THERE'S A FINE LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE ...

That phrase just popped into my mind when trying to come up with a way to describe the relationship between a writer and his editor. You love your editor, but there are times when you could throttle him. Sometimes what he says is soooo right on the money; at other times, it makes you wonder, "Am I hearing right? You're telling me to change that? Why, it's the one thing I can't change. It's the heart of the story."

Last week, I urged you to listen to your editor, to be open and receptive. I did not advise you, however, to suspend your sense of critical judgment. In other words, listen but always realize that the decision as to how and when to "obey," the freedom, and the responsibility, of selecting which changes to make -- or not make -- remains with you, the author.

Let's just take a step back and look at the word in quotes: obey. The fact is, a writer's decision to follow, neglect or outright reject his or her editor's suggestions should never be thought of in terms of obedience. A good editor cares about you and your work, and views your working relationship as that of a partnership, not as one of commander and commanded.

And sometimes, oh every once in a while, an editor will insist on some obtuse change that makes sense to him, but in fact is short-sighted and downright whimsical, like altering the age or ethnicity of a character simply because your current setup doesn't agree with his preconceived notions about a certain age or ethnic group. What do you do? First you ask for an explanation. Then you consider it.

Does the change, for example, pander to certain chauvinist or mildly racist notions? It could be something very simple or subtle. Your editor says he doesn't hold with certain ideas, but believes "the public" does and that a certain change would "make your manuscript more appealing and marketable." He urges you to "be realistic." You think about it. You make a decision. If that decision is a no, then feel calm about saying it, and be prepared to explain it.

A request for a change that reaffirms prejudices is easy to scope out and, I hope for you, easy to reject. But what about those changes that really seem to be harmless?

It's important to remember that a change to any turn or twist of a manuscript could cause ripples like a pebble dropped into a pond. With mysteries, especially, a writer should be careful. The structure of a mystery novel can be likened to a house of cards. Fiddle with one card and the whole thing might collapse. Take the following instance: Your editor has made a suggestion and it seems to be quite helpful. It concerns some little turn of phrase or the physical location of a scene or even whether the scene is at all necessary. The scene is so brief. Why not take it out? We need to cut 10,000 words. Why not start there? The suggestion seems both logical and harmless.

But your inner gut tightens and some small voice tells you to hold on. Something about the phrasing or the location or the very brevity of the scene itself is significant. What could it be? You don't remember. It's been months since you worked on that particular bit of plotting, and you've started work on another manuscript since then. You're appalled to find that you've actually forgotten or even blanked out parts of your own book.

So you sit down and think about it, and it comes to you. Yes ... that's why you put that there, arranged matters in just that way. Following the editor's "innocuous" suggestion would've resulted in an inconsistency that would've emerged later, at some critical moment, undermining the logical and emotional wrenching ending you worked so hard to create.

You gather your courage and tell your editor that you think it better not to make the change. You outline your reasons and you're surprised to find that he thinks that his reasons outweigh yours. Hmm ... What to do?

(1) Discuss it some more.

(2) Tell the editor to go take a flying leap. (But do it much more politely, of course.)

But seriously, if the editor is a book doctor you've hired, then simply tell him, "Nope. I don't think so," (pay the bill) and go on your merry way. Matters become a bit more complicated if it's an agent or an editor within your publishing house who wants you to make some oddball change. Writers often feel themselves powerless against such gatekeepers and power brokers.

My advice: If it's an agent, whether it's one you're with or one you're thinking about working with, then consider the larger ramifications of the disagreement. Maybe you two are not a good match, or are no longer a good one. Maybe it's time to get different representation.

But you love your agent, you say, and don't want to change? Then think about shopping the particular manuscript without her or through someone else. No matter how much you like your agent, you have to understand and accept that an agent is unlikely to do a good job of selling your manuscript if she doesn't believe in it.

