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My mom’s reading Betrayal by Fern Michaels, one of her favorite authors. She was entertained and surprised to find errors throughout the book. How can a book by a well known author be published with errors? Isn’t an editor supposed to catch and correct errors? It makes me wonder why writers put extreme amounts of pressure on themselves to be perfect if an editor and publisher publish a book with errors.
Editors are human and make mistakes, but it’s intriguing to find errors in books published by well known authors. You’d think it wouldn’t happen but it does. Furthermore, it takes the pressure off of aspiring writers to be absolutely perfect. Don’t give yourself a coronary to be a perfect writer. After all, editors are supposed to take your writing and make it the best it can be. Unfortunately, it’s not always perfect.
If you want to write that’s exactly what you must do — just write. Forget about correcting grammar and punctuation. Write from your heart, write what you’re passionate about, and write every day. If you self-publish, hire an experienced editor to edit your book. If you’re lucky enough to have a literary agent, make sure your book is sold to a reputable publication. More importantly, read all contracts! In fact, hire literary attorney to read the contract if you don’t understand it.
You can also take the pressure off of being a perfect write by realizing that all of the great writes from Mark Twain, Charolotte Bronte, and others were rejected. Don’t take it personally. Heck, even billionaire J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter was rejected. Ouch! I wonder if the people who rejected her are still employed. Talk about not realizing a good thing when you see it. Oh well!
If you’re putting pressure on yourself to be a perfect writer, it’s time to release and let it go. Take a breath and know that you don’t have to be Super Writer! Besides, an editor will read and make changes to your story. However, it’s your job to agree or disagree. Be prepared to defend your work. It’s no different than a screenwriter fighting to keep the integrity of their work intact when a director and producer “want to chop it up.” Ah, the life of a writer!
Rebecca
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