writing contest and all you’ve ever wanted to ask an editor but didn’t.

Happy Friday everyone. Today I’d like to introduce you to Carin Siegfried editor extraordinaire. This woman knows her stuff. She is a complete editing and publishing resource.

According to Carin, the world of publishing is certainly in flux these days, and it’s always helpful to have a knowledgeable guide to lead the way. A former book editor at St. Martin’s Press, she is able to provide assistance to writers on a number of levels. No matter where you are in the publishing process, and no matter where you want to go, from consulting, editing, copyediting, and proofreading, Carin Siegfried Editorial is a full-service independent editorial boutique to help you make your book the very best.

I had very selfish reasons for interviewing Carin. I am at that stage of the novel writing game where I need editorial help. And I know my grammar isn’t the best, and I know my book could use a professional once over and I know I like writing lists of three and they may get annoying to read chapter after chapter hence the need for editorial assistance. But what kind? I wasn’t sure what questions to ask an editor when interviewing them to help me. So I went to a trusted source. I just so happen to be the new Secretary for the Charlotte Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. Carin is a past President. Talk about Kismet.

I tucked away any embarrassment I had about being ignorant about editing and asked her if she was interested in being interviewed. She said, “Yes!” Don’t we all wish we would hear yes more often?

So here you go.  A little background information about Carin Siegfried. For more detailed information please visit her site at www.cseditorial.com. 

1. Have you always loved books? What was your first favorite? Has it stood the test of time?

Yes, I’ve always loved books. I taught myself to read when I was about 3, and haven’t stopped since. I remember once as a child sitting outside in the yard reading (Mom could make me go outside but she couldn’t make me play!) and I was so enraptured by my book that I didn’t notice I got 3 bee stings (I apparently sat in the middle of a large clump of clover) until I went back inside when I was done reading.

Hm, my memory doesn’t quite go back far enough to say what was my first favorite, so I’d probably have to go with the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My parents were reading the books to me and my younger sister when our baby sister was born (name: Laura!) and I read them all over and over again. As an adult I usually reread only the last 4 but a couple of years ago, thanks to Shelf Discovery by Lizzie Skurnick, I was inspired to reread all of them, including Farmer Boy, which I am not sure that I ever reread. These books are all totally still amazing.

2. Tell us about the WNBA.

I first joined the Nashville chapter about 14 years ago when I worked at Ingram, and then I was a member of the New York chapter when I worked at St. Martin’s Press.  When I moved to Charlotte, there was no chapter here, and aside from at work, I was having a lot of trouble meeting fellow bookish people, so I decided to form a chapter here, too, which was founded in 2009.  The Women’s National Book Association has been around for 95 years now, and my favorite thing about it is that it’s a big umbrella group. Yes, there are groups for authors and publicists and even editors. In places like New York, there are even more specialized groups, such as for book production and copyeditors and the like. Librarians have their own groups, and children’s writers and illustrators.  But the WNBA is here for all!  In fact, you don’t even have to fit into any of these categories – it is not limited to people who work in the book world professionally. The only qualification is that you have to love books. (You don’t even need to be a woman.) Because of this, there’s a great diversity of backgrounds and interests which I think is great. I’ve always been very interested in learning new things and looking at things from new angles, and having everyone, from teachers to agents to readers, all together opens my eyes to new topics, new issues, and new ways of seeing the world of books. There are 10 chapters around the country so there’s probably one near you, but if there isn’t, you can start your own chapter too!  Just contact me and I can help.

3. Do you enjoy being an editor more than writing?

Oh yes. I haven’t written anything since college and looking back, it was all dreck. In fact, I’m afraid to look at it. Once big reason I decided to be an editor instead is that my writing wasn’t up to my own standards. Also when I took a college creative writing class, my classmates were much, much more enthusiastic about my editing skills than my writing skills, and in fact that didn’t mention anyone else’s editing skills at all. I have always had a very critical and analytical mind, and luckily I was raised to believe that you’re not allowed to complain about something without being willing to do something to fix it. That means my criticism is very constructive. I try to suggest a solution, not just point out a problem. 

