Where have all the Copy Editors gone?

      If you are a published author, you already know what a line or copy editor is. They work in the third phase of getting a book published. By the time a book reaches this vital person, it has been gone over with the proverbial fine tooth comb by the editor and the author to create the cleanest, most cohesive copy possible. The line editor then goes over it one more time to flush out any remaining grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors that remain. They might also check for accuracy and consistency. Every word must be read and considered. While I pride myself on submitting clean manuscripts, I have been saved a time or two by a sharp line editor, one who caught my misspelling of a pin worn on clothes as a broach when it should have been brooch.

      Usually, these people work without making comments, but once I received a remark through my regular editor that the copy editor said she'd never had a manuscript with fewer errors. Quite the compliment. However, I recently got a suggestion for a person whom I think aspired to be a regular editor suggesting a change in plot.  Nope, not at this point in the publishing process. The next step is sending a galley or final proof of the book for the author to approve. I usually still find a few errors, but things a reader would most likely miss. In general, I don't notice any subtle changes a line editor might have made which is as it should be.

     I have no idea if copy editors enjoy reading books on the cusp of being published. They would certainly have a first look at a variety of genres. No idea either if they get to choose the types they want to read, but I doubt they do. This job could be fun for a person who loves to read and pick over grammar and spelling errors. Now, I imagine big New York publishing houses have a whole slew of copy editors tolling away for a decent salary with benefits. Not so in small press e-publishing. I only recently learned when I got a little testy about a line editor holding up my book for six weeks (which delays publication) that these folks are not paid. They get a tiny percentage of the sale price of the books sold. I receive a thirty to thirty-five percent royalty, and believe me, that can be way less than a dollar per book depending on its price. Also, the copy editors, like the authors, are paid only quarterly. Surprise! You earned very little for your hard work. Most might do this in their spare time for a little extra cash. With so many books being written during the Covid seclusion, a big backlog exists in every point of publishing, but we cannot move forward without the vital work of the copy editor.

    If not totally discouraged by now, I know Wings ePress is looking for copy editors. Contact Jeanne Howard (executive-editor@wingsepress.com). A Google search would reveal plenty of these jobs is my guess. I did contact a friend who delights in correcting people's grammar (former English teacher), but she gave me a firm no. She only likes to do it orally. I can only say if you find any errors in this blog, I did not have a copy editor to go over it.

How to Devastate an Author

     Try posting a one star review on Amazon within days of a new release. Don't reveal your name or post a review as to why you feel this book is absolute trash. But both you and the author know this lone star will influence other readers not to buy the book.  Sure, that hurts economically, but more so it means few if any people will read the story that took months of research and more months to write. That one star also endangers the entire series that went before and might come after. In this case, I am speaking of Lion in the Heather, the latest of the Longleigh Chronicles, which is supposed to be a funny romp of a Regency novel. Granted, some take their Regencies very seriously, and this will not be to their taste. I understand that, especially if they post a review saying so. Also, sometimes, an author can glean some insight for their next book and perhaps avoid a pitfall. A one star review with no commentary is only meant to hurt.

     I've been writing for sixteen years and know by now one must grow a skin the thickness of a rhino to continue on. I vividly recall my first troll review on an early book, The Convent Rose.  It dropped the day the book was released, hardly enough time to read it. The troll didn't even have the name of the characters right and purposely garbled the plot to make it sound inane. I contacted my editor. If there had been crying emojis back then, my message to her would have contained a dozen tearful faces. She told me to forget about it. I had fans who would like the book and correct the low ranking. She was right. Positive reviews came in slowly and the book ended up with an overall ranking of four stars, probably about right for this short, funny story.

