Editorial Comments

Recently, I communicated with a free lance editor with these comments. My guidance is be an editor or what I would think one would be. Don't worry about money, rewrite where you think it should be (I can accept or not), do the grammar, spelling, whatever. The front material is not numbered. And, the beginning is really a teaser story to paint the picture of what readers can expect: a family where nobody is ever a stranger. Also, look for consistency and repetition.

Sue Knopf, who always puts Airborne Press stuff together, does some editing but as I've said often, most writers who may be the only ones who think they're writers, have a style and so to maintain that is also important. Most anybody can put words on paper but to communicate is another thing. I still get feedback on GTC, a memoir, Gun Totin Chaplain). And, that which is meaningful is when someone says, "Reading the book was like sitting down and talking with you. "

As we know, the book business is so convoluted that no wonder it is always under attack from non readers, meaning that reading may be a dying sport for the majority of Americans. The other day I met a book packager. He told me that he has about three contracts to write books which are assured of selling well because Barnes and Nobel has their own publishing arm and they will simply make the book do well: all their stores, prominently displayed, all the stuff they have to do. I actually have one of his books, a picture book, well done and sold according to him. 200,000 copies. It sold as he said, because of his pipeline. This is not sour grapes, merely what is. Without justifying, as an ADD type, I am very clear on what I'm doing and what I want, at least in this area. Thus ends the commentary.