(Hang on, this does have something about writing in it) I’m taking the plunge this week into the
scary world of cable company whole house Wi-Fi.
I feel like I’m cheating on a friend.
I’ve been a loyal AT&T user my entire life. My father was a lifelong employee of
AT&T. I inherited the AT&T
gene. But it’s time for change.
And it’s not just AT&T that I’m abandoning. I’m also booting DIRECTV. Again, a loyal customer for more than 10
years but I can’t stand the service now that I live in Florida. With every storm the system goes down. The foliage grows so fast that we have to
trim constantly to clear a path for the dish. Way too much trouble.
So off I venture into these uncharted waters. And I’m dragging my technology-challenged
husband with me. He’s very afraid. He doesn’t do change well and he resists
having to learn channel changes and all things associated with switching
systems. Too bad. I am the technology queen, so we’re doing it
my way. And I’m saving a ton of
money. We already have cable and a dish,
so dumping one of them will make my wallet happy.
Change can be good. I’ve
learned to embrace change. I’ve had 17
editors in 20 years. I’m not a problem
child, I’m just the fertility goddess of editors. I even had dinner with someone else’s editor
and she ended up pregnant. But I’m on a
roll now. I’ve had the same editor for 2
years. A first for me. The problem with the editor mambo is being
orphaned to someone who didn’t buy you.
She/he may not like what you’re writing.
That’s always a risk. But it’s
only happened to me once and that was enough.
Now I know to ask the new editor if she/he wants any changes before I
turn in the book. I want them to feel as
if they’ve had input so they’ll be a little attached to the project. It seems to work well that way. At least it has for me.
But what do you do if you and your editor are a bad match? That happens and it can be very frustrating. Well, solution one id to ask to be placed
with another editor. Sometimes that can
get you labeled a diva, sometimes the editor is relieved to have you
switch. But remember, sometimes the
devil you know is better than the alternative.
I’m a fan of suck it up. If I
have a less than wonderful relationship with an editor, I normally just ask
myself one question – is she/he still buying my work? If the answer is yes, then I keep my head
down and just do my job. If, however,
your editor is rejecting all your proposals, you’ve got a problem. Then it’s definitely time to editor
shop. Time is money in this
business. If your editor is dragging
her/his heels and keeping you from making sales, then you have to rethink your
priorities.
The above scenario is, IMHO, the best reason in the world to
have an agent. Your agent can normally
negotiate you over to another editor and you don’t come off as a whiner. Plus, your agent has a vested interest in you
making a sale. Commissions are their livelihood
so they want you working. And don’t
forget, your agent knows the editors and can probably steer you toward the
right editor for you. I, for example,
want a hefty edit. I want each book to
be the best it can be so I want it to be scrutinized by someone else. I’m not so attached to my own words that I’m
unwilling to make a change. Most editors
I’ve worked with really want the book to succeed. Their input is the best thing to happen to
your work. A friend once reminded me
that the book wasn’t being released with a tape of what I meant it to be but
rather what was on the page. Sometimes I
drop a thread or fail to tie up a lose end and those are the kinds of things a
good editor will spot. Many editors are
nice enough to offer suggestions for a revision. I like that too. I may not use the suggestion but it will get
me thinking about possible ways to revise.
Revisions are not the enemy.
Embrace change. Learn from it and
move forward.
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