Building a Solid Weekend - Part 3

Today I spent a few hours rethinking a plot point of my current project. I should confess that I’ve actually been working on things for this manuscript for several months. Come to think of it, I’ve been reconsidering portions of a book I wrote six years ago.

Maybe you have some of the same issues. You’re almost done and yet you aren’t because there’s one more thing you want to fix. That one more thing turns into two, then three, then … Well you get the idea.

What to do? What to do? Rewrite, rewrite and rewrite again. Then? Edit, edit and edit some more.

But you protest, "I was done with it. I even wrote THE END."

That's fine, and you did write it in all caps so we'd know you really were done. There is one point I would make though, it can't hurt to go over your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb.

"No one goes through all of that!" You grumble. "I catch mistakes in printed books all the time."

So do I, but then again, we all make mistakes. That's why pencils have erasers and computers have a DELETE key.

A writer friend told me about a published author she’d recently heard interviewed. The author confessed that she edited her manuscripts more than fifty times before she was satisfied that they were as polished as they could be.

My friend and I chuckled at the thought of going through our manuscripts that many times before we submitted them. Then we both realized that that author had something neither of us had: published books.

I don’t know if a manuscript requires more than fifty edits, but every manuscript could use some rewriting and perhaps a little editing even when you’re convinced it’s finished.

Most of the sessions I highlight here are designed to give you the tools necessary to get your manuscript into its best form. And once it's in tip-top shape, the rest of these sessions are all about submitting your project to an editor or agent for potential representation.

Look these over and plan on showing up to at least one of them, your manuscript and writing career will benefit.

You’re Done (at least with the 1^st draft)! Now What?

Friday 9:00 –

(1) Editing Isn’t for Kids: The Young Adult/Children’s Markets from an Editing Point of View – Molly O’Neill

(2) Am I Done Now?: Editing from the First Paragraph to the Last Period – Carrie McCullough

Friday 1:30 –

(1) That’s Different … Get Positive Attention from Editors and What Will

Hurt! – James Frenkel

Saturday 9:00 –

(1) Courting a Query: Tips to Catch an Agent – Melissa Jeglinski

Saturday 10:30 –

(1) Case Solved: Finding Ways to Grab a Mystery Editor’s Eye – Toni Plummer

Saturday 1:30 –

(1) Not Kids’ Games: Making Your Young Adult and Children’s Manuscripts Editor-Ready Works – Molly O’Neill

(2) A Little Verb, A Little Noun: Creating A Synposis That Sells – Stephanie Sun

Faculty Update - Breaking News!

New York Times best-selling author, ANDREW GROSS, has just been added to the faculty for this year’s conference. Mr. Gross replaces suspense author M.J. Rose as our key note speaker. Ms. Rose had a conflicting family matter and cannot be with us. M.J. was instrumental in securing Andrew to be our Saturday evening key note speaker. I want to thank M.J. for helping us with this and thank Andrew for agreeing to take over for her.

You may know Andrew best because of his writing relationship with mystery/thriller/suspense author, James Patterson. Together they had six number one thrillers, including two of the Women’s Murder Club books.

Andrew is the author of five novels, three featuring fictional detective Ty Hauck of Greenwich, Connecticut. His most recent novel, Eyes Wide Shut, came out in July of this year.

We look forward to having Andrew with us and hearing his words of inspiration during dinner on Saturday, October 22.

Early registration ends on at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, September 1, 2011, when the clock strikes midnight, rates will go up $50.

We’re excited about the conference and hope that you are as well. See you in October!

2011 Crituque Guidelines Reminder

Although the SCWW standard and extended critique guidelines are pretty much the same as it was in 2009 and 2010, please, read this before submitting your critique materials!

Before I cover some FAQs I want to make one thing totally clear. If you purchase a standard critique, send ONLY ten (10) pages of the material. You may send an optional one (1) page synopsis. I will not send any more than tweleve (12) pages to the faculty member: cover, synopsis, manuscript. The same goes for extendeds. Send only thirty (30) pages, the cover and the optional synopsis, bringing the total to thirty-two pages. If you send more, I will return the electronic copy to you and you'll have one chance to delete the extra pages. Beyond that I will destroy the copy and it will not be sent to the faculty member and you will not get a refund. Send ONLY what's asked for and included in the purchase price. Please, do not "force fit" all the information you want to get in for those pages. The material should be double spaced and with 1-inch margins. Do not change it to an 8-point font.

