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editing

Asta’s Annotations: How to Make Your Editor (and Yourself) Happy

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Asta's AnnotationsGreetings! My name is Asta, and welcome to my new column Asta’s Annotations.

Since this is my first time posting, allow me to introduce my column and myself. I am a published author of both mainstream (Nicki J. Markus) and LGBT (Asta Idonea) fiction. I am also a qualified freelance editor, working mainly on LGBT manuscripts. I’ll be posting a monthly column at Queer Sci-Fi in which I’ll cover a range of topics. However, my primary focus will be on tips and tricks for writers and style discussions. Wearing my editor hat, I’ll also offer some advice on preparing your manuscript/submission, and that’s where I thought I’d start today. All my posts will draw on my personal experience. It may be that my tips won’t suit everyone, but even if they aren’t for you, I hope they’ll offer a springboard to help you find your personal style and preference. So, without further ado….

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Angel’s Bits – A Parliament of Edits

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Edits. Those things where someone who is not the author gets to mark up the manuscript with red pen, er, track changes. (Sometimes those are also red.) Depending on the length of story and the purpose of publication (and the publisher) the process can vary wildly. But there is a hierarchy and a purpose to each step and type of edit. Sometimes an author gets to see them all (poor author) and sometimes parts of the process are folded together. A quick rundown of what you may encounter in your visit to the edit chamber: Developmental or content edits: Your … Read more

Finding Beta Readers

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Beta cat

Today’s topic comes form QSFer Jon Keys – how do we find good beta readers for our work? It’s a question many newer authors have – we’re told again and again that it’s not enough for us to proof our own work, that we need an outside eye to help us catch things we might miss – typos, errors, and general confusion in places that seem clear to us as the authors. So my questions today: How do you find your beta readers? Are you one, and if so, how do you approach this delicate work? What makes a good … Read more