• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

Agents who recommend editors

scfirenice

professional multitasker
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2005
Messages
3,937
Reaction score
388
Location
Between a rock and a hard place.
I got a call from my agent, who by all accounts is one of the tops in the field and above reproach. I'll leave his name out, but if you've followed my trials in the agent hunt you'll know who he is. Anyhoo, he called and suggested I hire a copyeditor to fix the punctuation and whatnot. Of course, he knows a few....His point was valid-the stuff needs fixed and I don't have the time/complete understanding of said punctuation to do it, BUT......It's so ingrained in my head that any suggestion similar to this is bad. There's no exchange of money up front, it would come out of my advance WHEN he sells the book BUT......

Thoughts?
 

Branwyn

Print release:Sept.1,'09
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
1,770
Reaction score
548
Location
Purgatory's Pit of Doom
I picked up a few books, Cliffs footnotes on grammar is one. Someone had mentioned going to college book stores to get them used (cheaper);) .
 

HapiSofi

Hagiographically Advantaged
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
2,093
Reaction score
676
Books on grammar will teach you to be a better grammarian in the long run, but they aren't sufficient to help you fix a manuscript right now.

I agree with Jim. If you don't want to pay a freelance editor, swap critiques or cookie-baking or whatever with an expert grammarian.

If you are willing to pay a freelance editor, I'd start by asking Nancy Hanger whether she's available.
 

scfirenice

professional multitasker
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2005
Messages
3,937
Reaction score
388
Location
Between a rock and a hard place.
Yeah learning punctuation more better than I do would be great (hee hee) BUT time is a huge factor. I am pregnant with twins and have an 18 month old so it is not like I have ANY time to spare right now. Well since no one is screaming that this practice is crooked, I'm going to tell them to go for it. My betas all have busy lives too and getting this thing polished for publication is not something any of us have time for.
 

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Messages
2,046
Reaction score
474
Location
Arkham Asylum
scfirenice said:
I got a call from my agent, who by all accounts is one of the tops in the field and above reproach. I'll leave his name out, but if you've followed my trials in the agent hunt you'll know who he is. Anyhoo, he called and suggested I hire a copyeditor to fix the punctuation and whatnot. Of course, he knows a few....His point was valid-the stuff needs fixed and I don't have the time/complete understanding of said punctuation to do it, BUT......It's so ingrained in my head that any suggestion similar to this is bad. There's no exchange of money up front, it would come out of my advance WHEN he sells the book BUT......

Thoughts?

Dang, you are so lucky. My husband and I are right in the middle of an agent search for one of our manuscripts (just got a request for a partial) and he is tearing his hair out to make sure there are absolutely no punctuation or grammatical errors (he's got a BA in English, which helps). I am about to do my own fifty gazillionth check, and at the same time wondering if we are too paranoid about this. Not that excellent punctuation/grammar alone would land anyone an agent, but I heard more than a few times that it helps up the ante...or am I missing something here?

sorry, just feeling frustrated...but in a way, better to have your dilemma than not have an agent, eh? I guess it all depends on how much money you have to repeatedly pay for editing services vs. investing time in learning it yourself. It's invaluable to have beta readers, as someone already mentioned, for the objectivity. Even though my husband and I both have strong skills in grammar and punctuation, we still find ways to improve & tweak the others' writing as we polish/revise.
 

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
5,198
Reaction score
915
Location
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
scfirenice said:
I got a call from my agent, who by all accounts is one of the tops in the field and above reproach. I'll leave his name out, but if you've followed my trials in the agent hunt you'll know who he is. Anyhoo, he called and suggested I hire a copyeditor to fix the punctuation and whatnot. Of course, he knows a few....His point was valid-the stuff needs fixed and I don't have the time/complete understanding of said punctuation to do it, BUT......It's so ingrained in my head that any suggestion similar to this is bad. There's no exchange of money up front, it would come out of my advance WHEN he sells the book BUT......

Thoughts?

Dang [edit, that's two dangs in a row], I've been trying to get him for years. He always says he likes it, but he can't take everything. I would do what he recommends.
 

HapiSofi

Hagiographically Advantaged
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
2,093
Reaction score
676
Last-minute qualms: Who is this supposedly irreproachable agent? And how much money are we talking about?