Working Titlez

Michael Vernetti is interviewed by the KLAS-TV Channel 8 investigative news team regarding his book, Lies Within Lies, which chronicles the life and times of Nevada’s infamous federal judge, Harry Claiborne. Vernetti speaks candidly about Claiborne, one of Nevada’s most colorful characters.

Former CityLife Editor and R-J staffer Geoff Schumacher recently posted a past interview with Vu Tran, one of our Restless City authors. Though Geoff and Vu have both since left Sin City for broader horizons and greater challenges, their conversation about writing, and the authors who have influenced Tran in his relatively young, but remarkable career, is well worth reading. It is obvious that we will be hearing much more about this Whiting Writers’ Award winner! For the complete interview, click here.

By Guest Blogger Jami Carpenter

Every editor needs a good toolbox. Photo by Stitch.

I was once asked what – or rather, who – makes a good editor, which raised a good question, one that took considerable thought. I have come to the conclusion that three elements are essential to an editor’s success: a skill set, a tool set, and a mind set.

Not surprising, an editor must be knowledgeable of and proficient in the rules of good grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so forth. A strong foundation in the basics is certainly helpful, but even if an editor didn’t win the spelling bee state championship or get straight A’s in high school English, these skills can still be developed through education: writing courses; a degree in journalism or English literature; an internship with a magazine, newspaper, or book publisher (or ad agency/marketing firm); and reading — anything and everything. Seeing how the masters wrote as well as how current bestselling authors challenge old-school writing is invaluable in developing an editor’s competency.

Realistically, though, an editor — novice or veteran — cannot know and remember all the rules of grammar, which makes reference material (the “tool set”) so necessary. Whether on the bookshelf or online, a dictionary, thesaurus, writing guide, and editor manual is a must. In addition to the latest editions of Webster’s dictionary and Roget’s thesaurus, I have the Chicago Manual of Style, Patricia T. O’Conner’s Woe is I, and Karen E. Gordon’s The Deluxe Transitive Vampire at my fingertips. The Grammar Girl at grammar.quickanddirtytips.com is bookmarked on my laptop. A veritable plethora of helpful material is available; even after several years of editing experiences and many years as a high school English teacher, I continue to use outside resources.

Perhaps most critical is the editor’s mindset; that is, the ability not only to be detail-oriented, consistent, and thorough, but the ability to enjoy the process — the plodding, unglamorous nature of the work itself. An editor takes great pleasure in finding an errant comma, a dangling participle, an absent apostrophe; appreciates a perfectly-worded sentence; and is willing to dedicate time and thought to improving awkward and cumbersome text.

Many people have the skills to correct and revise material, but not everyone has the desire to sit for hours and pour over page after page with a magnifying glass. I say this not to discourage potential editors (there is plenty of work for everyone), but to remind that editing can be grueling and unpleasant for those who are not well-suited to the job. Like working on a jigsaw puzzle, editing takes patience and perseverance; the challenge of finishing the manuscript (or completing the puzzle) thrills me, but in truth, does not bring joy to all.

And challenging it is! An editor walks a fine line between correcting and revising a writer’s work, while at the same time maintaining the writer’s voice and spirit. We are tasked with helping an author tell his tale more effectively, yet must remain mindful that the story is not ours. In addition to the standard grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization errors that we address, we are often asked to trim a wordy document, develop a skimpier manuscript, provide commentary, suggest improvements, and still be cognizant of the original storyline and author’s style.

When I first began editing (not counting the years as an English teacher correcting and commenting on my high school students’ assignments), I was hired to proofread, which meant sticking to the basics — no revisions or changes beyond looking for common, flagrant mistakes. Once I had developed self-confidence and a level of competency with publishers, I was given greater flexibility in editing. It was exciting to be able to offer my own analysis and contribute to manuscript development and to form relationships, even friendships, with writers.

But it is also a greater responsibility, which must not be taken lightly. Writers are entrusting their “babies” into our care, and as editors, we would be wise to respect and honor this privilege. We must acknowledge the fact that without writers, there would be no use for us! We must take care to do our best. And like good plastic surgery, our best work is seamless and invisible.

