I need help regarding a book I have been writing, it needs to be edited and publ

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   medorposted 13 years ago

   I need help regarding a book I have been writing, it needs to be edited and published
   
   Help, the book it a romance/adventure type book, I have never tried to publish before.  All the publishers I have found want money up front, which is not what I want to do.... thanks for any help you can give me.

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   shazwellynposted 13 years ago

   Website Examiner is your man!  Drop him a line - he can help..
   
   www.hubpages.com/profile/website+examiner

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   LindaJMposted 13 years ago

   I've written novels, and spent years learning to edit and revise them. Now I have two novels ready to be submitted to agents and published.
   
   It is time consuming to edit but if you can get in the habit of revising a chapter daily, it goes by fast enough. Some people revise only once or twice before sending out their manuscripts but I believe in doing it more - in part because I keep learning more about revision, and ... well, I want a quality novel published - not just something that fell out of my pen during a moment of inspiration.
   
   So... my recommendation to you... is to be patient and learn to revise. Like they say, great novels are revised, not written.

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   Joe Badtoeposted 13 years ago

   Whatever you do NEVER repeat NEVER pay anyone to publish your work because that is a con trick.
   
   Vanity publishing never works. You should give what you've done so far to a few friends and get them to comment on it. Ask then to be honest because false compliments might make the reality harder to take once a publisher takes a look.
   
   Don't send a first copy to publishers, check it and check it again and once you've had good feedback and you're truly happy with the finished article then send it.
   
   Good Luck with it - and don't let rejection stop your ambition. Many great novelists have suffered rejections before getting their work in print.

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   dragonkainposted 13 years ago

   I have to agree entirely with the others, do not go through a vanity publisher. It nukes your first publication rights, which is something that a lot of paper publishers are all hot and bothered about.
   
   Editing is just as simple as reading over it like you would a term paper or a letter to a friend you haven't seen in awhile. Edit yourself then enlist the help of a close friend or family member to read it through with fresh eyes to try and catch spots of weakness. LindaJM said it right, good novels aren't written, they are revised. I spent five months writing a novel and six months revising it.
   
   Once you are ready, check out the agents listing. They work for a small commission of your final sale (usually between 10 to 15%) which means that they want to get you the biggest, best deal that they can so they end up with more cash. Check out: http://www.agentquery.com/ thats where I have searched for and been querying agents for months. Its a slow process but it is faster than querying the publishers yourself and you have a skilled person between you and them. Kinda like a lawyer, though that s a bad example.
   
   Good luck, and bravo for asking, far too many people are unwilling to actually ask for help.

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   duffsmomposted 13 years ago

   for your final edit, read the manuscript out loud.  You will be amazed at what you find.  If you like, read into a recorder and the play it back. You will see mistakes as you are reading and later at playback find errors in flow and syntax. 
   
   I agree with other answers, never ever pay to publish.  Buy a Writer's Market to find the lasted info. on who is accepting manuscripts.

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   smcopywriteposted 12 years ago

   depending on what type of book you are writing i have a couple of hubs on writing and publishing books'
   
   http://smcopywrite.hubpages.com/hub/Wri … irst-EBook
   
   http://smcopywrite.hubpages.com/hub/wha … ldrensbook
   
   http://smcopywrite.hubpages.com/hub/Fiv … irst-Ebook

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   Dennis De Roseposted 10 years ago

   It's difficult for a writer to edit his or her own book. Editors are detached from the process and are usually very meticulous. If you feel you cannot hire a professional editor then try these techniques. Try to have several people read and critique your book. You should re-read your manuscript several times; try reading out loud and use your pointer finger, reading one word at a time, like you did in first grade. You can also partner with beta-readers once you have exhausted your list of friends and relatives. You can join writers groups in places like LinkedIn (LinkedIn is free to join). There are other super sites where writers are waiting to answer your questions that are also free to join, like Authorsden.
   
   Once you are certain beyond all doubt that you have done your very best to edit your manuscript, then and only then should you think about a publisher. As stated by others, never pay anyone upfront to publish your manuscript (and that also counts for editing). Find a publisher that specializes in your fiction genre. Do the research and take your time. Once you have narrowed your list of publishers down to something that is manageable, do a good synopsis (again take your time, going through all the steps I have outlined above). Be prepared to send a few chapters to your selected publishers for their perusal.
   
   But before you do that, make sure the chapters you choose to send are very engaging and readable. If a publisher does not find your chapters entertaining, your readers will feel the same way and your book will not be read. Make sure every chapter grabs your reader, but then you already know that since your manuscript has been read many times at this stage of the game.
   
   At this point, you are going to want to be looking for a good cover artist, unless of course you are already an illustrator. Your cover art topic should be central to the manuscript. Choose colors that grab your interest. Do not crowd your cover. Your cover should be something that you would want to pick up and check out while browsing in your local bookstore.
   
   Be thinking also about your cover blurbs, inside jacket and back cover. Once again, make sure they grab you and force you to open the book and read a page or two. If you can accomplish that, you are on your way to publishing a good book.
   
   Do not get discouraged. Do not rush this process. Remember the old saying, try and try again, never give up. I hope I have helped you in some small way.
   
   Dennis @ Moneysaver Editing

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      Dennis De Roseposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Long comment but well-done.

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