You Write a Book, Then What?

First, let me start off by saying that this isn't aimed at anyone who has actually previewed, read, looked at or actually reviewed the first in my book series, Celtic Evil. This is more toward all those who put down the writers who don't or in some cases, can't follow normal tradition after writing a book.

See, I learned while in school and afterwards there are several stages to writing a book. The first, you research your general location. Vital if you don't want to land your character(s) in a spot that is impossible where you are. You then know your characters. I find this is especially important since you have to have a feel for the men and women you write. Then you sit down and write. This is done differently by every single writer. I, personally, just write the scene as it comes in my head. Most of my works are built in my head and then get put on computer(used to be paper). Then, once it's done you take it from the start and edit it. Correcting those pesky misspellings, if possible you fix the punctuation errors and this goes on and on until it's edited to the best of the writer's clean-cut ability and this is where most will hit the wall of stone cold criticism.

In a world of dreams, in the perfect world where writers dream; all writers have an uncanny ability to edit perfectly or there is always someone to edit their books perfectly for nothing but we all know that isn't the case for nothing comes free and nothing should come free. In this modern world where anyone can self-publish a book on places like Lulu or Createspace, it's easy for some kid out of school to upload an error ridden manuscript and price it for $20 and then get mad when it doesn't sell. Those types of authors are what makes it bad for the really talented ones who have a true gift at writing a compelling tale but can't afford a professional editor and they get chopped down for being hacks with crap because they'll not willing to strive for perfection.

If you can find a decent editor, the cheapest may want either $0.05 or $0.01 a word to edit a manuscript. You take a book with up to 90,000 words and add that up. Now you figure that these possible authors are housewives, or veterns, people homebound for one reason or another, retirees, etc. People living from check to check, people with lives to live from check to check and still have a budget for mortages, bills, medicine, food. These people are often choosing between food and medicine now and there are writers (not publishers, not agents but other writers) who believe they can shell out $200 and up for an editor or a professional cover designer and if they don't, they're considered cheap, lazy, no-talented with crap. This isn't the right message to portray to people.

These writers just want to share their tales. Be it memoirs or just a story they have to tell. They may be looking to offset their income a little but most know this won't be possible in this POD world and are just looking to share, to let other readers enjoy a story that they enjoyed writing.

There are writers out there who can afford to find editors, or know people who can edit for a discount, or know people in the business of writing, etc or they have all the skills that a writer dreams of having. They know what word goes with this sentence, what punctuation goes best in this position, etc. Wonderful!

Not everyone in this business is that lucky. Not every writer can afford that, they don't have friends who know anymore than they do, they can't take 'classes' to 'learn' to write. Learn to write. That's one I hate. You're going to tell a sixty year old grandmother to 'go to a class, learn the skills it takes to write then come back'. That's rude, insulting because these people write from their experiances. Just because not everyone writes in proper sentences or in proper style, voice, tense, then they can't write a book. Please. You can't place a disabled person who can't go out in public very often because of the illnesses(both physical and mental perhaps) in a class when they can't learn what's supposed to be proper form. You can't expect these people to give up food or medicine just to have someone change a sentence.

So you have a perfectly wonderfully story. Any reader, any real reader who loves to read, will read a book written by a new writer and not know or care who edited it. They just know they enjoy a book but when you have other writers putting down these people why should they go on? Why should they write when told they're garbage? There is a thing called constructive criticism then there's being high handed and a bully because these people won't listen so they're labeled hacks by people who should offer help. They want books edited to look professional so it doesn't hurt their own 'self-published books' by having books with a word in the wrong place, or a similiar word being used but yet they don't offer to edit. They just say, 'hey, you want to considered an author then don't write if you can't afford the price'. This is the self-published world. This is what new, serious authors will face.

Now, does this mean you should stop writing? Heck, no! You have a story to tell, a memoir, a recipe book, a comedy, an action story, etc? Then write it. Write it, edit it to the BEST of your ability (because I do recommend that), make sure it's formatted right with correct spacing, margins, justified, etc and submit it. The vital thing is you write what you want, for who you want and anyone that says you can't well.... it's not polite to write what most will think to say to that. There will always be negative, mean spirited people who shoot you down but like a duck sheds water, let those people shed off your back and keep doing what you do.

Sorry for the long rant but it's been building for months but some people understand what it's like to be on the wrong side of that fence and I hope this will reach others who have been talked out of publishing or scared away from those that say you can't write without an editor on your back.

Best wishes and blessings to you all.

Sierra