The micro and macro levels of book editing

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Do not ask J. Jonah Jameson to edit your book.

Good editors are a lot less tyrannical than J. Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man (and also less colorful).

Developmental editing focuses on the story — characters, plot, tone, continuity, etc. (This video, about the making of Star Wars, explains it well.)  Line editing consists of detailed notes on the writing, everything from word choices to sentence structure to paragraphs or entire sections that need attention. Copyediting is focused on grammar, punctuation and spelling. (More on the differences here.)

Editing should never involve wresting control of the work from the writer. As John McIntyre of the The Baltimore Sun says: “Editors, generally, are introverts. We work in anonymity, not being actuated by a vulgar craving for public notice. … Because we are not driven by desire for glory, we are happy to share what we know of the craft: to consult, to advise, to train, to mentor.” McIntryre elaborates on the different types of editing in this video.

When I read a manuscript, these are the main things I’m looking for.

Structure

Does the story begin “as close to the end as possible”, as Kurt Vonnegut advised? Does the narrative progress in a coherent way? Does it move at a pace that will hold a reader’s interest while also providing the details and background that bring the characters and setting to life? Is there a discernible beginning, middle and end? Are there peaks and valleys in the action that trend upward toward the climax? Continue reading →

Tell me a story: The elements of engaging content

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screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-6-42-36-pmIrish author Roddy Doyle fills his Facebook page with brief, humorous and sometimes profane exchanges between two unnamed men in a pub. Their chats are often topical, and they resonate — his post on Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum was shared more than 16,000 times. These posts are like little gifts to his fans. And I hope he wouldn’t find it too crass for me to suggest that they’re also a form of content marketing.

The challenge and opportunity of content marketing is that you’re free to define what qualifies. Generally speaking, if it informs or entertains (or both), then it’s content; every other detail is open for discussion. In fact the more unique your content is, the more likely it will be heard above the endless noise of the Internet.

To be effective, your content needs to be:

Authentic

In my first meeting with one of my clients, an IT company serving small to mid-size businesses, the owner talked about his business. IT is complex work, and he will put his staff’s expertise against anyone’s. But at the most fundamental level, he explained, “We sell convenience. You turn your computer on and it works, every time. That’s what people care about.” His ability to explain his business philosophy in clear, jargon-free terms set the tone for everything I’ve written for them. Their content reflects their brand.

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Why hire a journalist for content marketing?

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“Journalism taught me how to write a sentence that would make someone want to read the next one.” (Amy Hempel)

When I worked as an editor at alternative weekly newspapers, I had a lot of responsibilities, but one of the greatest was approving the cover. Every week, the goal was to come up with an image and a few words that would entice busy, distracted people — with lots of other news options — to pick up a copy. Sometimes the cover came together quickly; other times we agonized over the details. And every week I checked with the circulation manager on the pickup rate; anything less than 95 percent felt like a failure.

At the time I never thought of this as “branding,” but it was. Non-mainstream media succeed by establishing and maintaining an identity, and the cover was the most widely seen part of the paper — its “face,” as one publisher I worked with often put it. But of course grabbing attention was not enough. Bait and switch is a terrible strategy for longterm success, so the cover story had to live up to expectations. And so did everything else in the paper. There are a lot of moving parts in newspaper publishing, an endless series of decisions about how best to both meet readers’ expectations and to surprise them in every issue. My judgment was grounded in years of experience as a reporter, gathering, distilling and presenting information for discerning audiences. (Alt weeklies are more closely related to magazines than to daily newspapers, and aim for an educated and engaged readership.)

All of this experience has proven to be a perfect fit for content marketing. Just about anyone can build a web site, send emails and use social media, but these tools are useless without a custom-built strategy built on a clear identity, a consistent voice and solid writing. That’s what I can deliver. Don’t take my word for it — read the endorsements on my LinkedIn page. You should also read what the Content Marketing Institute has to say about hiring former journalists.