Writing for publication is the fastest growing cottage industry in America today. That means it can be done but competition is tougher than ever. As a result of increased volume of submissions, in-house editors are left with little time to devote to the developmental editing so necessary to bringing out a good book. Most editors you meet today are acquisition editors whose main responsibility is to acquire new works. Consequently, today's savvy writers have come to rely on the expertise of independent editors or Book Doctors as we are sometimes called to give them the competitive edge.
Editors and Agents repeatedly say that the number one reason a book doesn't sell is that the dream inside the author's head is not down on paper. In a nutshell, our job is to make certain that your dream, your vision, is all there – in double-spaced manuscript format, error free, and told to the best of your ability. A good editor sees beyond what is written to what is missing. At BookWriters we call these MOs or Missed Opportunities; a change to give your character that added dimension or tweak your storyline just enough to really bring the scene down. Editors at BookWriters often raise questions, to challenge you to bring out your best and to make sure that you have said exactly what you want to say.
Few editors today read beyond the first blunder. They don't have to; there is always another submission on its way to bump you off line. Editors are looking for strong voice, strong character, and solid story or plot line that immediately grabs them so they 'buy in.' You must grab your editor's attention on that first line, that first paragraph, that first page. Your story must sparkle and be error free.