4. What is your relationship like with publishing houses now? 

Since leaving New York, I switched to the sales side of the business, so while I do know a lot of people at publishing houses, they’re mostly in the Sales Departments these days, not so many in Editorial anymore. But the work I do doesn’t require publishing contacts so it’s just as well. I do sometimes help authors with submitting their manuscripts, but that’s a matter of researching literary agents – the agents are the ones who know the editors who are acquiring. That said, if there’s a new book coming out I’m desperate to get and don’t want to pay for it, I usually still have someone I can call for a comp copy, but I don’t do that often. I usually buy them retail these days!

5. Do you believe your experiences with publishers helps you work with writers? Can you help a writer target their book to a specific publisher?

It does help incredibly as I know what an acquiring editor is looking for. I know that how you present your work counts, that your potential marketing and publicity plans are important, that a prestigious agent, while not a must, can be helpful. I can explain to a client the time frame of publishing and why everything takes so long. I can explain about a publishing contract and how agents and editors work together. I am a big proponent of agents, so I generally wouldn’t help craft a book to a publisher, but a query letter should always be tweaked to appeal to a particular agent, once you’re done your homework. Not to mention, while a query or a proposal can be targeted, I don’t think a book should be. I think an author should write the book that is in them, and the right agent/editor/publishing house will come along. Yes, it’s rarely right away – just like with dating it takes time and kissing a lot of frogs, but it’s worth it to find The One.

 6. What’s your take on the state of books?

Books are doing great. If it’s more publishing you mean, well it’s in flux, but it always is.  The end of “publishing as we know it” has been heralded scores of times, from the advent of mass markets to audios to paperbacks to CD-roms (yes, really), and yet they all (except CD-roms) co-exist happily. I think the same will be true for ebooks. (To read a funny history of “the end of publishing”, check out Shelf Awareness, “Deeper Understanding” from Jan 8, 2010: http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ar/theshelf/2010-01-08/robert_gray_publishing_trends_of_futures_past.html) It will take a while to shake down, 20 years or more (this is not an industry known to quickly embrace new technology), and yes I think traditional publishing might end up being smaller, but the audience will have realized in the meantime that many of the services traditional publishing provides (editing, copyediting, proofreading, design, marketing, promotion) are difficult to forgo, and good books will be harder to find, harder to read, and harder to hear about. Yes, they do currently serve as gatekeepers, but there are over 250,000 books published each year by traditional publishers, so the majority of those not published aren’t overlooked gems. Meanwhile, some self-publishing authors are being smart and are actually getting their own editors, copyeditor, proofreaders, designers, and so on. Thanks to them, I am keeping very busy, and I think the world of self-publishing will stay strong and find more success. I don’t know that it will go back to its heyday, when Dickens and so many other classic authors self-published, but it’s out of the doldrums of the 1980’s vanity publishing fraudsters.

7. Please help us new writers understand the various editorial services at our disposal. 

What do these mean: 

            Consultation

Primarily this is query letter or book proposal preparation.  I provide assistance with submitting to appropriate agents and/or publishers, including answering questions such as: What do agents and publishing house editors look for in a manuscript? I will lay out the entire editorial process to prepare the writer for the many steps, including potential pitfalls to avoid. I bring a knowledge of what sells, how to find your niche, what genres are popular, and so on. I also assist with self-publishing, including finding designers and other professionals to create a finished book or eBook, getting an ISBN, and registering copyright.

   developmental edit

Looking at the big picture, at problems with plot, character, pacing, point of view, and endings. So I would address issues such as character motivation, making sure all major characters are fully fleshed out, watching for plot holes, and being sure all threads are wrapped up in the end. For nonfiction, this involves fleshing out the idea, outlining, research, and competitive analysis.

   line edit

Working on the nuts and bolts of the book including dialogue, word choice, flow, and language. This would include things like fixing passive verbs, cutting down on adverb usage, being sure verb tense is correct and consistent throughout, and improving clarity. Frequently I will do a combo of developmental and line editing together.

        copy edit

Create a style guide, which is a listing of all words that might be tricky, including all proper nouns and compound words, and I check proper nouns for accuracy, particularly when it comes to trademarks. Copyediting catches spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors; cleans-up complicated writing; ensures consistency and accuracy, all according to the Chicago Manual of Style.

    proof read

Catch last minute typos and errors, so you put out a flawless product. For proofreading, a manuscript should have already been copyedited and formatted. New errors can appear in the formatting process so it’s important that the proof read come at the very end.

and how does one determine what they need?

