Need An Editor? Meet S.A. Joo

I've been working with S.A. Joo since 2011 and she's seen my evolution from amateur writer on the cusp of 'getting it' through to self-published author who has finally managed to satisfy her own perfectionism enough to actually put some work out in the public arena.

What I value most is the way she helps me to polish my prose until it shines. It's been a year since I published Confronting the Demon and I’m still happy with the way the prose reads - maybe happier, given the luxury of a little distance which allows me to appreciate it even more. Ms Joo is significantly responsible for helping me to make that happen.

If you’re a perfectionist, this is the editor for you. The phrase ‘close enough is good enough’ does not exist in her lexicon, and she’s always looking for the best combination of words and sentences to convey the intent and maximum impact of the moment.

She’s a fiend for making sure there is sufficient diversity in your prose by ensuring you don’t repeat sentence structure, sentence openings, paragraph openings, words, themes and concepts too close together. She also makes regular sticklers for grammar seem relaxed.

S.A. Joo is an excellent editor in all respects, and will spot pacing issues, plot holes, inconsistencies, continuity problems, repetition and redundancies, but she truly excels at making your words shine. She won’t pull any punches to spare your feelings at the expense of your manuscript – the quality of the writing is paramount! 

Warning: Not for the faint of heart. But if you’re looking for someone who will push the quality of your writing and always encourage you to excel and perfect, you’ve just found yourself an editor.

S.A. Joo's Services

Full (Substantive) Edit

The full edit is a combination of substantive editing and copy editing. It's a two-step process that focuses on spotting structural issues within the story such as plot, pacing, voice, character development, and fact-checking. The first step provides in-depth, line-by-line markups and comments, which will guide you through your revision. After the necessary revisions are made, resubmit the final draft of the manuscript for a copy edit.


Copy Edits

Copy editing is also known as proofreading. It's a one-step editing, which corrects technical issues of writing such as typos, spelling, grammar, and formatting. 

Query Letter Package

The Query Letter Package includes critique and edit for a query letter, 1-page synopsis, 2-3-page synopsis (some agencies require different lengths).


S.A. Joo's rates are: 

• Full Edit. Four U.S. dollars ($4) per double-spaced page. Please use size 12 font, Times or Times New Roman, and 1-inch margin according to the standard manuscript format. Also, a critique of your query letter and synopsis is included in the Full Edit package of an average length novel (60k+).
• Proofreading/copy edit. Two U.S. dollar ($2) per double-spaced page.
• Query Letter Package. Fifty U.S. dollars($50). 

You can find S.A. Joo at http://sirraedits.com/

An Evening of Books with Brandon Sanderson

This week I attended a book signing by Brandon Sanderson, author of the Mistborn Trilogy and the Stormlight Archives, and the man responsible for completing the late Robert Jordan’s legacy, the Wheel of Time. 

In the course of the evening he chose to share some of his writing process with us. I felt like I should have been taking notes and didn’t have anything to do it with! So if I’ve forgotten anything, or get something wrong, I do apologise to Brandon, who was so totally cool and awesome that he was still signing books at 10pm when I left and he’d been going for two and a half hours!

First off, how many drafts do you think you should do of your novel? I know some people think they can publish a first, second or third draft. Brandon talked us through some of his drafts:

• Version 1 – This is the absolute first cut. Brandon tends to write each character arc from start to end independently, so at the end of this process the different points of view are not woven together.;
• Version 2 – This is where the storylines are woven together, revisions done to make them fit and to correct continuity errors;
• Version 3 – Brandon’s own line edit, where he focuses on sentence structure and polishing the prose. It then goes to his editor for his or her line edit;
• Version 4 – After the line edit by his editor, it comes back to Brandon. Version 4 is working through the line edit and making corrections line by line;
• Version 5 – this is beg revisions the editor asked for – new scenes and the like which have to be written from scratch. Then it goes back to the editor again.

It certainly made me feel better about the four versions I worked my way through on Deathhawk’s Betrayal last year. Out of curiosity, I asked him how many drafts he does total. The answer was a staggering twelve drafts for a Wheel of Time book (the series is so monstrous the extra drafts are required for consistency) and eight drafts for his own works. So if you think one, two, or even three drafts is enough – think again!

It's also worth noting that his drafts come back from his editor covered in red scribbles - this is always going to happen. If you don't get your work back from an editor covered in scribbles, the editor is not doing their job.Even if you got most everything else right, an editor will look for passive language, the chance to use stronger verbs, and to improve specificity e.g. oak door instead of wooden door.

I know there are those out there who expect an editor to tell them how wonderful they are and not change anything, but I'm sorry, it's never going to happen. If this is really how you feel, you might like to consider another career. Receiving feedback can always be a very demoralising experience, and Brandon admitted it is for him as well, but it's part and parcel of the job and it's never going to change, no matter how successful you are. Your job is to write. The editor's job is to scribble all over your baby.

Interestingly enough, Brandon said one of his weak areas is his prose. He doesn’t have naturally beautiful prose, which I found completely amazing. While being lectured about editing and prose, I happened to be reading the Stormlight Archives and noticed Brandon’s style is very effective. I asked my editor and she said yes, he is virtually technically perfect. Apparently, though, that’s something he has to work hard at! So there is hope for me yet. 

One of his stronger points is characterisation and he says he often has to dial back the characterisation. I think the lesson here is balance, people! Work on your weaknesses and don’t let your strengths get so out of hand they take over. Too much of a good thing is bad. Everything in moderation!

Lastly, if you are a Wheel of Time fan, Brandon told us a little story about the death of Asmodean at the end of the Fires of Heaven. If you don't know (and I didn't) the killer is revealed in the glossary (of all places) of The Towers of Midnight. I'm not going to tell you under which entry, but I'll wait while you check *taps foot impatiently*. If you really can't find it, let me know.

Anyway, the reason behind putting it in the glossary is that when Robert Jordan's notes were handed over to Brandon Sanderson, there was a post-it note stuck to one page which said simply 'X killed Asmodean'. No how, or why, just the name of the killer. Because all these other details are lost with Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan's widow and editor) decided the details would only be disclosed in the glossary. Brandon did try to slip it into a scene but it was removed during editing.

I’m sure there were other pearls of wisdom but I’m afraid for the moment they have escaped me. 

I should also mention how cool Brandon is – Tuesday night he was free and he issued a Twitter invitation for people to go and play ‘Magic’ with him. Apparently that’s a card game. I would have gone along if I had any clue how to play, but my friend was most impressed he gave out his hotel like that. Definite cool points. 

Lastly a shout-out to @goddessmallie, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the book signing. We waited 2.5 hours to have our books signed, with no phone reception, and therefore no Twitter I might add (AARGH!!!), and I'm sure we kept each other sane. 

I'm entered in the Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition for both Flight of the Dragon and Somebody Has To Say It. If you like this blog, or Somebody Has To Say It, I'd be eternally grateful if you'd be so good as to stop by and vote for me here.

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