1.How should I format the hard copies I send to you?
Although some agents and editors have particular instructions for submissions, for the conference, it's best to stick with standard formatting. All critiques should be in Times New Roman or Courier 12pt font. They should be printed on regular printer paper (20lb., 92 brightness). Make sure all your margins are 1". For the header, place your name and the working title of your manuscript in the upper left hand corner. In the upper right, insert the page number and the estimated word count (if you know it). Send a title page, for each of the two copies, with the title of the manuscript and your contact information. You may send a one-page synopsis if you'd like--standard format. Bind each copy together with a binder clip, rubber band or paper clip. Now for the DON'T part: no report covers, no staples and please, PLEASE no cardstock weight paper.

2.How about the formatting for the electronic copy?Save the electronic copy as a .DOC or .RTF. Name the file like this:

2011manuscriptyourlastname.
For example, if my manuscript was named The Devil and Hotdog Smith, here's how the file would look once I save it.

2011TheDevilandHotdogSmithMcCullough.rtf

Include all three elements, manuscript, synopsis, and cover page, in ONE file. If I get your manuscript and it's not in the right format, I will return it to you and ask that you save it in the right format. To select the format, To do this, open your document, go to SAVE AS. Name your document (see instructions above) and then in the drop down, below the name, select one of the above formats.I hate to be a stickler for this but it's imperative, for all sorts of compatibility issues, that I get the files in this format. While I would like to be able to just fix it for you, I neither cannot nor will not do that. I do not want to alter your work, intentionally or otherwise, in any way.


3. How will I know you got my stuff?
When I get your materials, I will send you an email confirming they arrived safe and sound. In the case of hard copies, I will stamp them with the date and file them alphabetically. In the case of electronic copies, I will open them and check for any file corruption issues. If you have emailed or mailed your materials and you have not heard from me in a reasonable time frame, feel free to email. Please give the Post Office (and me) ample time to process your materials before you email.


4. Where do I send my stuff?
For the hard copies, mail them to the address below. Please copy this address EXACTLY to avoid any snags in delivery.
Carrie McCullough
SCWW Critique
2240 Cadden Road
Augusta, GA 30906

For the electronic copies, attach your file and email them to:
scwwconference2011@gmail.com


5. Can I revise my manuscript once I send it to you?
No. I will only accept the first version you send, unless of course there is some major disaster like my computer crashes or your file is corrupt. There's a lot of planning behind this aspect of the conference and to be fair to everyone, I cannot accept revisions. Make sure you send the best, most polished version to me. If you attempt to send a revision, the email will be returned with the attachement unopened and any hard copies will be shredded.


6. Can I change my faculty choices after you get my materials?
No. Once the manuscript has been received and assigned, there will be no changes -- unless the faculty member is for some reason unable to accomodate your manuscript.


7. What if I query my faculty member before the conference and receive a rejection letter after I've chosen that person to critique my work?
Still, NO. My advice would be to refrain from querying the person(s) you select for critique. It can make for a very awkward meeting. Save the query letter until after you've met at the conference.


8. If my book sells before the conference, can I get a refund for my critique?Once your materials have been received, logged in and confirmed, there will be NO refunds for critiques. Check out our policy for conference attendance refunds on the registration grid.


9. Will you call me if you see something terribly wrong with my manuscript so I can change it before it's sent to a faculty member?
If there is a problem with the file--corruption, weird characters, in another language---I will contact you and offer you the opportunity to resend. However, I will not, in any way, edit or read-though your submission for content or for copy-editing purposes. I will occassionally read the first couple of paragraphs to make sure your manuscript matches the requests of the faculty member. It is your sole responsibility to be comfortable and confident with your work before you send it to me.


Email me at scwwconference2011@gmail.com with any questions you have--or post to comments--and I'll answer them. It's best to get the questions out of the way before the rush of materials in late summer.