What if it's a big, important agent you're desperate to please? The agent has a reputation for getting six-figure deals and this is your chance, your one chance, to join the big league! Well, you can make the change against your better judgment and sneakily hope to undo it once the agent has found you a major publisher. It wouldn't be my way, and I wouldn't recommend it, but it is one way and some folks would feel no scruples about doing it in order to survive.

If it's an editor at a publishing house with whom you're in disagreement, then you might talk things over with your agent. In the classic setup, your agent acts as mediator. He or she can smooth out wrinkles and keep matters rolling along.

The worst thing you can do is to keep mum. If an editor makes a suggestion that truly sticks in your craw, say something. Editors and agents read fast. They reads stacks and stacks of manuscripts and they don't always read them thoroughly. They'll miss things described in terms bigger than life smack dab in the middle of page 21 for goodness sakes and tell you with a straight face that the information just wasn't there.

In the end, you're responsible for your story's content. And it's on you to know it better than anyone else, your editor included. His or her suggestions are always worth listening to because whether right or wrong, they indicate areas of possible misunderstanding. Furthermore, the editor's solution might not be the right one, but it could urge you in the right direction.

My last comment: Don't fear the editorial process. Engage in it! Embrace it! You're finally not alone. You've slogged your way through this manuscript, dedicating months, maybe years of your life to it, spending hours in self-enforced solitude. Now, finally, someone takes it seriously enough to read it, praise it, critique it and tell you how to make it better. View this as your time in the sun! And enjoy it!

Until next week then. Best wishes for the holiday season!

- Persia

Expect The Unexpected

I guess this must be the season to not make too many plans and to never get too comfortable in your own obscurity. I’d started to put together a marketing plan for book four in my mystery series, which I assumed would be released next summer, when I got word from my editor last week that the release of book 4 has been pushed back to 2009.

My publisher, Kimani Press/Sepia, has cut back on the number of books they are publishing per month, which I had noticed. If you go to the Kimani/Sepia website, you’ll see there've been no new releases since October. The entire publishing schedule has been rearranged. I won’t lie. I was a little bummed when I heard the news. It will be strange not to have a new book out next year. Although, I’m fairly certain Diva’s Last Curtain Call will be re-released in mass market paperback sometime next year. But on the bright side it will give me time to finish up book 5 and my standalone mystery.

And speaking of the unexpected, last week I was invited to be a guest on Dayton, Ohio’s Fox 45/ABC 22 Morning News show. I was on last Friday. It was a brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it interview of a couple of minutes, but it was an excellent opportunity to talk about my books and writing. I still have no idea how they found out about me, since I’m far far from being a household name, and I never approached them about being a guest. But it doesn’t matter. This is the kind of promo opportunity you don’t question, especially when it falls in your lap. You just go for and don’t think twice about it.

But let me tell you, seeing yourself on TV is a shocker. Anyone who knows me or has seen a picture of me knows I’m not a size 0. I’d never been on TV before but I’d always heard the camera adds at least ten pounds. That was an understatement. TV is not kind to curvy gals like myself. Long story short, I looked like Jabba the Hutt’s little sister. Not a good look, people! YMCA here I come. And don't go trying to find the interview online. It's not there. Thank God!

Later,
Angela

Next

I finished the synopsis for my contemporary romance. I don't remember whether I mentioned the first contemporary romance idea was rejected. I came up with another idea and finished the synopsis last night. What a relief! It felt like a load was lifted from my shoulders.

But, as we all know, there's never any time to rest. At least not when you're starting your career. As soon as you've finished one project, you've got to move on to the next.

(I did take time to do a little celebratory dance around my living room, though. Quite fun.)

While I'm waiting for my editor's feedback on the contemporary, I'm going to work on the romantic suspense trilogy idea I've been kicking around. Based on my experience with the Fire trilogy that never was, I want to shop this series as a set. Lesson learned.

Well, I'd better get moving. No rest for the wicked.

Patricia