When you see the word “makeover” does your mind immediately jump to holidays or changing seasons and the extra pounds you want to lose? Do you think of shopping for a new outfit? Maybe a new hair style? New make-up?
Doesn’t your manuscript deserve the same attention before you send it out to a publisher?
Instead of losing extra pounds, consider getting rid of lazy words and poor sentence construction.
New hair style? Think shorter sentences. Lop off those adverbs. You are cutting word count, but write tight.
New make-up? Thinking of trying a new font? A new format for your pages? Using color to add a touch of excitement to your submission?
WHY?
How many times have you heard, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig?”
Sloppy writing won’t improve with a new font. And you might make things worse. Don’t try to cover up your mistakes. Cull them.
And for the mistakes we don’t realize we’re making? Take classes, get a critique group, or grab this book…
NAME OF BOOK: MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER by Elizabeth Lyon
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: The title…don’t we all live in hope of saving a rejected manuscript?
LEARNED: Manuscripts are often sent out too soon.
WAS IT HELPFUL: [1]=Routine up to [5]=Ah ha Moment
5…scary almost
COLOR CODING: [underlined in a different color each time I’ve read] [1] a New Book… up to… [5] Trying to master
[1] This is a new book, with multiple colors and sticky tabs all over the place, so I’ll keep coming back to this book for reference.
TAKE AWAY: Do not send your manuscript out until you check through this book.
Have you read MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER? What do you think?
2 comments:
My problem when I first started writing is that I did believe my manuscripts were ready! As I look back, I realize they weren't. This sounds like a great book, Lis, but I believe writers have to reach a certain level before realizing we don't know it all--at least, I don't.
When I had written my first manuscript, I knew I needed some in-depth editing and actually hired Elizabeth Lyon to do it - it was pure chance, I saw her site on the Internet - and I know now it was like finding a gold nugget! She corrected everything I had written in such a wonderful way that I was all fired to re-write! Love her books - she knows her stuff all right!
Later, I found another writer friend (Margaret D. Elam) who corrected my mistakes so many times . . . there's nothing like a seasoned writer to make you better!
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