I am in need! Any suggestions and referrals would be greatly appreciated.
Read some stories. If you like the grammar and punctuation, contact the author for a referral to their editor(s).
Ive talked to a few, but most of them are busy with the authors they are currently working with or their own projects.
Fanlon
Have you read through SoL's Volunteer Editor list? That's how I got started (before publishing anything, so my first couple of editors joined up sight unseen).
Write a nice note explaining your story and how it relates to the things they say they like (and that it doesn't do the things they say that dislike) and cross your fingers.
If you've tried that, I'm out of ideas, sadly. It's a very long list, though, so - hopefully?
I tried that when I released my first story The Windy Pines. Definitely a hit and miss tactic. I was kind of hoping someone would recognize me or the story title and want to help based off of that. lol
I have been given a few suggestions via email that I am vetting currently to see what they do with the first chapter of book 4.
My last editor just went blind, alas. He swears it was not my writing that did him in, but the aging process. As I try the hit-n-miss protocol, I am finding that many on the volunteer list do not bother to reply. This is the first time over the years I've had no responses to queries instead of "I'm sorry, no."
I actually believe I became a better editor after going blind. Being forced to use text-to-speech you are unable to miss lots of things eyes just skip over (there are certainly mistakes that are much harder to catch, the wrong homophone for example).
This is particularly true for self-edit. Eyes will very often see what you expect to be there, regardless of what is actually on the page.
While I don't write stories, I will often stop to read aloud the documents I create to hear how they sound. I catch more awkward phraseology that way.
While I don't write stories, I will often stop to read aloud the documents I create to hear how they sound.
I suspect some of the authors here are unable to read, hence posting stories with nonsense or misspelled words.
AJ
I've found text to speech to be very helpful in finding errors. It did take me several tries before I found one I was comfortable with.
I've found text to speech to be very helpful in finding errors. It did take me several tries before I found one I was comfortable with.
Which text to speech program, please?
I have about 50% hearing loss, so, I have some difficulty with some artificial speech programs. But I can turn up the volume. It is the "robotic" voices I have difficulties with.
It was YOMU. It offers a selection of voices. I don't remember the others that I tried but those I tried I likely found on Apple's Application webpage. Hope this helps.
I am finding that many on the volunteer list do not bother to reply.
That's disappointing. Didn't I read on here that volunteer editors and proofreaders have to confirm their availability once a month?
AJ
Per the volunteer editor list, it's every two weeks.
I used the list back in late 2020 and had several no-responses. Fortunately, I had several positive responses, too.
I am finding that many on the volunteer list do not bother to reply
Send the names to the site admin. If they don't have the decency to reply with a simple "Sorry, not able to because of..." Then they shouldn't be on the list.
I thought that, but if non-responsive editors were struck off, the list would tend towards becoming as sparse as the list of active reviewers :-(
AJ
Fick, I don't have huge amounts of time, but I'd do your stories. Our use of the language is at a similar level. FWIW, I think I got *one* request to edit in 20+ years on the volunteer editor. When I edited for Mack The Knife (wow, that brings me back...) I'd actually approached him, not the other way 'round.
One option if you have trouble finding someone is to buy a copy of The Copyeditor's Handbook by Amy Einsohn. The 3rd edition (2011) is under $25 on Amazon.
While it doesn't completely replace the need for an editor, it's the text most commonly used for copy editing classes. Editing your own text is a bit tricky, but by getting your text as clean as possible before submitting it to an editor you make their job easier (thus quicker) making it easier to get editors.
Years ago when I first joined SOL, I was on the VEL. I was on it for a year and never received a single request. Including myself I only edit for two authors. Any story I edit has to align with my interests and the author knows that. Fortunately, he isn't into incest, watersports, scat, or snuff. I have been sent stories that are so horribly written that I rejected them until they were rewritten. While I no longer advertise my editing skill, I will occasionally send suggestions through the messaging system. That's how I met my current author.
Or post a blog looking for an editor. Be specific about what level of editing you expect. Delete it and repost it every day until ypu get a hit.