      Of course, there is the possibility a person meaning well thought a one star review was great. I had a person once admit to this, but she'd also written a glowing review saying how much she had like the book. At least, this made it clear to anyone reading it that she'd misunderstood the star system. Hey, folks, if you have done this accidently, it is possible to go back and change your ranking, especially on Goodreads. Just go to your review and click on Edit. I am not sure how this is done on Amazon as they rarely take down a review unless it can be proved to be malicious, but with no actual review submitted, it's just an opinion. If a mistake, they could balance that out with leaving five stars and no comment! 

     One person remarked to my current woe that authors write mostly for themselves. Somewhat true. It certainly isn't for money as most books generate only around a dollar for a copy sold. The rest goes to Amazon and the publisher, so no getting rich unless you sell millions of copies. Big name authors can make big money. Many free copies are dispensed to get reviews, and their legions of fans will punch the five star button whether the book is great or not. Much as I like Nora Roberts, I do occasionally drop a four or a three star review. Some stories are just better than others. However, we do want people to love our books and say a few kind words, especially if the author is mid-list and doesn't get tons of reviews.

     Personally, I have never given a one star review to any author though I have read some one star books. I am too aware of the time and effort and courage it takes to write a book and put it out there. Their sales will tell them their book is bad--and lots of other reviewers, but not me. I will not devastate others.

     

Covid and Publishing

      The Covid epidemic has changed everything, including publishing. As I mentioned before, during the long seclusion, lots and lots of people wrote their first book, and those like me finally got around to penning one they'd been putting off for all kinds of excuses. By the time I send The Aussie Sinner off to my editor, I was told for the very first time that she wouldn't be able to look at it for several weeks. Her desk was flooded with new manuscripts to accept or reject, but all had to be read at least partially along with a synopsis. Since I write a long running series, The Sinners, my contracts are rather routine and come back fast. Not so this time. Once the wait for the contract ended, I found myself in another wait line for an editor. Same for a line editor and a cover.

     In the big time, New York City publishers, a year's wait for a book to come out is common. In e-publishing, they move a bit faster, usually six months, sometime nine. For Aussie Sinner, submitted in the spring, it was nine.  I submitted a new Longleigh Chronicle, The Greatest Prize, that same spring with a difference press. It appeared in December, longer than usual for them. Right now, The Bad Boy Sinner is in publishing limbo, editing finished long ago and cover done, but absolutely no release date given. The next of the Longleighs, Lion in the Heather, is vaguely slated for January.  Meanwhile, I work on Edie's Sinner. A friend who submitted her new mystery was told it would not be out until 2023 sometime, so the situation has gotten even worse.

     Inexperience shows as well. One line editor whose job it is make sure spelling and grammar are correct, took several weeks to work over one of my manuscripts which are usually low on errors and returned it with notes on scenes she'd like to see changed-ah, not her job. I'd just finished appeasing one editor's quirks and didn't need hers. Though my editors haven't changed lately, I suspect there are a lot of inexperienced ones taken on to deal with the glut. Another friend said the only editing she got was constant notes to check the publisher's handbook. While we often dream of how nice it would be not to have an editor, they really can make a book better, and she felt she hadn't been given that chance.

     Because literary festivals and library events are returning, I soon found my most popular title, Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball, sold out.  I've reordered this title twice already. The price to me inches up, but not enough to for me to raise the price to the buyer--yet. I'll wait until after the holidays to do this. Why add to the rush at Christmas. I won't really need them until spring. I do dread the new price because everything like meat and gas has gone up, but this time it will be the price of paper and ink and shipping. Usually, I sell my large format paperbacks for fifteen dollars. If forced to go up to twenty, I suspect my sales will drop off. The only other alternative is to sell for cost--and I am not going to sit outside in rain or sun to virtually give them away. While I do believe the price of food and fuel will come down, I suspect this change in pricing for books will be permanent. I can only wait and see.

      Keep an eye out for Lion in the Heather in January. We'll see what it costs.

