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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  3715 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: George RR Martin eulogizes his agent

When, realistically, might your book get published if the process goes as you hope? 2016? (And, it occurs, are you even going to tell us? It'll have your name splashed everywhere....)

I've always wondered about the editing part of getting a book published. I just don't get it. Do these people, based solely on their expertise of what they think will sell and not necessarily on any sort of writing ability, edit Michael Lewis' books when he sends in manuscripts? How can that be anything but bad?





kleinbl00  ·  3715 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    When, realistically, might your book get published if the process goes as you hope?

If I knew, I'd tell you.

    (And, it occurs, are you even going to tell us? It'll have your name splashed everywhere....)

There are all sorts of parallel stupid plans in several mediums. I am a complex mutherfucker.

    Do these people, based solely on their expertise of what they think will sell and not necessarily on any sort of writing ability, edit Michael Lewis' books when he sends in manuscripts?

"One rule of the road not directly stated elsewhere in this book: The editor is always right. The correlary is that no writer will ever take all of his or her editor's advice; for all have sinned and fallen short of editorial perfection. Put another way: to write is human, to edit is divine. Chuck Verrill edited this book, as he has so many of my novels. And as usual, Chuck, you were divine."

- Stephen King, On Writing, Foreward

In that article you linked? Stephen King left Kirby McCauley for Chuck Verrill.

veen  ·  3711 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Thanks for the tip. I just finished On Writing and I quite enjoy delving into his approach to writing, even though I have yet to read a King book (it's on my reading list, I promise).

kleinbl00  ·  3710 days ago  ·  link  ·  

You might have missed your window; they're especially poignant in middle school. I haven't read a Stephen King since maybe 8th grade and am not his biggest fan... but On Writing is a hell of a book.

user-inactivated  ·  3715 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Could consider publishing under a pseudonym, because the sales you'll pick up from reddit etc are probably significant enough to go to the trouble.

--

I really need to read On Writing, but I'm still skeptical. I'd like to get my hands on Gatsby in manuscript form, or something. See for myself.