Get the Support You Need
How do you get the support you need as a writer? Well, here’s how to know when it’s not the support you need.
Get the Support You Need: A Little Horror Story
When I was an acquisitions editor, I heard from an author who wanted to pull her book from publication because her friends had found a bunch of errors in the ARC (that’s the Advanced Reading Copy of a book, which is sent out to reviewers before the book is published).
Of course, I was concerned, as I had seen nothing but a handful of typos typical of an ARC and asked if the friends could provide further information about what they’d seen.
They couldn’t because it was just a joke—a little prank they were playing on the author, who was absolutely devastated by what they did.
This story still haunts me years later.
If you can’t be happy for your friend’s success, then just STFU.
If your friends can’t be happy for your success, and they can’t STFU, then you need new friends.
Tips for Editors & Writers
Learning How to Read
Learning how to read is a crucial skill for developmental story editors. Years ago, I was teaching a university lit class that all new freshmen were required to take. For one reason or another, Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” was on the syllabus. All of the students had encountered this poem before, and all…
Your Year-End Review
This time of year, things slow down at Club Ed and I have time to reflect on the past year. I always learn a new lesson or two. This year, the lesson was “simplify.” It may not look like it when you see all of the classes available on Club Ed, but we’ve streamlined a…
Simplifying Your Editorial Business
In June, a plugin conflict caused the Club Ed website to crash. This was after a server problem took it offline for a weekend and we had to switch hosts. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Having Club Ed offline not only costs money but greatly inconveniences students. The website developer said,…