Well the descriptions above should help – the last two are very different so those are easy to pin down. The first two overlap quite a bit, which is a reason I frequently do them simultaneously. If you’ve done a lot of editing, a lot of workshopping, have had a lot of critical reads – and I mean critical – and are very sure of the story, you can probably skip the developmental edit. Although it still can’t hurt to have a professional look at it, and if your manuscript is very clean, it won’t cost much as the charge is hourly.  If you just finished writing and hardly anyone has looked at it, and those who did only gave praise, a developmental edit is where I would begin. Copyediting is for when you’re ready to publish, and so that’s only if you’re going the self-publishing route. Otherwise a traditional publisher has your book copyedited, and proofread themselves (at their expense.)

Submit your work to the 1st Annual WNBA Writing Contest!

Submissions open from May 1st to November 1st. Fiction entries judged by Valerie Martin award-winning author of 9 novels, 3 short story collections, and one biography. Poetry entries judged by Julie Kane, Poet Laureate of Louisiana.

Check out the guidelines and prizes at www.wnba-books.org/contest

Interview with Anne Hicks, Executive Editor & Publisher

Welcome Southern Writers blog tour and ICLW. This week is an exciting one for me. I’ll be posting interviews with people that I’ve met and who have influenced me. Best of all, we are all Southerners!

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Anne Hicks. She is the Executive Ediotr and Publisher of moonShine review. I met her about a year ago when I read at the 2011 moonShine review publishing party. Anne and the other editors liked my writing. They helped boost my confidence by publishing my short story, Wolf a Modern Tale in moonshine review 2011 spring/summer edition. It’s about the big bad wolf getting out of jail early for good behavior and his young neighbor who dreams of becoming his next victim. I originally wrote it ten years ago. Wolf reminded me that all I ever wanted to do was write. Anne’s keen eye and generosity has helped my dream come true. Anne also published my short story 888-555-WING Infomercial in the fall/winter 2011 issue of moonShine review. I hope to be lucky enough to keep contributing. I think it’s rare to find someone who gets you and hears a writer’s voice as well as Anne does.

BIO:  Anne M. Hicks, a resident of Charlotte, NC, for 20 years, is an editor by trade and the founder, publisher, and executive editor of the creative prose and photography journal, moonShine review, which is now in its eighth year of publication.

She is also the author of Floating a Full Boat, a collection of her own poetry and photography.  Her writing has been published in several magazines and journals, including Pearl, Thrift Poetic Arts Journal, and Kakalak Anthology of Carolina Poets.

1. What made you decide to publish a literary journal?

I suppose you could call it fate that I began publishing moonShine review.  In 2000, I was looking for a creative outlet for my own writing and found that Charlotte actually had a very extensive writing community and support network.  I first became involved by attending open-mic readings and assisting a friend with her poetry journal.  As a writer of prose and poetry, I realized poets had more opportunities in the region among the independent publishers.  At the time, I couldn’t imagine being a publisher, but I knew there was a need for a creative prose journal.  The more I talked about it, the more my friends encouraged me.

The idea finally coalesced one night while I was explaining to another writer how I wanted to produce more than a creative prose and photography journal — I wanted writers to come together, through their stories, to speak in a kind of unity, and I wanted to highlight photography that would further unite the writing.  For me, it was never about specifying a theme for an issue but rather seeing how the submissions came together naturally.  In my first Editor’s Note, I put it this way:  “Away from the harshness of daylight, promises are made, bodies come together, words are spoken that can never be taken back — and the creative process thrives. This journal is about what speaks to you in the moonlight, and it is about the shadows cast in mind and memory.  For only in the darkness do we show all of ourselves.”

