Hi, So I asked a similar sort of question way back when I joined, but I've learned a lot since then about myself, and about the whole process and business of trying to get published.
A little on myself. I've been writing my series for almost 10 years now, sadly because of my several severe learning disorders its impossible for me to correct my own work. Not just my own, any.(And please understand that I worked my ass off to try and fix everything myself. I've been working for the last four years on it, so its not just me being lazy or not working hard enough) So naturally having written a 125K book there are more then a fair share of problems. A special computer program i own has fixed about 97% of my spelling, but its not the best with grammar. A big problem of mine is punctuation. Because of that I even have a very hard time finding beta readers because they find it challenging to read when there are barely any comma's in the entire book.
So now i'm looking into editorial services and options. Because its becoming a daily depressing struggle to think you put all this work in writing and re-writing a book that you cant even query because you dont really have other people's view on it, and because you cant get the manuscript in a final Ready condition.
So I've tried looking up editing services but lets say the low range is about $1,500 that would be a whole year of my wages. (I'm a full time college student) Next i tried bribing friends and strangers to do it, I have one person lined up! But i'm worried that when they see the full extent of the condition its in, they will quickly quit, like others have before. (And i wouldnt blame them if they did honestly) But that would still leave me back at square one.
So really my question(s) is/are, know of other way i can go about getting my manuscript edited that wouldn't cost me my non-existent savings? So far I've tried getting English majors at my college to do it, but i only know a few, and they were all too busy. Think a flyer in the department would be a good idea? (Hell I'm willing to try Crag's List at this point) Know any editing services that are free by any chance? Is it possible to put every chapter up one at a time on SYW and have the amazing people here help? I heard of quick editing programs books get run through when they are about to be self-published... but I also heard they dont really work... are they worth looking into farther? Last but not least from what i know of Agents they dont really want to know/care about any problems the writer has... think one out there might understand and read it with the problems?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for any advice!
A little on myself. I've been writing my series for almost 10 years now, sadly because of my several severe learning disorders its impossible for me to correct my own work. Not just my own, any.(And please understand that I worked my ass off to try and fix everything myself. I've been working for the last four years on it, so its not just me being lazy or not working hard enough) So naturally having written a 125K book there are more then a fair share of problems. A special computer program i own has fixed about 97% of my spelling, but its not the best with grammar. A big problem of mine is punctuation. Because of that I even have a very hard time finding beta readers because they find it challenging to read when there are barely any comma's in the entire book.
So now i'm looking into editorial services and options. Because its becoming a daily depressing struggle to think you put all this work in writing and re-writing a book that you cant even query because you dont really have other people's view on it, and because you cant get the manuscript in a final Ready condition.
So I've tried looking up editing services but lets say the low range is about $1,500 that would be a whole year of my wages. (I'm a full time college student) Next i tried bribing friends and strangers to do it, I have one person lined up! But i'm worried that when they see the full extent of the condition its in, they will quickly quit, like others have before. (And i wouldnt blame them if they did honestly) But that would still leave me back at square one.
So really my question(s) is/are, know of other way i can go about getting my manuscript edited that wouldn't cost me my non-existent savings? So far I've tried getting English majors at my college to do it, but i only know a few, and they were all too busy. Think a flyer in the department would be a good idea? (Hell I'm willing to try Crag's List at this point) Know any editing services that are free by any chance? Is it possible to put every chapter up one at a time on SYW and have the amazing people here help? I heard of quick editing programs books get run through when they are about to be self-published... but I also heard they dont really work... are they worth looking into farther? Last but not least from what i know of Agents they dont really want to know/care about any problems the writer has... think one out there might understand and read it with the problems?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for any advice!
