know I'm not talking to myself.

I personally hate Track Changes, no matter what the software is, but some authors want to be able to see what changes you made so they can learn. That I can understand, so I do it that way if they request.

 

[LadyVer]

I personally hate Track Changes, no matter what the software is, but some authors want to be able to see what changes you made so they can learn. That I can understand, so I do it that way if they request.

TC is a good tool, but like anything else there's a learning curve. And the longer the doc, the harder it is to process the edits.

 

[LadyVer]

The VE program

I re-enabled my VE profile a few days ago. Since then, I've been contacted by three writers looking for editing assistance. Unfortunately, their stories aren't in my category preferences. I politely let them know why I couldn't edit for them. One writer said she would contact me again in the future and another I'm beta reading the beginning of his story before it heads to where I'm uncomfortable.

TTFN

 

[robertreams]

I don't know if you have heard me before but my motto is, yes an author should clean up his work, but he/she should never be their own editor. When I try to close edit my own work, I wind up doing substantive changes each time and keep on missing the little things. That's why it is so important to be edited by a disinterested party. I'll look over your story for you. It doesn't matter if it is published or not, as long as it isn't too long. PM me and I will send you my e-mail.

 

[LadyVer]

Hey, Robert. Thanks for commenting. I really like the writer and the story I just beta read. He would be great to edit for. He's new to writing, but he's got some talent and the part I read was more romantic than in your face porn. Anyway, I'm glad I decided to beta read the first 10 pages for him.

 

[robertreams]

Much, but not all of my editing experience has been as a teacher, so that is very much how I approach my editing. Moreover, I tend to attract writers who need a lot of work. I don't mind working with them once, twice, three times, but there are two conditions. If they blow me off completely, that is their last chance. (I am after all, doing this for free). The second condition is: the second work they submit to me must be edited by the author before it reaches me.

One author I have dealt with on Lit. has the opinion that he and the other writers are the "real artists" who leave all the "grammar Nazi" grunt work to the editors. Usually that means their work is so full of errors, so lazy, they want me to do all the work while they take all the glory. I might try to help them with that attitude the first time, but never the second time.

 

[robertreams]

Lady Ver: i have had times when I used track changes (or more accurately 'save changes' in Open Office), but when I e-mail the manuscript back to the author, the changes remain, but not the comments or highlighting. I actually prefer Google Docs, wherein it is actually possible to share the document in real time; changes, comments, et al.

 

[LadyVer]

Robert, I hear what you're saying about the grunt work. I've learned to tell writers the specific revisions they need to make on their end before I can edit. I provide them with links to articles that give more information. Some writers just don't want to be bothered.

I've more discriminating about who I edit and beta read for. Since I'm doing this on my own time, and I work full time, I at least want to be working from a place where I don't end up on the receiving end of an author either getting mad because I won't work the way he/she thinks I should, or an author going back and forth with other editors and telling me that the male input they've gotten on the story, in a genre the writer and other editors have never read, is more important. So, I've learned not to edit a story where other editors are involved. It's not worth the aggravation.

 

[robertreams]

Never, never rely upon yourself to be the final or only editor of your work. My advice, take it or leave it.

 

[LadyVer]

Never, never rely upon yourself to be the final or only editor of your work. My advice, take it or leave it.

Well, it's the author's story. If they want to work with multiple editors simultaneously, that's up to them. Just don't count on all editors to agree to it.

 

[robertreams]

i am only saying ONE EDitor other than the author.

 

[LadyVer]

i am only saying ONE EDitor other than the author.

It's easy to misunderstand comments online when you don't know someone (unless someone is being an ass, which you're not). I've also had a hard day at work and my brain is a tad fried. I take it you're saying you believe a Lit author should only have one editor for a project.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Never, never rely upon yourself to be the final or only editor of your work. My advice, take it or leave it.

^^^^^total bull shit. Editors often make things worse. If you doubt me take a look at the crap editors allow on their web sites. Look at the edited shit that gets past LAUREL. Robert is their king.

 

[LadyVer]

^^^^^total bull shit. Editors often make things worse. If you doubt me take a look at the crap editors allow on their web sites. Look at the edited shit that gets past LAUREL. Robert is their king.

JBJ, until Robert edits for you, you're rambling. Besides, you must really be bored to comment on a thread I started.

 

[_Lynn_]

^^^^^total bull shit. Editors often make things worse. If you doubt me take a look at the crap editors allow on their web sites. Look at the edited shit that gets past LAUREL. Robert is their king.

I've had some of those 'editors' from Lit. They sucked.

 

[LadyVer]

I've had some of those 'editors' from Lit. They sucked.

Look, I would guess most editors stumble around on Lit at first. The thing is, if you and JBJ want to make criticizing Lit editors the subject du jour, you need to do it on your own thread.

 

[_Lynn_]

Look, I would guess most editors stumble around on Lit at first. The thing is, if you and JBJ want to make criticizing EF editors the subject du jour, you need to do it on your own thread.

Why would you assume they were new at editing?

 

[LadyVer]

Why would you assume they were new at editing?

Again, if you want to make criticizing Lit editors the subject, you need to do it somewhere else.