revisions

Revisions: Are You Ready?

by sarahenni on March 16, 2012

If You Were Essie*, Which Would You Choose: Well Red, or Well Read?

“Well Read” seems like the best way to be sure people get the joke. But then you’re assuming a level of unintelligence in the reader—that they wouldn’t be familiar with the phrase “well read,” and wouldn’t understand that using “Red” makes it a joke.

But is it necessary to make “red” explicit? After all, the vast majority of readers will not have trouble seeing the color is, in fact, bright red. It’s less certain that they’ve heard the phrase “well read,” so erring on the side of spelling out “Well Read” might be the way to go.

But “Well Red” would provide Essie with more name consistency. Essie loves punning on color names  (Orange, It’s Obvious;  Pinkadelic). With “Well Read” it would stand out that this one particular bottle doesn’t have the color spelled out, therefore not invoking a pun of any kind.

But the name of nail polish color carries a strange mystique. If a reader picks up a color they’re already mildly interested in using or buying, a quick chuckle from the name means they’re 67 percent more likely to go with it**. Keeping it as simple as possible—spelling out “Well Read”—seems like the way to get the quickest reader reaction.

Are you following any of this?

Could you add a few extra bullets of your own?

Do you have an opinion on the final word choice?

Then you, my friend, are ready for revisions.

Welcome to the insanity.

*the nail polish company that produced these two polishes
*An awesome stat that I completely made up

Tagged as: Essie, Inner Debate, revisions, This post is the result of a fierce internal argument, Word Choice

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How NOT to Use Beta Readers

by sarahenni on December 12, 2011

Betas are as cuddly and awesome as this.

I love beta readers. I love the idea of beta reading generally, and I love mine personally. It’s one of the most important parts of being an active member of a writing community, and in my opinion no book should be sent to an agent or editor or even to your mom without some form of beta.

But I had an experience that highlighted, for me, the one way NOT to use a beta reader.

I had two rounds of beta readers for the project I was working on last year. After the first round, I had three sets of feedback and made changes that were transformative for the book. My betas kicked my butt, which is exactly what I love. Then I revised and sent the book to two other readers. Then I waited.

While I was waiting I started to kind of freak out. It dawned on me that the book needed major changes. Changes that would alter the entire structure of the book, and force me to write scenes I was scared of writing. PANIC.

But when I got the notes back from my beta readers, they didn’t suggest those (huge, sweeping) things.

So, instead of sticking to what I knew was the right—but really, really difficult—thing to do, I let the kind words of my beta readers carry the day. “Well, they didn’t say I should get rid of that point of view, so maybe I don’t have to!” I told myself. “Maybe I’m just overreacting!”

I did the revisions they suggested, which made the book much better but were smaller and easier than the revisions I knew I should do. I wrote up my query. I sent my book out into the world, to lots of agents who seemed really excited about it.

Then the responses started trickling in.

Agent after agent wrote wonderful, extraordinarily thoughtful rejection, and the majority of them said, “Why don’t you try [difficult revision that I avoided]?”

That is not the fault of my beta readers. Far from it! The book was so, so much better for their insight and suggestions. But I let external opinions override what I knew was right. I heard what I wanted to hear, because it meant a lot less work. I was lazy, and I was scared. I did my beta readers a disservice because I used them in the only way you really can’t use a beta—as a crutch.

Beta readers are essential to making your book the best it can be. But beta readers can’t read your mind. And it isn’t their job to figure your story out for you. I realized that the name on the manuscript is mine, and I have to take responsibility for making it the best I can be.

What about you? Have you experienced something similar? Have you got betas as amazing and cuddly as mine?

Tagged as: Advice, beta readers, edits, revisions, scary things, yes kittens and unicorns and stephen colbert

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