Using Spreadsheets to Track Your Revision

3 May, 201622 April, 20177 Comments

I use spreadsheets to track my editing progress as I work my way through a manuscript. It shows me very clearly how much progress I’ve made and how much left I still have to do.

I tweaked the spreadsheet I created for myself to make it into a template anyone can use (in theory—let me know if you’re unable to save a copy for yourself!).

Here’s the spreadsheet in Google Sheets. Go to File > Save a Copy to save and modify your own.

(The Google Sheets version also has formulae if you don’t want to work chronologically!)

If that doesn’t work, I’ll walk you through the steps to make your own.

First open up a new spreadsheet and include the column headers (Project, Project Name) and row headers (Total Pages, # Complete, Section 1, 2, etc.) as seen above. If you have more than one project, create more rows for that.

Each project is three columns, with its first two rows each merged into one cell, which is why Project Name and the number of total pages are both centered. So merge B1+C1+D1 into one cell and repeat for B2+C2+D2.

Then in B2, enter the total number of pages for your project. In this example, I’ll use 300 since it’s a nice round number.

I filled B3 with a dark gray and turned the text white to remind me that when this template is all set up, that’s the only cell I need to update. I also set C3 and D3 with bold text and a very light gray fill, to set that progress apart as the total progress.

Decide how many sections you want to divide your project into. We’ll do three for this example, but you can add as many as you’d like.

Find the page number that Section 1 ends on. That’s the number you’ll put into B4. For example, if Section 2 starts on page 109, then Section 1 ends on 108, so enter 108 here.

Repeat for the remaining sections. Your last section (Section 3, or B6 here) should have the same number as your total pages (B2).

The total percentage completed (C3) is easy enough: it’s the number complete divided by the total number of pages. So in C3, enter

=B3/B2

This is where the formulae get a little tricky. We want to make sure that the numbers in column C stay between 0% and 100%.

The percentage finished in section 1 (C4) is the number of pages complete divided by the total pages, maxing out at 100%. So in C4, enter

=MIN(B3/B4,1)

The percentage finished in section 2 (C5) is the number of pages complete (B3), minus the number of pages in Section 1 (B4) divided by the total pages (B2), with a minimum of 0% and maxing out at 100%. So in C5, enter

=MAX(MIN((B$3–B4)/(B5–B4),1),0)

(Yeah, I definitely had to do some digging to figure that one out!)

For C6, you can copy and paste C5. Thanks to the trick Leigh suggested in the comments (adding the $), that first cell will stay B3 even when you copy and paste.

You can continue copying and pasting, but make sure that the formulae in the percentage column always start with the total number of pages. In my template, those cells are shaded dark gray.

Now for column D, the bar graphs. This is something else I had to look up and modify to fit my needs.

All we’re doing is taking the percentages in column C and turning them into graphs, with one vertical line (shift + the key under “backspace” or “delete”). We want 1 line for each 5%.

Start with D3:

=REPT(“|”,(C3*20))

Then copy and paste down the column. The C3 will adapt for each cell, changing to C4, C5, etc.

One last thing: quickly enter the total number of pages into B3 so you can see how much 100% is, then rescale the D column to fit. Otherwise 100% won’t look like 100% 🙂

If you save a copy of the template I created, you can copy and paste the H–J columns to create more projects.

Now that you’ve got your spreadsheet all set up, update B3 with how many pages you’ve completed, and watch the bars fill up!

xo Lara

Working with a Book Cover Designer

5 April, 20166 April, 20162 Comments

I don’t believe in judging a person by his or her appearance, but I definitely judge a book by its cover, and so do readers.Just say no to amateurish design. You want readers to take you seriously, don’t you?

If you care about your book, you need to care about your cover. As a former graphic designer, it’s easy for me to tell, based on cover alone, most indie-published books from professionally published ones. Some small presses hire amateur designers, too. Here are some tips to avoid amateur designs and get the best design for your book (or your buck).

