Silencing the voices

[TheLobster]

I'd also disagree with your idea that they are gatekeepers in that sense. If you've gotten far enough publishers are paying for an editor you are past the gatekeepers.

I’m pretty sure some publishing houses have their editors do manuscript selection. I sometimes watch videos about writing from Alyssa Matesic who used to work at Penguin and says she did both selection and subsequent dev editing.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Why would we be talking about the editors at a publishing house when none of us are using one?

Several people "here" (not me) are in fact publishing professionally. @StillStunned is a professional editor himself.

--Annie

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Several people "here" (not me) are in fact publishing professionally. @StillStunned is a professional editor himself.

--Annie

I'm aware of both things. But to say "editors" repeatedly when you mean a small, distinct subset of editors is at best misleading.

 

[sister jenny]

After being told by 2 beta readers (who have written stories I respect) that my story was unreadable had potential but needed quite a bit of work. I have not been able to write anything.
I tried yesterday to avoid grading but I could not write 2 sentences without deleting them. So I have not written a word in 10 days. I have had stories in my head but that is where they are. The reason is that anytime I put something together, I hear the voice inside my head (my own voices, not the beta readers) laughing at me and telling me "your shit is unreadable."

I am sure I am not the first one to face such a situation. Any suggestions on how I effectively tell the voices to fuck off?

To be clear, this is not author's block. I have plenty of ideas in my head. I just cannot get past the idea that what I write is shit will end up being mocked. I know intellectually that this makes no sense but emotionally, I cannot shut them down.

I hear them all the time.
And I am convinced that everything I write is shit.
What I do is I tell myself that I know it’s shit, but luckily no one will ever read it. The only reason I am writing it down is to get it out of my head so I can move on. And since it is shit I don’t even fix grammar or spelling. I just write to get it out. Then later, since the story is there I might as well fix it. Editing is fun and I might even learn something.
Then suddenly one day I just go in and post it without reading it again.

This whole time I actually never intend to publish it. I am not lying to myself. Just writing because it helps to get the idea out of my head.

The sad part is that since I am convinced I am no good and what I write is shit, I never read my stories again. And if I would I might delete them.

But at least I write.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I’m pretty sure some publishing houses have their editors do manuscript selection. I sometimes watch videos about writing from Alyssa Matesic who used to work at Penguin and says she did both selection and subsequent dev editing.

But that isn't the same thing as AwkwardlySet seems to be implying, which is that when they edit your work you must do as they say or you don't get published.

 

[StrentWriter]

I’m published, albeit in a different field (I’m a historian by trade).

Never met an editor who didn’t have suggestions and was also open minded enough to listen to my rebuttals.

It’s a give and take, the editing process.

What is being described is a form of censorship as opposed editing, which is an art in and of itself. A lot of hard work and experience needed.

I have found I was good at self editing for history books but for erotic romance fiction, not so much!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’m published, albeit in a different field (I’m a historian by trade).

Never met an editor who didn’t have suggestions and was also open minded enough to listen to my rebuttals.

It’s a give and take, the editing process.

What is being described is a form of censorship as opposed editing, which is an art in and of itself. A lot of hard work and experience needed.

I have found I was good at self editing for history books but for erotic romance fiction, not so much!

Nice to hear from soemone with experience of the process.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I’m published, albeit in a different field (I’m a historian by trade).

Never met an editor who didn’t have suggestions and was also open minded enough to listen to my rebuttals.

It’s a give and take, the editing process.

What is being described is a form of censorship as opposed editing, which is an art in and of itself. A lot of hard work and experience needed.

I have found I was good at self editing for history books but for erotic romance fiction, not so much!

My experience in journalism has been similar. There is always a give and take. How to communicate an idea in the most effective way possible?

 

[StrentWriter]

Nice to hear from soemone with experience of the process.

It does depend on what’s being published mind. What I was writing for many years was basically statistical analysis, factual statements, journalistic stuff - editors tended not to want to edit in terms of what was written; more to help with getting the particular line of inquiry across.

Eg - I wrote a book on an historical figure. The primary evidence I had shows he was a war hero of sorts, in the trenches, and he became a pacifist after the First World War.

This is used by other historians to diminish his contributions in a particular field - I was critical of other writers, my editor at the time didn’t think it was helping my case and worked with me to soften the point of my jibe.

That I see clearly in hindsight was absolutely the right decision.

My experience in journalism has been similar. There is always a give and take. How to communicate an idea in the most effective way possible?

Depends which network I think - I worked with channels 4 and 5 in the UK and they were open to being corrected on historical things.

The BBC had one agenda, which was to satisfy their head of news’s agenda.

I would politely say that I didn’t enjoy working with them, albeit it was near the start of my career and I’m glad it’s not a programme that gets rerun.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It does depend on what’s being published mind.

My only experience of real publishing is scientific journals - and that’s different yet again.

 

[StrentWriter]

My only experience of real publishing is scientific journals - and that’s different yet again.

That’s amazing Emily. I have a huge respect for those in that world - my late wife published in medical journals and the amount of work she put into her papers was extraordinary.

 

[EmilyMiller]

That’s amazing Emily. I have a huge respect for those in that world - my late wife published in medical journals and the amount of work she put into her papers was extraordinary.

It was only me as the lead author on one. I actually wrote quite a lot of a second where my PI was the lead. And a few others where I was just one of a cast of thousands* .

And sorry for your loss

* Exaggeration

 

[Kelliezgirl]

It does depend on what’s being published mind. What I was writing for many years was basically statistical analysis, factual statements, journalistic stuff - editors tended not to want to edit in terms of what was written; more to help with getting the particular line of inquiry across.

Eg - I wrote a book on an historical figure. The primary evidence I had shows he was a war hero of sorts, in the trenches, and he became a pacifist after the First World War.

This is used by other historians to diminish his contributions in a particular field - I was critical of other writers, my editor at the time didn’t think it was helping my case and worked with me to soften the point of my jibe.

That I see clearly in hindsight was absolutely the right decision.



Depends which network I think - I worked with channels 4 and 5 in the UK and they were open to being corrected on historical things.

The BBC had one agenda, which was to satisfy their head of news’s agenda.

I would politely say that I didn’t enjoy working with them, albeit it was near the start of my career ended I just and I’m glad it’s not a programme that gets rerun.

My journalistic experience has been limited to "print" media, I published a recurring column for a few years.

 

[StrentWriter]

It was only me as the lead author on one. I actually wrote quite a lot of a second where my PI was the lead. And a few others where I was just one of a cast of thousands* .

And sorry for your loss

* Exaggeration

Thank you appreciated. My apologies - not said to garner sympathy but to extol her excellence.