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Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em
First of all, I love copyeditors. Every author needs one, regardless of how many books they’ve sold.
I’m so convinced
of their importance that Illumify requires a professional copyedit for every book we publish.
But here’s something you need to know…
Never, ever accept one hundred percent of your copyeditor's edits. It will suck the life out of your manuscript.
Read that again.
I advise authors to accept eighty to eighty-five percent of their edits.
You don’t want to give your copyeditor complete control of your manuscript. It’s your baby. You carried it during your
pregnancy, experienced the pain of childbirth, and then nurtured it into its current breathtaking form.
It doesn’t matter how many times a copyeditor reviews your manuscript, you are the only one who
knows its heartbeat. Heck! That baby has your DNA.
So how do you avoid your copyeditor's slash and burn?
You give them a clean manuscript. By "clean", I mean your manuscript has minimal issues, nary a grammar mistake, clear formatting. So clean, that your manuscript brings joy to your copyeditor.
I have one goal for every book I write. I want my copyeditor to tell me, “That’s the cleanest manuscript I’ve ever worked on.”
Not trying to pat myself on the back, but copyeditors have said those very words to me three or four times.
I want you to make that your goal, as well.
A clean manuscript gives you
control of your manuscript. It builds trust with your copyeditor, who begins working on every manuscript from a stance of suspicion. They have to—that’s their job.
If your manuscript is filled
with errors, they start to hack and scorch. Again, that’s their job. Sometimes, they pick up so much momentum that they begin changing things that don’t need changing.
But if you give them a pristine
draft—not a “sloppy copy”—you’ll bring joy to their heart and they will become your willing partner in turning it into a thing of beauty.
So how do you create a clean manuscript?
You’ll need to attend the Illumify Writers conference on October 7. During our time together, we’re going to give you ten (actually eleven) cutting edge strategies.
Click here for more information
Strategy #4 is “Employ Editing and Revision Secrets for Polishing Your Manuscript.” HarperCollins bestselling author Lisa Hawker will give you a checklist of strategies and tools to transform your word
swamp into a Bellagio fountain.
Sounds pretty cool, huh?
But it's something you'll only hear at the Illumify writers conference.
From Manuscript to Market:
Ten Cutting Edge Strategies for Today’s Authors
October 7, 2023
Reel Factory Events Center in Littleton, CO
Click here for more information
This event is only offered live and in
person
Registrations close October 2