      

    

The Dinosaur Wedding

      I  took another break from writing (been doing that a lot lately) to attend our son's unique dinosaur wedding in Minnesota. I've often said I love long road trips. We elected to drive from Louisiana to Minneapolis for the event, three solid days on the road through Dallas traffic, the bleak central landscapes of Oklahoma and Kansas, and the corn fields of Iowa. Travel differed a little from the pre-Covid years. We wore our masks at every rest stop, often ate outside because the places we stopped had drive-up only service, and discovered that our rooms were not made up every day to limit contact between guests and staff. Soap containers were wall mounted in the showers. I am sure both saved the hotels lots of money, too. Need TP? Make a trip to the desk to ask for more. And sadly, our favorite rest stop on the Iowa border no longer offered pie and coffee. We did find some fine little family restaurants, an Amish-themed rest stop, and one small dinosaur museum along the way to make up for that.

     The wedding took place in a park on a terrace overlooking a beautiful lake. The Officiant arrived in full riding a dinosaur costume. Attendants carried bouquets of tropical leaves with small dinosaurs in the foliage and the centerpieces were planters of succulents and cactus creating a Jurassic landscape for more dinos. The bride made them all. After the bride and groom said their hand-written vows, they demonstrated their union by pouring two ingredients into a science project volcano, causing it to erupt. While pictures were being taken (did I mention the bride looked stunning in a long emerald green gown), the guests were treated to a show with live raptors, hawks and an owl.

     We dined indoors with appropriately spaced tables seating family or friend groups and after eating enjoyed a fabulous cup cake buffet with four choices. I was sorry to limit myself to one, a chocolate and red velvet combo. While pre-recorded music played, guests enjoyed a variety of games from giant Jenga on which they were encouraged to write messages to the bridge and groom, Connect Four, and corn hole on the terrace which also had smore making station. Guests could have their photos take with a charging T-Rex, and several tried on one of the three dinosaur costumes and took to the dance floor. Truly, I haven't had such a great time in years.

     Those invited were limited to fifty, sixty with the wedding party. Masks were available, and the couple called all who attended several days later to make sure no one had contracted Covid. None did in highly vaccinated Minnesota. We'd had our shots. Who would have thunk it? Vaccinations work.

     Took me a week after to settle down and do more work on Edie's Sinner, the next Sinners book. Meanwhile, The Bad Boy Sinner, edits finally finished, joined the publication queue for a release sometime next year. Lion in the Heather, the next Longleigh chronicle is due out in January.

     

     

Hurricane Hiatus

        Truly, I meant to write this blog the last week in August--and then along came Hurricane Ida.  At first, the storm appeared to be headed right for our small southwestern Louisiana town, the setting for most of my books.  Gradually, it moved eastward and placed us on the western edge. For those of you who don't know much about hurricanes, that's the best side to be on. Even better for us, the storm continued to veer to the east targeting New Orleans and Baton Rouge and the smaller towns of Houma and LaPlace. By then, we'd carried in all the porch furniture and potted plants (many). checked the battery supply, went out to get milk and canned goods we could heat on the grill, and boarded up the windows. Usually we fill a bathtub for a water supply just in case and keep a pail nearby to recharge the toilet Not our first rodeo by far, the night of Andrew still vivid in our memories from many year ago. 

     My husband took the car out to top off the tank in case we had to evacuate and found all the stations closed. So many people in pickup trucks loaded up numerous gas cans, they drained the pumps dry. Late in the afternoon, he found a convenience store off the beaten track and managed to fill up.  Our area is still low on gas due to people fleeing from New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  The motels are full as well and will be for some time. We were prepared and now had to sit and wait watching the round the clock storm coverage on all channels, sometimes the worst part of the ordeal, that wait.

     Even though we were out of the danger zone, we did expect some high wind gusts and lots of rain, probably a power outage, too.  We placed flashlights in most of the rooms. I decided to work on the new Sinners title, Edie's Sinner, as long as I could since I'd missed hours of work to storm prep. Having a battery backup for the computer with sixty minutes of time on it, I figured I'd have plenty of time to save and close down when the lights went out.  After two-thousand words, my most productive day in a long time, I quit with the lights still burning bright and went to bed hoping Ida hadn't changed her mind again and was coming to get us. In the end, all we got was some wind and a few sprinkles, never lost power.

