Why every writer needs an editor

A couple posts ago, I showed a proof copy of my new novel with 22 yellow tabs that marked my editor's queries. This was a proof for a book that had gone through nine drafts, a thorough editing, a spell check, and four exceptionally careful first readers, all of whom found something to question or correct. By the time I uploaded the file to CreateSpace, I was confident the book was entirely clean. I was wrong.

I'm not going to cite all 22 queries, only enough to suggest why every writer needs an editor.

Every yellow tab a query

For example, in the sentence, "She sounded as if she would seriously consider, too...." the context requires an "it" after "consider."

The mystery takes place in 1986. To indicate the time, my narrator looks at a newspaper headline: "Apparent Attempt Made to Kill Indira Gandhi." Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984.

The setting is an appliance/TV retail store and in one place I described the avocado and harvest gold major appliances. By 1986 appliances were almond and white.

In the sentence, "I heard a woman in the stereo console display..." makes it sound as if she'
s part of the display.

A character says, "This business has been a fixture on North Street for more than fifty years...." Fifteen pages later another character uses the identical words. A hundred pages after that, a newspaper article uses the same words. No.

A character is Hanna in one place, Hannah every other place. A character works at Dunkin' Donuts sometimes and at Dunkin Donuts—without the apostrophe—other times. (Dunkin' Donuts is correct.)

The sentence "I figured things weren't going well at the Jonkers..." has one too many words: "the."

The sentence "Are there any any questions?" has one too many "any."

The sentence "Like she made his was too dark" is missing something; it should be, "Like she made his coffee too dark."

Listed like this, these flaws are obvious. Hiding in a 70,000-word book, they're easy to miss. No one of them changes the setting, the characters, or the plot in any way. I believe most readers, caught up in the story, will skip right over them. Some readers, however, will see them and be taken out of the story momentarily—the last thing I want.

I want my readers to be immersed in the story, not distracted by avoidable glitches. And that's why every writer needs an editor.

Why you want to check your proof

When I finished the ninth draft of my mystery, Death in a Family Business, and an editor had gone through the manuscript with me I formatted the pages to look as they would appear in the finished book—single-spaced, 11-point type, white space on chapter beginnings—and printed a copy. I took those pages to a Staples store and had the staff print four double-sided, comb-bound copies, which I sent to my beta readers.

Every tab is a query to address.

I wanted my beta-readers to experience a book rather than a manuscript. They found typos, missing words, at least one anachronism (the book is set in 1986 by which time avocado kitchen appliances were passe), redundancies, and a couple continuity problems. (Another reason to format the pages: you need to know how many pages the book will have to allow enough space for the spine.)

I made the changes, uploaded the corrected, formatted file to CreateSpace, and ordered a proof copy. Although CreateSpace recommends authors check the proof online and with a hard copy, I didn't think it was really necessary. My book might have one or two typographical flaws, but after nine drafts and the eyes of four exceptionally assiduous readers what could be left?

A lot. Reading a printed book is a different experience from reading a manuscript or formatted pages in an 8x10 binder. My in-house editor, reading the proof copy, pasted a yellow tab for every correction, question, or suggestion. Missing little words, doubled words, and inconsistencies between the spelling of a name in the beginning of the book and the end. All tiny flaws that many readers will miss, but flaws nonetheless.

I will make the changes, upload the revised (and improved!) pages, and order another proof.

Here's the cover for my new book

Following up on my last post and considering the opinions, thoughts, and comments of the people who wrote about the three proposed covers, Susan Brier, the graphic designer, and I settled on the Proposed Cover 2, with modifications in the pictures and the type.

While many people liked the Proposed Cover 1 for its simplicity and impact, I rejected it because the illustration had nothing to do with the story. Proposed Cover 3 seemed too cluttered to me, and the pictures clipped to a wire was off because in the novel the pictures are Polaroids. Indeed, one correspondent was so misled, she suggested a darkroom theme for the cover, red background and all.

While I agree entirely with the idea that a cover illustration should evoke or embody the theme of the book, I don't think that's always possible. Here Susan has chosen to illustrate three key elements of Death in a Family Business: the appliance-TV store setting, some incriminating Polaroid photographs, and a Cessna airplane.

Again, I thank everyone who looked at and shared their thoughts about the design.

What is the most engaging cover design?

One element that puts off self-published novel is, I believe, the cover; too many look amateurish. And while you may not be able to tell a book by its cover, an attractive, professional cover can only help.

Proposed cover 1

While Createspace and other publishers offer templates into which authors can pour their designs, I think it's an unusual author who can design an attractive, engaging, and effective cover. I certainly can't.

I am fortunate to have an exceptionally talented graphic designer friend, Susan Brier, who has her own firm, The WriteDesign Company. She designed the jackets for my two earlier novels and is working on ideas for the new book.

Death in a Family Business is a mystery, a cozy, and the action centers around an appliance-TV retail store. Polaroid photographs of nude women and a Cessna airplane play a role in the story. 

Tommy Lovell's dream restaurant has failed, taking his shaky marriage along with it. He's licking his wounds back in his childhood bedroom while he takes stock of his life at the end of his 20s. Reluctantly, Tommy agrees to tag along when his father offers to help family friend Otto Jonker save a struggling store in a dying Berkshire town. Tommy is ready for a change of scenery, maybe a bit of romance, and—if he's really lucky—more opportunities to fly his father's Cessna.

Proposed Cover 3

The trip takes a disastrous turn after Otto skids off the road during a midnight motorcycle ride and is critically injured, forcing Tommy and his father into unexpected danger as they make disturbing discoveries about Otto’s personal and professional troubles.  

Susan is also one of my beta readers and she not only suggested a couple of editorial improvements (both of which I took), she came up with three proposed cover approaches shown here. 

Proposed Cover 2

I know which one I prefer, but I'm not a prospective buyer, so I'm looking for some outside opinion. Given what I've said about the story, which of the three possible designs do you think works best? 

Many thanks for your votes and comments.