Editing IS Marketing

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers

“Even with a style guide, there are no hard and fast rules in the English language. There are multiple versions of style guides, and the rules for common situations can vary from guide to guide. None of the major style guides are exactly the same, which raises plenty of questions and leads to many a linguistic debate. No one seems to agree on what’s correct, but that’s only because each style guide applies to a different situation — and none of them are wrong.” ~WordGenius.com

portrait of Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

First impressions are important. We all are aware of that as we brush our teeth and try to unknot the rat’s nests from the back of our hair each morning. In fact, first impressions are part of our marketing efforts, too. Whether we authors are trying to get an interview or a TV appearance or marketing our books using e-mail or social networks, editing is an essential part of that first-impression effort. Generally that first effort is a query letter or proposal. Thus editing equals great first impression. That makes it an integral part of a marketing campaign.

 Here are a scattering of helps gleaned from my HowToDoItFrugally Series of books (www.howtodoitfrugally.com) but especially my fun booklet, Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (http://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII), and Great First Impression Book Proposal (http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII, both in their second editions and recently released by Modern History Press. My multi award-winning The Frugal Editor is coming this fall from in its third edition from Modern History Press.

 Five Editing Myths Waiting to Trip Up Your Campaign to Market Your Work

  • If your English teacher told you something is OK, it is.
    (Nope. Language rules and style guidelines have changed since you were a sophomore.)
  • If a manuscript or query is grammar-perfect, you’ll make a great first impression.
    (No! Lots of things that are grammatically correct will annoy publishers, agents, and other gatekeepers like feature editors.)
  • Always use your Spell and Grammar Checker.
    (Maybe. Some well-known editors suggest you don’t use it at all, but The Frugal Editor gives you dozens of ways to make it your partner instead of your enemy.)
  • Your publisher will assign a top-flight editor so you don’t need to worry about your manuscript.
    (Maybe, but don’t count on it. Besides you can be a better partner for an editor—whether she is assigned to you by your editor or you hire one for yourself– if you know something about the process; you’ll know better when to nix her suggestions! In any case, I suggest hiring an editor of your own before you submit your manuscript and you’ll love my Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips (bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) for building the confidence you need to say no an editor no matter how professional she is.
  • Typesetters and editors will take care of the hyphens, ellipses, and all the other grungy little punctuation marks that English teachers avoided teaching because they didn’t know how to use them either.
    (Chances are, you’ll catch even great formatters and editors in an error or two if you know your stuff!)

Here’s one last suggestion for fiction writers ’cause they’re so often neglected when it comes to marketing.

Avoid using italics for internal thought in the synopses sections of your marketing tools or in the sample chapters you must include. Italics are being used more and more these days, but using them often becomes a crutch that enables writers to avoid writing great transitions and point-of-view. The best agents and publishers will recognize it as such.

—–

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, an award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction, a former publicist for a New York PR firm and was an instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers’ Program for nearly a decade. She is an editor with years of publishing and editing experience including national magazines, newspapers, and her own poetry and fiction. Learn more about the author at http://HowToDoItFrugally.com .Her The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII) won USA Book News’ best professional book award and the Irwin Award. The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (http://bit.ly/FrugalEditor) is top publishing book for USA Book News and Reader Views Literary Award. The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 30 Minutes or Less is a helpful little booklet available at http://bit.ly/BookProposalsII is now in its second edition from Modern History Press. And don’t miss another booklet Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy, http://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII, also from Modern History Press. 

The Main Line Mutt [PB]

SKU 978-1-61599-790-9
$16.95
Maggie Dog Learns Her True Worth
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-790-9
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Audiobook: Audible, iTunes
Edition: 1st
Author: Nancy M. Schwarz
Pages: 24
Publication Date: 02/01/2024

The Main Line Mutt is a Heartwarming Tale of a Mixed Breed Dog Named Maggie

"When Maggie moves to a new upscale neighborhood, she encounters the snobbishness of the purebred dogs, who all look down on her because she is a mutt. Maggie attends a big dog show but can't enter as a contestant because she isn't purebred. Through her warmth and charm, she manages to win the hearts of the judges, and a blue ribbon for 'best of all breeds.' Afterwards, all the other dogs become much friendlier. The colorful illustrations capture the feeling of the text, with attention to the expressions of the dogs and people. A touching story about what really matters in life." -- Douglas Florian, author/illustrator of Poetrees

"The Main Line Mutt is a delightful story with a heartwarming message. Children will enjoy the storyline and the illustrations and adults will enjoy the humor and the lesson of the story. Talented writers, Nancy and Michael Schwartz, bring their love of dogs, combined with their compassion, to create an inspiring tale." -- Susie Garber, writer and literacy coach, grades 1-12

"The Main Line Mutt is a wonderful story about accepting differences. Learning to be confident in oneself and kind to others are qualities that should be nurtured in this increasingly complex world. This book presents a wonderful opportunity to share just how special it is to be loved and appreciated for all one is and all that one can become." -- Liz Mennig, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction (retired)

"What a wonderful book! I love how it celebrates Maggie's uniqueness! It's important to remember that being different is OK and to respect oneself, as well as others. Self-confidence comes from self-love and feelings of worth and value. " -- Noriko Lovasz, B.A., M.S.M., receptionist at Great Valley Pet Hotel

"The Main Line Mutt will be enjoyed by both animal lovers and those who do not have pets. The book provides an opportunity for young children to think about friendships, rejection and the effects of moving from their home. It is an excellent jumping-off point for discussion about these topics." -- Dr. Elizabeth Girshick, Licensed Psychologist

From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for having me share with your peeps, MHP! It is an example of a “10 Tips” model that print media loves because they can use one tip at a time that helps them fill up odd corners of space in their layouts. The third edition of Frugal Book Promoter includes an example of these promotional tools in the appendix and tells more about how to use them in the body of the book.

  2. Good essay as usual Carolyn. As you say, every expert disagrees on the details. I like italics for quoted thoughts because this is a signpost to the reader, and you can never have too many of them. Other than that, I agree with all your points.
    Have fun!
    Bob

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