7 Tips for Working with a Book Cover Designer:

Unless you’re a trained designer, your design ideas will likely be derivative of visual cliches you’re used to seeing.
Saying “do whatever you want” can often be paralyzing to a designer with a thousand ideas.
Therefore, give the professional designer direction but not management. Ask for a creative brief, a tool which helps the designer understand what you want. Give the designer a few ideas to get him or her going, and then let the pro do his or her job.
It’s often better to say what you don’t like than what you do. “Can we avoid the color orange?” is better than “My favorite color is purple. I want it purple.”
If you provide images or ideas, make it clear that they are to inspire, not require the designer to follow them.
Create a Pinterest board of your favorite book covers to understand what styles you like. It can also be a useful addition to a creative brief. (Sharing this with your designer will be especially helpful if you hire a newbie designer.)
Know your genre. A good book cover gives the reader an expectation of what the pages inside hold.

If you’re working with a traditional publisher, they will have an in-house design team.

If you’re self-publishing or working with a small press that hires freelancers, here’s a round-up of cover designers.

If you are absolutely confident in your ability to DIY, here’s a tutorial to get you started. However, I strongly recommend researching typography basics before trying to make a cover yourself. Specifically learn hierarchy, legibility, and how to pair fonts. Creative Market has consistently solid typefaces. Stay away from Papyrus, Comic Sans, Impact, Copperplate, and Scriptina. If a display, handwriting, or script font is pre-installed on your computer, you can bet it’s a cliche. I also recommend learning from the good, the bad, and the ugly book covers at The Book Designer’s eBook Cover Design contests.

Click to Tweet: 7 Tips for Authors Working with a Book Cover Designer via @larathelark http://ctt.ec/JWS8T+

Ask the Editor—Pitch to Publication Q&A

28 January, 20165 January, 20177 Comments

Pitch to Publication round two is coming! Last year I picked two writers and both got an agent. Whooooooo will be this year’s winner? I’m very excited to find out.

Here’s my interview, full of writing advice and insider information.

Bio

Lara is a freelance editor and story coach specializing in fiction and comics. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Northwestern–St. Paul in Interdisciplinary Studies (Literature, Writing, Editing, and Design). She love genre-benders, graphic novels, coffee table books, and smart, geeky fiction.

What is your writing and editing background?

I started tutoring writing and literacy in 2005. From 2008–2009, I was an acquisitions editor for my university’s literary journal. I’ve been freelance editing fiction since 2009, comics since 2013.

My passion is actually editing, to the point where I do that in my free time—hence participating in this contest!—but I do write, too. I’ve had half a dozen poems and some short fiction published in literary journals and magazines. My blog (writelarawrite.wordpress.com) gets more of my attention than the long-form fiction I’ve written.

What are your major editing accomplishments?

I’m not sure I can distinguish between “major” and “minor”—I care more about the writer’s growth in their technique than their frequency of book deals. Whenever a writer says that I’ve helped his or her craft, that’s huge! But I’ll admit I get proud when agents and other editors compliment me on my editorial insight. Both of my picks from last year’s P2P got agents, and I actually cried happy tears for them. They did so much work, I am beyond proud of them.

Okay, I will add the following:

1) Seeing my name in the acknowledgements of published books. Tears!

2) Reading my clients’ names and their manuscripts I worked on in PUBLISHER’S MARKETPLACE—a very exciting thing that results in many emoji and all caps. Especially when they’re tied with names like Knopf and Tor. (Can you tell another one of my clients is about to share some good news?)

My next editorial life goal is getting a Newbery sticker on a book that has my name in the acknowledgements.

Do you have a general philosophy for how you approach your editing work?

Writing for publication is a collaborative effort with a goal of creating experiences for the reader. Editorial choices acknowledge and affirm the reader’s participation in fulfilling the fictional world.

Editing is also collaboration between writer and editor. It’s a mutual partnership. It’s a conversation. I encourage my current and potential clients to ask questions and voice concerns. Some writers need more nurturing. Others want to improve at any cost. Either way, I give honest, encouraging feedback. I’m never harsh, but I do respectfully snark sometimes. Editors and agents are snarky creatures. It keeps us sane in the slush.

What types of books do you enjoy working with?

Immersive stories populated with distinct characters. I like my tropes subverted, and I like “happy for now” endings. I do like romance, but I want just as much (if not more) time spent on friends and family relationships. No human is an island.

What are the most common mistakes you see in new writers work?