Jami Carpenter is a freelance book editor who works directly with authors and publishers to get manuscripts ready for primetime. She does all types of editing from developmental (helps an author craft the structure and tenor of the book) to copyediting (wrangling all those errant apostrophes). As a long-time Las Vegan, she works frequently with the Las Vegas writing community and other authors from shore to shore. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband and an adorable kitten named what else but Webster? Reach her at www.RedPenGirl.com.

Tim Sunderland is finishing the final draft of his soon-to-be blockbuster novel—Rules for Giving. He also recently purchased a Nook, and promptly had his tech-savvy son hack it and install the Android operating system so he could read Kindle files. BTW, he also checked with his sons—none of them has dated Amanda Hocking.

By Guest Blogger Tim Sunderland

“I want to be a writer.  I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling e-mails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now, being me is a full-time corporation.”

Before you read this blogpost click here and check out the New York Times article concluding with the above-referenced quote.

In case you didn’t, I’ll tell you about it.

The quote came from a recent article in the All-the-News-That’s-Fit-to-Print newspaper about Amanda Hocking, a young writer who sold a million copies of her self-published young-adult paranormal novels in the last year through Amazon.com and BN.com. Her next four books—three of which are probably only in outline form at best—went on the auction block last week for bids from traditional publishers.  St. Martin’s Press acquired them for somewhere north of $2 million.

I did a Google search for a photo of Amanda.  First, she looks like she’s not old enough to legally purchase liquor in most states (she’s actually 26, but to me everyone looks young).  Second, I’m pretty sure one of my sons dated her.

What’s interesting is that the article reveals the best and the worst of self-publishing in 258 words.  The best is that through self-publishing Amanda sold enough books to gain major status.  She also made some money in the process, although the electronic versions of her books are very reasonably priced—which might have been part of her strategy.

Having done that, she then chose the traditional route for her next four books.  I’m sure the big paycheck was an incentive, but her quote told a second, more interesting story about the downside, the hard part of self-publishing.  She as much as said, “Hey, this marketing stuff is a lot of work.  I just want to  write.”

If you self-publish there are all sorts of options—print-on-demand, ebooks, podcasting—you name it.  But the flip side of the self-publishing coin, regardless of what venue you choose, is that you are also self-promoting—blogging, Twittering, Facebook, public relations.  As the owner of a marketing agency, I do this stuff for a living.  Trust me, it takes a lot of time, and it’s not easy.

I keep reading stories of writers who are making a living going the route of ebooks (http://jakonrath.blogspot.com).  A few report incomes of $100,000 a year or more.  There is a lot of marketing involved in those sales.  When do they sleep, let alone write their next book?

I used to think the few who are successful in ebooks first achieved their recognition through traditional publishing.   Then along comes Amanda Hocking, who makes it big by a self-publishing, and she goes the other way back to traditional publishing.   She’s not the first, but she did it in a big way.

Kinda screws up the whole formula.

So here’s the question:  as an unpublished writer, what avenue do I pursue in getting my novel published? Conventional publishing looks attractive.  I have zero name recognition.  The publishing industry—book clubs, reviewers, agents—are all slanted towards the traditional.  Besides, a traditional publisher is going to give me that six-figure advance I’m counting on so that I can retire from my day job.  Self-publishing—and self-promoting that comes with it—are just going to add to my workload.

I also can’t deny the prestige factor—that I might craft a story, develop a plot and create characters that a traditional publisher deems worthy.  My words could end up on bookstore tables and library shelves and in the hands of readers for generations.  That’s exciting.  The other options?  Not so much.

But today’s reality is that even though Amanda Hocking went for the big paycheck, it’s not going to relieve her of the self-promoting duties.  She maintained a blog when she was a self-publisher and her fans are going to expect it to continue.  More and more established writers are being compelled by their publishers, agents, and just common sense, to maintain blogs and websites and Facebook pages—or pay someone else to do it.  It’s become part of the business.

Gone are the days when we could go up to our lonely writer’s garret (has anyone ever seen a garret?) and before we closed the door, turn wistfully and say to the world, “I just want to write.”

