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January 2007 PEN Poll Results
In response to the question, "Did you set any professional goals for 2007?" voters responded as follows:
- 62 percent of the respondents have specific goals and a game plan to achieve them.
- 13 percent have goals but not a game plan.
- Interestingly, 0 percent claimed they had a plan but had not followed it.
- 6 percent feel they are where they want to be and have not set goals.
- No one credits not setting goals (staying flexible) with his or her success.
- 6 percent would like to set goals, but feel their lives are too hectic to add the additional pressure.
- 13 percent of respondents asked, "What is a goal?" We thank them for making us smile.
Not all voters provided a comment. Of those who did, one anonymous writer listed specific goals: being sensitive to the author's voice, giving positive encouragement, and pointing out the strengths in each author's work.
- A second anonymous respondent gave us a great insight into his or her thinking as follows:
- [I have specific goals and a game plan] if a commitment to x amount of work a day qualifies as goals and game plan in one. I haven't really included "exactly where I want to be in 12 months" in the game plan, partly because if I plan too long-term, I tend to overestimate my abilities and underestimate the inevitable happenings and frustrations that affect a schedule.
This writer believes the poll results might have been more effective if the following additional questions had been asked:
- Do you write down your goals?
- How many goals do you set at a time? In how many categories?
- How far in advance do you plan? Do you have one-month goals? Six months? A year? Ten years?
- What criteria do you use in goal setting?
While it's too late to change the poll, we encourage PEN members consider these questions.
- Heidi Tower, of Strong Tower Publishing, inspired us to think about our priorities when she wrote:
- My goal for 2007 is the same as it's been for all the years before -- reduce my hours while keeping my income the same. One step I've taken toward this goal is quoting both copy editing and developmental editing services, instead of quoting copy editing and then giving developmental editing at the copy editing price. I now give two sample edits -- the standard copy editing sample and an abbreviated developmental editing sample, giving both prices and explaining the difference between them.
- I choose the projects I bid on carefully, however, only choosing the projects for which I feel that I bring something unique to the table, and to my surprise, all of the authors whose projects I've bid on have chosen developmental editing. This has allowed me to take fewer projects and enjoy them more because I'm finally getting paid for the time I actually put in. I'm also finding that I'm doing more repeat work for the same clients or that I have the promise of repeat work in the near future.
But it was Jeanne Marie Leach www.jeannemarieleach.com/ who wrapped up the issue with her encouraging words to all PEN members:
- When I returned a 100,000 word fiction book that I edited professionally, I included a style sheet and some comments. I noted that the first half of the book needed much more editing than the second half.
- The author answered my note via e-mail. "Interesting," she wrote. "The first half has been through two critique groups and one paid critique, while the second half I just wrote on my own with no help."
- While I agree that critiques can be helpful, oftentimes a beginning writer doesn't know the ins and outs of good writing. This makes them vulnerable to every change someone else suggests. I've known someone who repeatedly changed everything another writer suggested, including eventually changing some things back to the way the author had originally written a particular scene.
- Just because someone can critique doesn't mean they should critique someone else's work. It wasn't until after joining TCP that I realized the importance of having a professional editor scrutinize one's writing.
- Do your best to preset yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15, NIV)
- We must study the Word of God so we can understand what it means and how to present it truthfully to others. Similarly, we must study our craft of editing so that we will best be able to help others get their message of hope to the masses through good writing.
- We aren't in this business solely to make money by doing what we love to do. We are helping others effectively minister what is on their hearts.
Thank you, Jeanne Marie; we couldn't have said it better ourselves!
Note: One of the many benefits of joining the Christian PEN as a contributing member is our quarterly e-newsletter, PEN POINTS, chock full of leads, articles, news, and tips.
Contributing members may submit articles for the newsletter, which can include links to their Web sites and/or e-mail addresses.
All contributing members are eligible to be the "featured editor."
For more information, click here.
To view the results from the October, 2006 poll, click here.
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