Shawna Hunter's Blog - Posts Tagged "editing"
Its not easy to face a mistake
To the people who took the time to message me about issues they've found in my recent books:
I want you to know that I heard you. It wasn't an easy thing to hear but I appreciate your taking the time to not only let me know but to cite specific examples. I have had a rough few months for a variety of reasons but through it all I've been working hard to get these issues fixed. I have already sent off the corrections for 6s and 7s and A Girl Named Flower and I should have By Right of Conquest complete by the end of the week. I want to thank my publishers for their understanding and their willingness to address these problems during a busy time for them as well. I will let you all know as soon as I have confirmation that the updates are complete accross the various platforms where my books are available. Please note: There are no changes to the plots of these stories. Everything readers have loved is untouched. These are corrections to minor spelling and grammar issues only.
I want you to know that I heard you. It wasn't an easy thing to hear but I appreciate your taking the time to not only let me know but to cite specific examples. I have had a rough few months for a variety of reasons but through it all I've been working hard to get these issues fixed. I have already sent off the corrections for 6s and 7s and A Girl Named Flower and I should have By Right of Conquest complete by the end of the week. I want to thank my publishers for their understanding and their willingness to address these problems during a busy time for them as well. I will let you all know as soon as I have confirmation that the updates are complete accross the various platforms where my books are available. Please note: There are no changes to the plots of these stories. Everything readers have loved is untouched. These are corrections to minor spelling and grammar issues only.
I am an author again
Authors need good editors. Wearing both hats is so hard. I am a story person. I focus on interesting characters and compelling narratives. Searching through a story for every typo, spelling mistake, comma in the right/wrong place...being an editor, generally, harms my love of reading. There is a reason I never majored in literature studies. That burn out is too great a burden.
That said, I have had to wear the editor's hat for the last 6 months. I've been working with a new publisher and we were not fully in synch when my recent books were put through. As such, many minor issues got through the editing process which great readers were good enough to bring to my attention. Taking responsibility I resolved to go through each book line by line, word by word, punctuation by bloody gosh darn &*%*%^&!!!! punctuation to correct every issue.
I have finally finished. The correction lists have been sent to the publisher so that they can correct the master copies of each manuscript and those books can be everything you deserve them to be.
With this painful chapter closed I can also, finally, put the author cap back on. I have had 2 WIPs in limbo, refusing to push forward until the mess I've made has been cleaned up. I find myself nervous. This journey has left me questioning my own talent and worthiness. I know that I like the stories I'm crafting but am I good enough to tell them? Is it worth the effort? I don't like that feeling one bit. I write because I love to write. In the end that's all I get out of it. My books have yet to turn a profit and have a very small fan base. They are, however, something that gets me out of bed in the morning, that makes me want to work on them no matter how I'm feeling.
So I'll write, having learned form this experience, and if new mistakes happen then I'll correct them. Maybe I'm good enough to tell these stories and maybe I'm not but I won't know until I try. I'm an author. I tell stories. The rest? I guess I'll just have to figure that out as I go.
That said, I have had to wear the editor's hat for the last 6 months. I've been working with a new publisher and we were not fully in synch when my recent books were put through. As such, many minor issues got through the editing process which great readers were good enough to bring to my attention. Taking responsibility I resolved to go through each book line by line, word by word, punctuation by bloody gosh darn &*%*%^&!!!! punctuation to correct every issue.
I have finally finished. The correction lists have been sent to the publisher so that they can correct the master copies of each manuscript and those books can be everything you deserve them to be.
With this painful chapter closed I can also, finally, put the author cap back on. I have had 2 WIPs in limbo, refusing to push forward until the mess I've made has been cleaned up. I find myself nervous. This journey has left me questioning my own talent and worthiness. I know that I like the stories I'm crafting but am I good enough to tell them? Is it worth the effort? I don't like that feeling one bit. I write because I love to write. In the end that's all I get out of it. My books have yet to turn a profit and have a very small fan base. They are, however, something that gets me out of bed in the morning, that makes me want to work on them no matter how I'm feeling.
So I'll write, having learned form this experience, and if new mistakes happen then I'll correct them. Maybe I'm good enough to tell these stories and maybe I'm not but I won't know until I try. I'm an author. I tell stories. The rest? I guess I'll just have to figure that out as I go.
