How do manuscripts become books? Part 1
July 16, 2010
Let’s start with what is a manuscript and what is a book? Here’s the dictionary definitions:
Manuscript: the original text of an author’s work, handwritten or now usually typed, that is submitted to a publisher.
Book: a written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
Upon reading these definitions you soon realize the two are related, but significantly different. The truth is a manuscript is a living document, while a book is something fixed that can last for decades.
What do I mean by a living document?
When you as a writer write the first draft of a manuscript it is not usually ready to be submitted to a publisher. The manuscript may need to be scrapped and redrafted from page one or the manuscript may require polishing to get it ready for the publisher.
There is a huge myth in the writing community that re-writing and polishing are the same. They are not. Polishing is fixing typos, fixing awkward grammar, spell checking, POV shifts at the wrong place, and other minor fixes. Re-writing is reworking whole sentences or paragraphs changing the meaning the author intended.
Usually this rewriting occurs because the writer is insecure about the story, or they belong to a writer critique group that offers well-intentioned advice and the writer takes all the feedback literally and tries to incorporate all of this feedback into their manuscript. Some people swear this works for them. If it does, and you’re selling your work on a regular basis then hey, why not?
For most of us though this rewriting will result in the destruction of the authors intended story and take the heart out of the story. As an example, I recently read a manuscript where it was very obvious this is exactly what happened in the first chapter. It was a mess. Too bad, the rest of the story after all this rewriting was great. Unfortunately, no busy editor will ever read beyond the first few pages.
I know many of you reading this disagree and that’s okay. The myth of re-writing is very deeply ingrained, but you need to examine what you’re doing then assess what works best for you, and what results you’re achieving, then make an informed decision.
I’m going to end Part 1 with an example. A very well known New York Times bestselling thriller writer writes what he calls three “drafts” of a manuscript before he sends it to the publisher. He writes the first draft. The second draft is a run through for missing words and other minor stuff. The third draft he spell-check’s the document. Then he mails it and within a short time receives his acceptance check from the publisher.
Is this the same for everyone on the Times list? No, absolutely not but I imagine it is for many.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where I’ll talk about the editorial process after you sell, and we’ll talk about more about books and what they are opposed to manuscripts.
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