Writing the unremarkable: if it’s not remarkable, why remark on it? Summarize or cut anything not crucial to the story (a character believably interacting and conflicting en route to a goal).

Over description and underestimation of the reader: Pick a “divine detail” to set the scene. Be specific. Paint a few meaningful, distinct strokes, and let the reader fill in the rest. Readers don’t want to be lectured; they want to participate in the story.

What’s the one thing most novelists don’t understand about the art of revision?

The first draft is about exploration and expression. It’s about the writer. Revision is about creating experiences for the reader.

What’s one easy thing every writer can do right now to make themselves a better writer?

Nothing about writing is easy! But reading omnivorously (poetry, fiction, popular hits, literary gems) will improve your writing. You write as well as you read.

Regardless of skill, writers who are easy to work with will find better success. Be a good listener, be professional, respect your readers, and remember that agents and editors are readers, too.

What is the most important consideration in selecting a book editor?

Qualifications and personality are equally important.

QUALIFICATIONS—Require either formal education in the field or experience being published at a national level. (An objective, literary authority should have acknowledged the editor’s writing or editing ability).

PERSONALITY—Decide whether you’d get along with the person. Read bios, interact online, and ask for a sample edit of your work before you agree to a quote.

Why would a writer need a book editor?

Every writer needs an editor, even editors themselves! Not everyone needs hire a freelance editor before getting an agent, however. Having beta readers can definitely help iron out the major kinks. I recommend writers invest in a freelance editor if they know they need professional insight.

What do you do for fun that does not deal with the literary scene?

Besides being a constant mom of two boys? Haha. When the halflings are in bed, I like to play board games with my husband while watching TV. I’m always thirsty for stories, whether I’m reading or not.

Seriously, we need to know your favorite meal and why?

Are we talking about a specific meal, or a favorite dish? I’ll take steak and potatoes in any form. But if we’re talking specific meals, here’s my top 3:

1) My BFF’s mom’s enchiladas
2) Original Beau Jo’s pizza (Idaho Springs, CO) with honey on the crust
3) Slice of bacon and a mug full of salted caramel ice cream with crushed pretzels (the only “meal” I ate the day Alan Rickman died)
Comfort and nostalgia, that’s why. And taste. …Is this a metaphor for what I like to read?

MOST IMPORTANTLY What kind of entries are you looking for in your Pitch to Publication query box?

Historical middle grade
Historical YA involving a natural disaster, mystery, or doo-wop group (historical fantasy is OK)
Illustrated novels (any age category, any genre except erotica)
An adventure story with a plucky, geriatric protagonist
Any “blue hearts” or “pears” from last year’s contests (I believe in second chances!)—I do still have my list of favorites, so no cheating. In other words, if you got a request from me last year, or were one of the winners of #pg70pit, you can submit a polished manuscript to me during #pit2pub16. Use the same email address you used last year.

Playing Lawyer: Defending your Story with Evidence

26 January, 20161 February, 20161 Comment

Sometimes I live-tweet writing advice while editing. I can’t help it; I’m a writing coach!

Here’s a lesson from today:

You never want a reader to say “I’ll have to take your word for it,”
the response to when you tell us something w/o showing us.(Tweet)

Telling DOES have a place, but you need evidence to support it—
something the reader can experience. Play lawyer; give us Exhibit A. (Tweet)

When revising, look for abstract/subjective adjectives (bad, good,
beautiful, mean, sad)—then PROVE IT to the jury: the reader.(Tweet)

To sum up:
Your story’s on the stand.
Readers are the jury.
You’re defending counsel.
Make jury believe your story with evidence.(Tweet)

And here’s a Making a Murderer meets John Baldessari image to pin or share:

How’s your writing going, by the way? Getting ready for all the upcoming pitching contests?

If you need help, check out my editing services. Here’s a look into my inbox, and the feedback from clients I’ve been getting:

“I really appreciate all of your comments. You’ve given me a lot to think about and great specific ideas on how to make my story better.”

“Thank you so much for taking the time to do this critique. Seriously. Your ideas and insight into my story are incredibly helpful. You are the first person to suggest not only using comps, but you are the first person who gave me some titles to consider using.”