     Oh, but to see the devastation on the TV in the morning. Little frame houses blown over, large trees down everywhere in a tangle of wires. one man crushed in his home, another killed by an alligator as he waded in deep storm water (only in LA). They do tell us to stay inside and out of the flooded areas. Some folks with nowhere to go sat in half-destroyed homes waiting for help.  The Cajun Navy, private citizens with small boats went to the worst areas and evacuated people, some from attics because their homes had filled with water. Thank heaven, in New Orleans the levees held this time in the below sea level city. But, they did lose the tower that generated electricity for the whole area when it fell into the river. Days and weeks ahead of steamy weather and no AC or lights.  Baton Rouge, not as bad, but still hit hard.

    We are prompted to charge cell phones in advance, but that doesn't do much good if the cell phone towers go down. I keep a land line as well just for these occasions even though the junk calls drive me nuts. I have many writer friends in both cities. I'm beginning to hear from some in Baton Rouge as the power there comes up, but only one message from New Orleans that all was well with that person.  I lost a couple of days of writing and a little more time hauling stuff outside again.  They, no doubt, will lose weeks while cleaning up from the storm. It takes several years for cities to get back to normal. Lake Charles is still recovering from Laura last year, another one that missed our area. Hurricanes, no fun at all. Just hoping we don't attract four like last year.

Singing for your Supper

      Actually, I can't sing a note, but I am a fearless public speaker.  I've found if I offer to do a program at a library or writers' conference I will sell far more books than just passively sitting at a table to sign, trying as hard as I can to will people to stop at my booth. With this in mind, I offer two talks: Adventures in E-publishing and Writing the Historical Novel free to any place that will have me within reasonable driving distance. I've addressed crowded rooms at both libraries and conferences and sold many books afterwards because I've had a chance to connect with my audience, give them good information while also being entertaining. I used to throw foam footballs into the audience to publicize my sports romances, the Sinners series, but my arm isn't what it used to be. I also make myself available to local book clubs if they want to discuss one of my books, my favorite being Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball. I usually have Mardi Gras throws to give away--scooped up from the streets during parades.

     Does this always pay off? No. But if you've agreed to come and sent out your press release to the local paper or library newsletter, you'd better show up. I was scheduled to address a book club after they had their regular meeting featuring another writer's book. The library had set out refreshments, but it was five before they ended. Every last book clubber went home to dinner. I was left with the three library employees assigned to close up the building once I was through. We ended up having a nice conversation  and enjoyed the refreshments, but it was a long two hour drive back to my place with no sales. On the other hand, I once drove another two hours through terrible weather to a small town to speak to another club and expected no one to show. I entered a meeting room with an entire pot luck dinner set up and a lively group happy to have me. I swear everyone there purchased a book, one woman buying A Trashy Affair and claiming it had to be about her in-laws. I was also offered a room for the night if I didn't want to drive back in the same torrential downpour. Now that's a warm welcome.

     Sometimes, the timing is just off like having anything scheduled near a meal time. At a writer's conference, the person preceding me on the stage ran overtime by a good twenty minutes. By the time I got up to the mic, the aroma of the luncheon was drifting through the room.  After fifteen minutes, people starting taking their pre-meal restroom break. After another fifteen minutes, I was told, sorry, the caterers were ready to serve, truncating my talk by half a hour. Only good that came of it was receiving first place in the lunch line. Zero books sold as after lunch everyone went into small group sessions which lasted until four when awards were given out, no time for the many authors attending to sell their wares at all. I was given a nice gift basket for my very short effort and ate some of the goodies on yet another long drive home.

