Write About Now

Orr Street Reading, February 26

Next Tuesday, February 26, I'll be doing a reading in Columbia, MO at Orr Street Studios as part of Hearing Voices program, a bi-weekly program of readings and conversation. Here's the official announcement.

Submissions Advice from Mike Duran

Putting in time as an acquisitions editor can be invaluable for authors. It gives you a glimpse of the other side. Mike Duran has been reading submissions for Coach's Midnight Diner, which has prompted him to share some of the lessons learned. His advice is well worth reading. (He even quotes from yours truly.) This bit is so good it deserves to be engraved in marble:

"The best stories are the ones that need the least editing. I’m surprised how many authors believe their job is to just get the story out there; the editor’s job, they think, is to clean it up. No, no, no! This freak wants to do as little work as possible. A story must be pretty damn good for an editor to go back to the author and ask for a rewrite. If you can’t deliver a product that requires minimal, if any, changes on the part of the editor, don’t send it."

No editor worth his salt is going to turn down a work of genius because of a few typos -- but let's face it, most of us aren't geniuses and we need all the help we can get. When I wear the editorial hat, I'm not looking for work with promise. I'm looking for stories whose promises are delivered on the page. I've turned down plenty of things in my time that could have been good with some work. As an author, you can't expect an editor to function as an exalted critique partner, giving you notes on how to make your story publishable. There are too many people sending out polished work. So if you want to improve your odds, take a look at Mike's advice. Your editors will thank you.