Contact Tim at tim@gonzomarketers.com

My colleague Geoff Schumacher recently presented a workshop on journalism for the Las Vegas Writers Conference. Included in his handouts was this essay about writing. I thought it deserved to be shared with other writers and lovers of writing, so I sought his permission to post it here.

“I write because I can’t do normal work like other people.”

Orhan Pamuk, winner of 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature

“Words on a page give the world coherence.”

Alberto Manguel, Into the Looking-Glass Wood: Essays on Books, Reading, and the World

Photo courtesy Scriatic (CC)

Writers write. If you’re a writer, you can’t help yourself. Putting words on paper, or onto a computer screen, is part of who you are. Writing helps us understand and give order to our chaotic lives and to a turbulent world.

Most writers want others to read their work. We want attention, validation, reassurance, fame. We want to be praised, questioned, challenged. We can’t help but write, but we like it better when our words are disseminated widely.

Despite our economic troubles, there never has been a better time to be a writer, because there never have been so many avenues to publication. Consider: You can set up a Facebook or Twitter page in about two minutes and start publishing your words to your friends and colleagues. Or you can set up a blog in about five minutes and start publishing for all the world to see.

These may seem like mundane forms of publishing, but I disagree. I have 255 friends on Facebook. If I write an essay and post it on my Facebook page, it is immediately available for perusal by 255 people who, because they know me, are likely to take a look at it. How would you have accomplished such an endeavor 30 years ago? If you wrote an essay and wanted to share it with your friends and colleagues, you would have had to make photocopies and either hand them out or put them in the mail to reach those 255 people. That’s a lot of copies, a lot of envelopes, a lot of addresses to track down and a lot of stamps. This process also would take a lot more time – days, maybe weeks.

Of course, we also would like to be compensated for our writing. We want our writing to be a money-making venture, not just an obsession or hobby. This complicates matters, but it’s not an unreasonable request. In order to be paid for writing, though, we must write something that a publication is willing to buy. This often means writing that is substantially different in style and substance from what we might post on Facebook or in a personal blog.

More often than not, what we’re talking about is journalism: facts, figures, interviews, research. We must be thorough, accurate. We must explore multiple perspectives. We must delve into subjects we might not otherwise care about. And then, once we’ve gathered the materials we need, we must organize all those facts, figures, quotes and multiple perspectives into a coherent and entertaining piece of writing.

It looks easy. It’s not.

But it’s also not brain surgery. Journalism is a craft that requires a set of skills that can be developed by most people who know how to read and to write a clear sentence.

The most important trait of a good journalist is curiosity. Successful journalists are innately curious about how things work. They follow a road to see where it leads. They ask lots of questions and genuinely want to know the answers. They aren’t afraid of talking to strangers. They aren’t satisfied with the conventional wisdom.

Successful journalists also are persistent. When they ask questions, they expect answers. They aren’t deterred by roadblocks. They know there is more than one way to get the information they seek.

Sometimes, journalism isn’t such a serious business. But writing a restaurant review or reporting on a ball game still demands the same skills needed to uncover the Watergate scandal.

4-27-09

Geoff Schumacher, a veteran journalist, is the director of community publications for Stephens Media. He is also the publisher of CityLife and Big Island Weekly. He has written two books, Sun, Sin & Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas and Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue (Stephens Press) and is working on two more. Schumacher was recently named editor of CityLife Books, a Stephens Press imprint. He writes a weekly column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. For more information, see www.geoffschumacher.com.

“Oh, no!” You know that sick feeling you get in the pit of your gut when the realization hits. You’ve just clicked “send” and you notice a glaring error. There’s no “unsend” button. No do-over. Jiminy Cricket, what to do?

A thoughtful essay from novelist John Updike appears in my AARP magazine this month. For those of you too young to find the world’s largest circulation publication in your mailboxes, you can read it here.

Updike observes, as an oft-published and lauded literary legend, that he is now of the age of confronting his greatest rival: his younger, nimbler self. “No mercy is extended by reviewers” but he also observes that likewise, none is extended to the rookie writer, either.

