Editing Fiction III

Prerequisite: The editor must have taken both Editing Fiction I and II OR be commercially published in fiction. Substantive editing can take on several names: developmental, content, or “book doctoring.” Regardless of what you call it, a substantive editor must know what it takes to write a good work of fiction. In this course, we will discuss the following:   Job description: what are the responsibilities of a substantive/developmental editor? Content: comprehensive list of the distinctive fiction elements the editor must look for, and a short recap of the importance of each Style Sheets: more detailed than for a nonfiction book Author’s voice: how to recognize it and whether the author even has one; how to perform a substantive edit while maintaining the author’s unique voice Writing assessment: what it is and how to use it as an editing tool Fiction’s changing nature: New techniques are constantly being invented and honed, so editors must keep up with the current trends. You will be given a list of resources that will help you continue to learn and grow as a fiction editor, and you can give that list to your clients as necessary. Historical vs. contemporary: the differences in research each requires. What is the editor’s responsibility and how much of it belongs to the author? Fact-checking details. Setting your rates How to write an effective bid letter for a work of fiction. You’ll write a template letter that grabs the potential client’s attention and that can be saved and reused in your business. Author/editor relationship: When working with a fiction author, there are several things an editor needs to know. What to do if the level of editing asked for is not what the client needs How much “teaching” should you do when making suggestions for changes? We’ll discuss the use of flyers that you can send to your clients as tools for helping them understand the elements of fiction with which they are having difficulty understanding. When to offer a second edit Find something nice to say: Fiction authors can be insecure about their work. Offering submissions advice: when and how Follow-up after the project is completed Elements of the novel proposal   Click here to read what students have said about this course. Instructor Jeanne Marie Leach is the author of three fiction books and one non-fiction writers' help book. She is a full-time freelance editor, who lives in the mountains of Colorado with her husband of 33 years and their two large Alaskan Malamutes. She enjoys teaching workshops for beginning writers and has mentored numerous writers who have since gone on to win writing awards and are now published authors.     Eight lessons FEE: TCP Contributing Members $100 / Online-only members $110 / Nonmembers $130 Register for this course: e-mail Kathy Ide. Or go to PayPal and submit the course fee, using Kathy's e-mail address.