      My smallest audience ever consisted of one person, a teenage girl who aspired to be a writer. Her parents sat in the rear of the near empty room talking quietly with each other. Instead of giving my talk, I just sat down one on one with the girl and let her ask me questions about publishing. When we finished, the embarrassed librarian who had asked me to come took our picture for the newsletter. I showed the girl how to stand up straight and smile into the camera no matter what the circumstances. Then, she left with her parents who did not buy a book, but the librarian purchased two, a pity sale, no doubt, though she claimed it wasn't. She had invited me because she loved my stories. Well, maybe, but that's all right. I do accept pity sales graciously.

     So, you never know what you will get when you set out on the road, two dozen sales or none. Regardless, if you commit, you show up, give it your all, and smile for the newsletter picture.

Exhibiting Indoors

      Last month I dealt with having book sales and signings outdoor. Needless to say, indoors is easier as there will always be bathrooms handy and thank God, climate control. If the distance isn't too great, I usually go to these events if there is no charge for the space. Nearly always a table and chair is provided so less to haul. Still, have a light weight dolly to help transport heavy boxes of books. Some convention center are vast, and it is a long way to get to your place. 

     Libraries are always pleasant, but don't expect sales. Best I've ever done was three books. People come to libraries to check out books for free. I've had many tell me they'd read the library copy when it got on the shelf, not always a guarantee as the library is in no way obligated to buy your titles. If you donate copies, they may or may not reach the shelves. Truly, I've seen library patrons walk the long way around to avoid the authors parked in a hallway or meeting room. Library venues also expect the authors to stay most of the day, say from ten to three, right through the lunch hour. Some will provide a bottle of water. Others have really nice author's lounges set up with everything from pastries and yogurt to hot coffee and cold drinks. You might inquire about this and be prepared to take snacks or troll the tables where cookbook authors give out free samples. Truly, only children's books sell well in libraries, especially if the authors are stationed near the children's department. However, you do meet others authors and a few might buy your book. Mostly I give out postcards with the cover on the front, blurb on the back along with order and contract information.

      Convention aren't the best places for selling either. I've done many library conventions and can tell you librarians want cheap or free books. They rarely buy but will take book cards and order later perhaps. Big name authors are situated in the middle of the fray, autographing and selling books at a deep discount provided by their NYC presses. Usually, the authors of small presses or the indie published are relegated to the outer edges of the venue where traffic is light. Because the event is indoors, this is the time to use those banners and any other attention getting gimmicks you might have. I once sat next to very nice lady, first time author, trying to sell a family memoir. She had wonderful vintage clothing on display, and many stopped to look at it. Sales, not so much, and she had piles of her single title on her table. I could feel her disappointment, but consoled her by saying many had picked up her bookmarks and might buy later. I don't bother with fancy displays much anymore--or cookies and candy giveaways. People swoop in, grab, and are on their way. One child with sticky fingers can do serious damage to your books. No, I have plenty of titles and the gift of gab, that's all.

     A nice perk of doing conventions is the availability of great exhibitor's lounges with free coffee and drinks, sandwiches, snacks, fruit, etc. Conventions centers will also have snack bars and perhaps even hot dog carts and restaurants.  You will not go hungry at these affairs. Again, not lots of sales, but fun meeting other authors. The time span might be very short, just an hour or two, to accommodate all who want to sign. Five minutes before your time ends, you will be reminded you must back up and leave in a hurry to let the next guy set up. This is another reason to have a simple setup. I can take mine down in a very short time. Setting up of course takes longer and eats into your time. Go simple.

     Though your time might be short, usually you can find a place to stow your stuff and enjoy some of the other exhibits. I once had a long conversation to a writer of medieval mysteries that I just loved. I stopped to get a signed copy and as she had no one else in line, we got to talk for quite some time. Yes, even midlist authors appreciate some attention. Give it too them if you have the time to spare.

     One last thought, if you can give a program or lecture, you will sell more books, but usually these slots are filled well in advance. Yet, do offer and have some talks prepared and a press kit ready to go. You never know when an opportunity will come your way.