Updike, with deft command that defies the point, declares:

“With ominous frequency, I can’t think of the right word. I know there is a word; I can visualize the exact shape it occupies in the jigsaw puzzle of the English language. But the word itself, with its precise edges and unique tint of meaning, hangs on the misty rim of consciousness. Eventually, with shamefaced recourse to my well-thumbed thesaurus or to a germane encyclopedia article, I may pin the word down, only to discover it unfortunately rhymes with the adjoining word of the sentence. Meanwhile, I have lost the rhythm and syntax of the thought I was shaping up, and the paragraph has skidded off (like this one) in an unforeseen direction.”

Regardless, Updike retains the “giddy bliss” of creation and that his newest book, may also be the best.

Many of you know that I drive back and forth between Southern California and Las Vegas nearly weekly. Many nights across the dark and vast desert, I’m kept company with Paula B. and her guests, discussing all things related to writing. The Writing Show website has many resources with the weekly podcasts are my favorite. You can listen to the podcasts right from the website or you can download via iTunes as an .mp3 file. Check the archives and you’ll find a treasure chest of topics and fascinating interviewees. Paula is an adroit interviewer, and I know, since she just interviewed me.

Listen to Publishing Economics for a wide-ranging discussion on the process of publishing, who makes the money, how books get from the author’s mind to the bookstore shelves. Paula and I discuss what’s wrong with the book world these days and she even asked me what I’d change if I were Queen of Amazon.

When I was seven, I asked Santa Claus for a typewriter. A REAL typewriter, not a toy — on that point, I was very specific.

I remember feeling sure I needed a typewriter. I had no plan as to what I’d do with it. Oh, I’d “play secretary” and type letters or maybe write stories. Somehow, I had the notion, if I had a typewriter, that the words would just flow, unlike the laborious process of penciling block letters on lined newsprint or the faux-cursive I was experimenting with (real handwriting was not in the curriculum until the third grade).

My parents repeatedly asked me if a typewriter was what I REALLY wanted? I matter-of-factly assured them a typewriter was EXACTLY what I wanted and while Santa more commonly brought toys to good little boys and girls, I was confident he’d deliver on my request and was pretty sure I was on the “good” list.

Christmas morning, I awakened first. Tiptoeing down the hallway, my excitement bursting, I rounded the corner and there, under the tree, it sat. Atop its own black leather case was a REAL typewriter. Years later, I would learn that it was a military surplus training typewriter. The keys were different colors to teach learning typists which fingers to use. It also typed only capital letters. My dad paid $5 for it. He’d had quite a challenge finding an affordable real typewriter, just days before Christmas.

I sank to my knees and ran my fingers over the machine, holding my breath. A sheet of paper protruded. MERRY CHRISTMAS, CAROLYN. ENJOY YOUR TYPEWRITER. LOVE, SANTA. This was more than I could keep to myself. Rushing back down the hall, I shouted out, “Santa brought me a typewriter AND HE WROTE ME A LETTER!”

Later that morning, after presents had been opened, pictures taken and breakfast eaten, Mom showed me how to roll a fresh sheet in my beloved typewriter and I was ready to begin. I stared at the white sheet of paper. Frozen. I could not think of a single thing to type.

Writer’s block at seven.

Puzzled by grammar rules you never thought were important in the fifth grade? Wonder whether the preface comes before or after the introduction? Forgotten when numerals are spelled out? Fortunately, there’s a rule book . . . for all those pesky questions that can slow down the most productive writing session.

Hyphenation rules are many!

The Chicago Manual of Style is the “Bible” of all questions book-related.

• It will tell you the proper sequence for front matter elements.
• It will tell you when to cap and where to italicize.
• It will tell you how to hyphenate Italian and when to use the pinyin spelling of Chinese place names.
• It will tell you when it is Coast Guard and when it is coast guard.
• It will tell you whether it is whoever or whomever, contagious or infectious, hanger or hangar.

Every author needs a Chicago by their side and should refer to it often. Retails for $55, usually discounted on Amazon. You can also sign up for a FREE 30 day trial at www.ChicagoManulOfStyle.org. It costs $30 a year for access and you can bookmark electronic pages. Sign up, too, for the Q&A email and periodically you’ll get editing questions with answers from the editors.