MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why don't people use professional copy editors?

WPotocki · 10-21-2010, 07:38 PM

I don't think it boils down to one neat reason. Cost certainly is a consideration, but not the only reason.

I think linking and partnering with an editor that understands you as a writer is paramount. Otherwise, you have someone pecking away, putting commas where they don't belong and messing with dialog that shouldn't be correct - or corrected. How many people do you know that speak like Shakespeare? Yeah, me, neither.

Yes, the narrative should be consistent with the standards alive and well in the English language - but wait! Not always. Sometimes the narrative is composed entirely with the thoughts of the self-same character that is not Willie S. - or even will.i.am. If the same character that doesn't speak properly is thinking, chances are - he's doing it the same way! He's not going to turn into Hemingway just because his thoughts are not audible. In this case, the dialog should be raw - and left to be raw. Liken it to being French and only knowing that language .... do you think this native Frenchman is going to think in Swahili?

I think another aspect is that there is always an antagonist positioning of artist and earthly rules. We like to break them - invent our own rules. Heck, we invent our own worlds! Let's face it, we're downright unruly about protecting our individual voices - or in my case - the voice of my muse. I don't want it tampered with - she wouldn't like it.

I do have a wonderfully simpatico editor right now. She understands my craziness and gives my characters the right to speak - badly. She always changes and moves furniture - and I trust her - sort of.

But really, any writer should have someone look over their work. It's impossible to catch your own mistakes. Just make sure it's someone that likes the genre you write and that makes an effort to enhance the tea you've started to steep.

10-21-2010, 07:38 PM	#95
WPotocki Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 399622 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NYC Device: none	I don't think it boils down to one neat reason. Cost certainly is a consideration, but not the only reason. I think linking and partnering with an editor that understands you as a writer is paramount. Otherwise, you have someone pecking away, putting commas where they don't belong and messing with dialog that shouldn't be correct - or corrected. How many people do you know that speak like Shakespeare? Yeah, me, neither. Yes, the narrative should be consistent with the standards alive and well in the English language - but wait! Not always. Sometimes the narrative is composed entirely with the thoughts of the self-same character that is not Willie S. - or even will.i.am. If the same character that doesn't speak properly is thinking, chances are - he's doing it the same way! He's not going to turn into Hemingway just because his thoughts are not audible. In this case, the dialog should be raw - and left to be raw. Liken it to being French and only knowing that language .... do you think this native Frenchman is going to think in Swahili? I think another aspect is that there is always an antagonist positioning of artist and earthly rules. We like to break them - invent our own rules. Heck, we invent our own worlds! Let's face it, we're downright unruly about protecting our individual voices - or in my case - the voice of my muse. I don't want it tampered with - she wouldn't like it. I do have a wonderfully simpatico editor right now. She understands my craziness and gives my characters the right to speak - badly. She always changes and moves furniture - and I trust her - sort of. But really, any writer should have someone look over their work. It's impossible to catch your own mistakes. Just make sure it's someone that likes the genre you write and that makes an effort to enhance the tea you've started to steep.