A writer's ego is a unique thing. At once as delicate as a bright blue robin's egg exposed to elements and predators, but as resilient as those giant rubber bands you have to rassle off the stem of broccoli. As in need of constant nurturing from fans, family and friends as it is of going it alone into the daily fray of competitions, promotions and deadlines.
We are artists, after all and you KNOW what they say about "artist temperament" -- that it is a disease that affects only amateurs. I disagree, of course. We all have it. What point you are in the "process" of bringing your art to the people determines how much you let the temperament fly. Take for example the submission/acceptance/rejection process with publishing companies.
While I realize this stage is one that many choose to skip, going instead the self-pub route, a snake pit of a topic my dear colleague and compatriot Sascha poked enthusiastically with a long stick a few weeks ago on this very page, I am still electing to subject myself to the whims and vagaries of chance with regard to that step. I admire you if you self publish. I choose not to. End of that line of conversation.
So, I am officially an "in-house" author for several publishers, and used that to leverage a little creative energy towards a new work about six weeks or so ago, cranking out what I, in my "artist's lizard brain" deemed worthy. But woe to my ego, as it bubbled and swelled as I did said cranking of character and story line, telling myself "this rocks" and "easy-A for me."
Did a quick spit and polish on it, had a trusty beta reader help me flesh out a few characters and pat me on the head and I hit "send" confident that I, the "in-house author" and sheer creative genius worthy of Pulitzers and movie deals had smacked YET ANOTHER one out of the proverbial park.
Yeah.
No.
And here is the thing. As I watched a newbie go through a submission and rejection process this week, I gave advice, you know, because I'm such a non-rookie myself. And then the karma fairy decided I needed a Serious Smack Down and dealt me one. But instead of the day-long weeping/wailing/gnashing of teeth that USED to ensue after such a blow, I had instead, an epiphany. I gave advice I did not take. I rushed a WIP to submission, skipping a couple of crucial steps and by-golly my savvy editor caught it.
Take it back, she says. Read it again, find your repetitives, your passives, and your bad habits because they are plentiful. Get it beta read AGAIN for plot and timing issues. You are good. But you are not that good, yet.
So as I spent about fifteen minutes letting the squirrel ravish my pretty light blue shell of an ego, I read the email again. "Don't feel bad." I saw. And you know what, I didn't. She was right. I didn't follow my own sage advice and paid the price all rookies pay: the gentle pat-on-the-head reminder that there are approximately 1.6 million of me out there, scribbling away on our masterpieces, and the other 1,599,999 of them took the right steps to prep their manuscripts before submission because, you know, they took the "Liz Crowe Sage Advice About What To Do Before Submission" seminar that I must have slept through.
So I have rounded up a new set of Betas, and am spending a couple of days doing the repetition/passive voice search and am sending it out. No Deadlines. Just let it reflect not only my rubber-bandy resiliency but also my willingness to accept criticism of my work and use it to make it better. You know--that thing they call The Good Editor's Job.
If your editor does nothing but praise you, hell if your editor praises you much at ALL for anything other than how quickly you turn work around to them, it is time to find a new editor.
Thank you for reminding me.
cheers
Liz
P.S. I have had a cool re-release this week: Vegas Miracle, a hot menage romance!
buy it: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vegasmiracle-786872-146.html
gawk at its amazing new cover:
We are artists, after all and you KNOW what they say about "artist temperament" -- that it is a disease that affects only amateurs. I disagree, of course. We all have it. What point you are in the "process" of bringing your art to the people determines how much you let the temperament fly. Take for example the submission/acceptance/rejection process with publishing companies.
While I realize this stage is one that many choose to skip, going instead the self-pub route, a snake pit of a topic my dear colleague and compatriot Sascha poked enthusiastically with a long stick a few weeks ago on this very page, I am still electing to subject myself to the whims and vagaries of chance with regard to that step. I admire you if you self publish. I choose not to. End of that line of conversation.
So, I am officially an "in-house" author for several publishers, and used that to leverage a little creative energy towards a new work about six weeks or so ago, cranking out what I, in my "artist's lizard brain" deemed worthy. But woe to my ego, as it bubbled and swelled as I did said cranking of character and story line, telling myself "this rocks" and "easy-A for me."
Did a quick spit and polish on it, had a trusty beta reader help me flesh out a few characters and pat me on the head and I hit "send" confident that I, the "in-house author" and sheer creative genius worthy of Pulitzers and movie deals had smacked YET ANOTHER one out of the proverbial park.
Yeah.
No.
And here is the thing. As I watched a newbie go through a submission and rejection process this week, I gave advice, you know, because I'm such a non-rookie myself. And then the karma fairy decided I needed a Serious Smack Down and dealt me one. But instead of the day-long weeping/wailing/gnashing of teeth that USED to ensue after such a blow, I had instead, an epiphany. I gave advice I did not take. I rushed a WIP to submission, skipping a couple of crucial steps and by-golly my savvy editor caught it.
Take it back, she says. Read it again, find your repetitives, your passives, and your bad habits because they are plentiful. Get it beta read AGAIN for plot and timing issues. You are good. But you are not that good, yet.
So as I spent about fifteen minutes letting the squirrel ravish my pretty light blue shell of an ego, I read the email again. "Don't feel bad." I saw. And you know what, I didn't. She was right. I didn't follow my own sage advice and paid the price all rookies pay: the gentle pat-on-the-head reminder that there are approximately 1.6 million of me out there, scribbling away on our masterpieces, and the other 1,599,999 of them took the right steps to prep their manuscripts before submission because, you know, they took the "Liz Crowe Sage Advice About What To Do Before Submission" seminar that I must have slept through.
So I have rounded up a new set of Betas, and am spending a couple of days doing the repetition/passive voice search and am sending it out. No Deadlines. Just let it reflect not only my rubber-bandy resiliency but also my willingness to accept criticism of my work and use it to make it better. You know--that thing they call The Good Editor's Job.
If your editor does nothing but praise you, hell if your editor praises you much at ALL for anything other than how quickly you turn work around to them, it is time to find a new editor.
Thank you for reminding me.
cheers
Liz
P.S. I have had a cool re-release this week: Vegas Miracle, a hot menage romance!
buy it: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vegasmiracle-786872-146.html
I feel for you Liz, I go through this all the time with my own set of issues. I can honestly say, it gets easier!
ReplyDeleteI've gotten to a place where I don't take anything personally. Authoring for a publisher is about creative growth and teamwork.
XXOO Kat
PS I've read some big name authors lately who were badly in need of an editor's honest words.
Congratulations, it sounds like you've got your ego under wraps! I've spent years trying to see constructive criticism as a gift rather than a personal attack on me and the guts I've spilled out on the page. Here's to all authors - traditionally and self-published - polishing their work to perfection, so that their self-esteem can fly high and their books can fly to bestseller status.
ReplyDeletehttp://indieauthorcounsel.com/EDITING_SERVICES.html