So, I've done a first proof on my "Suprise Me, Eris!" book, and I need someone to go through it for readability, edits, and places where I should expand it more.
PM me your email address and I'll send you a copy.
In. I can put about 3 hours into this over the weekend, will finish the rest over the next two weeks. I will email you a chapter at a time, to keep myself honest (ie, productive).
Cool. I've got a couple of others interested, so if nothing else I can get good feedback about whether or not it's worth the effort.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 11, 2011, 08:20:03 PM
Cool. I've got a couple of others interested, so if nothing else I can get good feedback about whether or not it's worth the effort.
As I remember it, it's good enough for real publishing, as opposed to Lulu.
Well, we'll see. I suppose I could start my mountain of rejection slips now...
You can send me a copy if you like, and I don't care who has my email.
mistressfreeky@aol.com
Make sure you let me know you've sent it if you do, though, because I don't usually check my email.
Quote from: Sister Fracture on February 11, 2011, 08:27:33 PM
You can send me a copy if you like, and I don't care who has my email.
mistressfreeky@aol.com
Make sure you let me know you've sent it if you do, though, because I don't usually check my email.
Sent.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 11, 2011, 08:27:08 PM
Well, we'll see. I suppose I could start my mountain of rejection slips now...
When I was editing awful romance novels back in '94, I was occasionally called upon to edit other types of work.
Writing rejection slips was one of the things that made life worthwhile. One guy sent in a collection of truly awful poetry with a note saying "If you like these, I have other irons in the fire."
My response: "Remove irons, insert poems."
Cruel as it may sound, it beats giving someone false hope.
I can recommend a few publishers that you could bounce this off of...The trick is persistence. You have to keep trying until you get it in front of an assistant editor who has the right sense of humor.
What the hell, couldn't hurt.
LMNO
-Etc Discordia, Chao te Ching, 30 Days of Eris... Holy shit, I'm in print!
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
...One guy sent in a collection of truly awful poetry with a note saying "If you like these, I have other irons in the fire."
My response: "Remove irons, insert poems."
Oh, harsh. Probably not unjustified (not having had the poems inflicted upon my fragile soul, I dunno), but harsh.
And...
...
Editing awful romance novels? Awesome. I always figured I should knock a couple of those together and retire.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 11, 2011, 08:30:49 PM
Quote from: Sister Fracture on February 11, 2011, 08:27:33 PM
You can send me a copy if you like, and I don't care who has my email.
mistressfreeky@aol.com
Make sure you let me know you've sent it if you do, though, because I don't usually check my email.
Sent.
Swote!
Quote from: Luna on February 11, 2011, 08:34:17 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
...One guy sent in a collection of truly awful poetry with a note saying "If you like these, I have other irons in the fire."
My response: "Remove irons, insert poems."
Oh, harsh. Probably not unjustified (not having had the poems inflicted upon my fragile soul, I dunno), but harsh.
And...
...
Editing awful romance novels? Awesome. I always figured I should knock a couple of those together and retire.
Good luck. They're done to a formula, and it's all drag & drop/search & replace. No shit. The text segments are written by authors that couldn't cover their advances, and published under franchise names.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
Writing rejection slips was one of the things that made life worthwhile. One guy sent in a collection of truly awful poetry with a note saying "If you like these, I have other irons in the fire."
My response: "Remove irons, insert poems."
:mittens:
I believe it. I used to use 'em for mental bubblegum. If I'm reading something I don't have to think about, well, I don't think for awhile. It's background noise to shut down my brain for awhile.
Quote from: Luna on February 11, 2011, 08:42:17 PM
I believe it. I used to use 'em for mental bubblegum. If I'm reading something I don't have to think about, well, I don't think for awhile. It's background noise to shut down my brain for awhile.
If you think back on them, the plot was identical in each and every one.
Handsome rogue, fiery heroine.
Heroine HATES rogue.
Heroine and rogue thrown into adventure.
Rogue bangs brains out of heroine, who suddenly loves him.
Heroine remembers she hates him when hormones are done.
Rogue talks her around.
Adventure separates heroine and rogue.
Rogue saves heroine at the last minute.
More hilarious, badly written sex with metaphors that make Oscar Wilde cry.
Happily ever sequel.
not to threadjack, but I'm curious how you got involved in that line of work
Quote from: Cramulus on February 11, 2011, 08:50:30 PM
not to threadjack, but I'm curious how you got involved in that line of work
I was in the army and bored, and I knew a guy who knew a guy. Next thing I know, I'm proofreading Gawd-fucking-awful corset-busters for $300/book.
There's nothing better than having your 1st Sgt walk into your barracks room and see a manuscript entitled "Flames of Love's Desire" or some shit on your bedside table.
:lulz:
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"
"That, Top, is $300 worth of my frontal lobes."
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:46:24 PM
Quote from: Luna on February 11, 2011, 08:42:17 PM
I believe it. I used to use 'em for mental bubblegum. If I'm reading something I don't have to think about, well, I don't think for awhile. It's background noise to shut down my brain for awhile.
If you think back on them, the plot was identical in each and every one...
Yep. I noticed, which is why they made decent bubblegum. I didn't have to really READ it, could just unplug my brain. Which led me to think that "I could write this crap better than THIS." (My brain has figured out that particular mental bubblegum trick, and the trashy romance novels don't work any more. You don't want to know what I resort to, now.)
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:53:14 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on February 11, 2011, 08:50:30 PM
not to threadjack, but I'm curious how you got involved in that line of work
I was in the army and bored, and I knew a guy who knew a guy. Next thing I know, I'm proofreading Gawd-fucking-awful corset-busters for $300/book.
There's nothing better than having your 1st Sgt walk into your barracks room and see a manuscript entitled "Flames of Love's Desire" or some shit on your bedside table.
