Editing’s a bitch!

Scratch that, editing your own shitty work is a bitch. I find editing for others to be insightful, endearing, and overall rewarding in ways that writing can’t touch.

If you haven’t heard, I am now doing some freelance editing for European Geeks/Eleventh Hour Publishing. I suck at editing my own work, that’s why I (and pretty much every author does) need outside help. Working to help other writers get their shit cleaned up and turned into a quality novel helps me to better tune my own skills.

http://www.europeangeeks.com/about.html

Call me selfish, but I don’t mind reaping the benefits of helping others. It’s what this industry is all about. Unlike a lot of other markets, writing is about sharing and aiding each other. Comradeship between authors usually trumps competition because we all struggle to find our voice and need others to help us reach our full potential. That and every story has been told. Putting your spin on an old tale is what really matters.

I am constantly amazed by the amount of talent that surrounds me. Working for a small press has its rewards. The indie market is where new voices find their footing. Instead of being constrained to conventional markets, we get to take risks and allow writers to venture down new paths.

I’ve recently been finding myself pulled into more and more conversations about writers and readers with limited access to resources. Here in the U.S. we take our library systems for granted. I equate public libraries to food banks for your brain. I frequent my local library and encourage everyone to do so as well. But what about people in countries where education and literacy are not as highly funded?

The indie market is more welcoming to writers from impoverished areas. It is more accepting of the needs to aid writers during the process. The Big 5, the elitist high rolling companies that are “the gatekeepers,” do the human connection a disservice by ignoring voices that are often marginalized.

I’ve been considering what my role in this “rich-man’s-market”. I was raised poor. I know what it means to struggle, go without meals; be without a home. So I want to offer free editing services to anyone stuck in a limited area who wishes to learn the tricks of the trade. I’m hoping that others will help spread the word. The conundrum here is, “what about people who don’t have internet access?” I will do my best to accommodate correspondence needs.

This is a new program, a self-funded/one-woman show so to speak. But I didn’t set out to be a writer, I fell into this game and I want to do whatever I can to help others play. Timing isn’t everything, sometimes it’s the boost that others give us.