Not everyone thinks wrinkly, mucous behind the ears, squalling newborns are cute. Usually you need to wait a week or two until they fill out a bit, aren't quite so twitchy, even learn to smile before others are irresistibly drawn to them.
It's the same with your manuscript. But never fear...I've got some surefire ways to spiff up that baby while you're waiting.
Top 3 Ways To Polish A Manuscript
#1. Send it off to 2 or 3 of your best editor buddies.
3 max. You don't want overkill in this stage. While they're critiquing it, work on something else. Put your mind elsewhere. Start a new story or fiddle around with one you've got in the drawer, anything but go over your recently finished book.
#2. Apply critiques.
Once you get those crits back, then --and only then-- may you open up your document and start implementing the final changes. Consider each one, even if you don't agree with it. And if more than one person comments on the same thing, it's a pretty good bet your reader would stumble over that pile of words as well. Change it.
#3. Print it out.
I know. I know. This final step makes greenies go into convulsions. It seems like such a waste to use up all that ink and paper on something you can just read on a screen. It's not. Reading a hard copy is inherently different than reading something on a computer. Why? I think it has something to do with how the planets align and magical fairy dust or something scientific like that. Whatever, it works. You'll catch things that you (and your crit partners) missed. Not even kidding. This works every time.
Sounds like a lot of work, right? Yep. It is. But fact: it is super satisfying when you hear back comments from editors that yours is the cleanest manuscript they've seen in a long time.
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2 comments:
You're right about the printing out, and I'm on of the worst at reading it that way, However (you noticed I didn't throw in a big but) I have 3 beta readers who are NOT writers but voracious readers.
Ginger reads each and every word. She catches the repeated words, the missing words, and if I had a pencil in my character's hand on page 124 and a pen on page 125, she catches it. She also knew a car model I chose had been discontinued the year before. She worth her weight on gold! I'm glad she doesn't weigh too much.
Then there's a book club member, Ashley. She's the most outspoken young woman I've ever met. She's not afraid to tell an author she didn't like their book. Because of that, I chose her as another beta reader. I knew she'd give me honest feedback. She scares the fire out of me, but I love her honesty. :)
Then I have one more, Barbara , who reads simply for story. She tells me if it grabs her, and whether she cared for my characters (and she's very discerning). An odd statement could turn her off a character quite easily. I do have to weigh her thoughts on some things, but she's also a valuable beta reader.
So that's my final check before my newborns go to my agent. :)
Great points....again....I'm telling you, write a book on advice. Okay, I will stop saying it now. May I add, that when you print out your manuscript, it is much easier to make notes/cross things off, etc.
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