:lulz:
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"
"That, Top, is $300 worth of my frontal lobes."
Hell, for $300 a pop, I'd do it.
Quote from: Luna on February 11, 2011, 08:54:55 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:46:24 PM
Quote from: Luna on February 11, 2011, 08:42:17 PM
I believe it. I used to use 'em for mental bubblegum. If I'm reading something I don't have to think about, well, I don't think for awhile. It's background noise to shut down my brain for awhile.
If you think back on them, the plot was identical in each and every one...
Yep. I noticed, which is why they made decent bubblegum. I didn't have to really READ it, could just unplug my brain. Which led me to think that "I could write this crap better than THIS." (My brain has figured out that particular mental bubblegum trick, and the trashy romance novels don't work any more. You don't want to know what I resort to, now.)
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:53:14 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on February 11, 2011, 08:50:30 PM
not to threadjack, but I'm curious how you got involved in that line of work
I was in the army and bored, and I knew a guy who knew a guy. Next thing I know, I'm proofreading Gawd-fucking-awful corset-busters for $300/book.
There's nothing better than having your 1st Sgt walk into your barracks room and see a manuscript entitled "Flames of Love's Desire" or some shit on your bedside table.
:lulz:
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"
"That, Top, is $300 worth of my frontal lobes."
Hell, for $300 a pop, I'd do it.
It's pretty much all computerized, now. The publishing biz, incidentally, is a shade below prostitution, and a sliver above politics.
It contributed to my present sunny disposition.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 08:56:48 PM
It's pretty much all computerized, now. The publishing biz, incidentally, is a shade below prostitution, and a sliver above politics.
It contributed to my present sunny disposition.
I have, in very lean times, done phone sex for a living. I can survive reading that stuff.
(And yes, spending 3rd shift talking to the bastards who couldn't even grab the dregs at the bars when they closed DID, in fact, help shape my opinion of men. Going further on that topic, however, would be a threadjack worse than the one we're already committing.)
I'm in. Curious, how many pages of material do you have?
Quote from: Cuddlefish on February 11, 2011, 09:41:41 PM
I'm in. Curious, how many pages of material do you have?
Reminds me. I lost your file when my old HD failed. If you still want it done, zap me another copy.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on February 11, 2011, 09:48:15 PM
Quote from: Cuddlefish on February 11, 2011, 09:41:41 PM
I'm in. Curious, how many pages of material do you have?
Reminds me. I lost your file when my old HD failed. If you still want it done, zap me another copy.
Eh, don't worry about it. It had it's moments, but it was pretty terrible. If you feel like grinding through it, I can send you a copy anyhow, but...
With title page, etc it's about 87 pages, 12pt NYTRoman, new page for each day. In other words, fairly short.
I was talking to a guy yesterday, apparently a lot of proofreading work has now moved out to India, along with the software and call centre industries.
I'm available, if you need another set of eyes. kanaloa.the.squidly@gmail.com
I am willing, but not a great option if time is an issue.
I'm in. Would love to take a look through.
Ok, I already have six or so people reading through already... If they flake out don't have time to do it, I'll hit you guys as backups.
Thanks!
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 14, 2011, 01:08:24 PM
Ok, I already have six or so people reading through already... If they flake out don't have time to do it, I'll hit you guys as backups.
Thanks!
No sweat. I'm done with the first chapter. I'll zap it to you tomorrow, with the second.
I gotta say, though, that starting with the skewed text may turn people off.
Yeah... I may have to leave that poem out. I was going to format it differently from the rest of the book, kind of like a forward, or invocation to the Spider Gods, or something. But perhaps it should move to the end.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 14, 2011, 03:27:09 PM
Yeah... I may have to leave that poem out. I was going to format it differently from the rest of the book, kind of like a forward, or invocation to the Spider Gods, or something. But perhaps it should move to the end.
Or somewhere in the middle.
Starting with the "you can be whatever you want to be" guy is a hook. It's so fucking creepy that the right audience (anyone who liked "Crooked Little Vein", for example), will be glued to the book.
Mostly because it's so easy to picture that actually happening.
So, even skip the brief exposition of what the hell you're actually reading? (the chatlog, the description of Eris in Heisod, etc.)
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 14, 2011, 03:38:18 PM
So, even skip the brief exposition of what the hell you're actually reading? (the chatlog, the description of Eris in Heisod, etc.)
I'm thinking so. You might want to write a forward, or put it in as omnipotent narrator immediately following the first story.
Hmm. I'll have to give it some thought.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 14, 2011, 03:47:13 PM
Hmm. I'll have to give it some thought.
When I shoot you chapter one, I'll include a few suggestions on exposition...Take 'em for what they're worth (it IS your project). I'd move the exposition to immediately follow day one, then the poem later on at an appropriate day.
Just started reading this morning. It's tough without my own computer, so if you want to bump me and add someone else, that would be fine. I'll still read it, it just might take me a bit longer than it should. That said, I liked everything I've read so far, including your house-of-leaves-esque intro section.
Is it that obvious a reference?
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 14, 2011, 11:50:44 PM
Is it that obvious a reference?
I liked it better when you did it, if that means anything.
It does indeed.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 15, 2011, 04:08:58 PM
It does indeed.
The dude who wrote HoL was a self absorbed hipster, and should be kicked really hard in the shins repeatedly.
I've decided to print the damn thing off, mark it up, and mail it to you, LMNO. It's easier that way.
Good point. If you need me to send $ for shipping, let me know.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on February 21, 2011, 06:41:04 PM
Good point. If you need me to send $ for shipping, let me know.
Naw. It'll fit in the smallest single-price envelope. It isn't worth the bother.