Eight years later, this still holds true for me and what moonShine review stands for.  And we still thrive as a publication because of all the wonderful artists who contribute.

2. What’s the most rewarding part of publishing?

The most rewarding part of all is holding the latest, printed issue of moonShine review in my hands.  That’s when the culmination of all our work — my editors and I working as a team, the authors’ words, and the wonderful photography — speaks to me as a whole.  It feels very much like a birth each time.  A close second is the reward of developing relationships with our contributors.  I’ve gained many friendships over the years as a result of publishing moonShine.

3. What is the most frustrating part of publishing?

It’s most frustrating keeping the budget in check at all times since I love the creative process but hate the financials.  If I had unlimited funds, then more photography would be in color, and every issue would be bigger.  As it is, I hate having to decline some stories because we just don’t have the room.  On the bright side, that does make us work harder to make sure the stories fit together well.

4. How often do you write?

Not nearly often enough!  I must admit that I wrote every spare moment I had when I was in my twenties, then I slacked off greatly in my thirties, and now I’m getting back on track in my forties.  I think, as writers, we all go through periods when it’s hard to find the time and energy to sit down and create — especially if our full-time jobs aren’t as writers.  But when the inspiration and the timing come together all at once, it’s a miraculous experience for me that motivates me to work at it.  Thankfully, that has happened more often in recent years.  And I have to give great credit to the two writers’ groups I’ve joined.  They really keep me on track and encouraged through their feedback and sharing of their own writing.

5. What’s it like to connect with another writer and help them create a better work of fiction?

It’s extremely gratifying to work with other writers and offer feedback that helps better their writing.  I’ve worked with fiction authors as well as poets and non-fiction writers, and each time we become more than two individuals with opinions.  I think we become a real team — bouncing ideas for improvement back and forth, sometimes even taking a piece and finding a whole new direction for it.  It’s very important to me as an editor that the author’s work shine, and I know that happens best when a writer and I listen to each other carefully.  Of course, that means offering suggestions for enhancing the piece and making grammatical corrections, but the process also includes discovering, or recognizing, that particular writer’s talent and understanding how to highlight that.

6. I think you have great insight into my creative mind. I am always blown away how you can take my work and help me say what I meant to say. Have you always had this talent?

Thanks, I suppose I always have relied on my intuition, though it took me a little while to realize that and to trust my instincts fully.  When I first started editing full-time, I thought I needed to have all the answers and know all the grammatical rules.  I’ve always placed emphasis on being grammatically correct and reviewing carefully for consistency and plausibility — that stuff is very important and contributes to the polish that gets a writer noticed, for good or bad.

But it’s the voice an individual writer creates that captures my interest the most and allows me that “insight” as you call it.  I don’t read any individual’s work the same way or try to place writers within any category.  Rather, I put myself within that person’s writing perspective and then go from there.  I’m lucky in that the writers I work with have such individual writing styles and create unusual voices that are easy to get into.  I may find some similarities from one author to the next, but each one is still essentially unique.  From there, I’ve found it’s really important to ask questions and let the author and my instincts guide me.

7. How do you think literary journals will survive in the digital publishing world?

Actually, I see the digital publishing world as an exciting frontier for independent publishers.  Digital publishing has opened up avenues for those that found printed journals just too costly to consider starting.  We already have several quality literary e-journals out there, and I expect more will develop as digital publishing becomes the mainstream.

I do hope and believe that readers still want the word literally “in print” — we writers, at least, like the enjoyment of holding that book too much to let it go completely.  I see some literary journals, like moonShine review, offering both print and online versions in the future.  But there is the very real problem of publishers and writers being compensated monetarily for publishing online.  So much is offered free or at an extremely discounted cost currently.  Until that issue is truly addressed, I don’t think we’ll break the paradigm that online publishing is somehow not as “valid” as being published in a printed journal.  Still, for new and aspiring writers (and those not trying to make a living from writing), e-journals are even now a great resource for being published.