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Spend 3 months with Publisher and Senior Editor Liz Pelletier and completely self-edit a manuscript ready to submit for publication!
Have you completed a rough draft of your book but have no idea how to tackle your edits? Have your submission efforts netted a full request from an editor or agent only to end in rejection after they’ve reviewed your manuscript? Do you want to learn how to edit like a professional editor?
Then you are a prime candidate for “Edit Like a Pro” mentoring. This course will lead you, step-by-step, through the mechanics of the standard “three pass” editing method used by most editors, while teaching you how not only to recognize weaknesses but also how to fix them. By the end of 3 months, you should have a book ready to submit to a publisher or agent.
Objectives of the three-month sessions:
- Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript as a whole: ensure your plot has a nice shape, stakes and conflict are compelling, and character arcs develop organically
- Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript scene by scene with narrower concepts such as scene GMC, scene & sequels, POV slips, pervasive bad habits, lagging middles and other pacing issues, and refining your voice
- Learn how to line edit like a pro, tighten language without “over editing”
- Have fun while developing new writing skills
SPACE IS LIMITED TO ONLY 10 STUDENTS!
COURSE DETAILS:
COURSE APPLICATION PROCESS & TUITION
Due to the intensive nature of this mentoring program, all prospective students must first submit an application plus a 5-page sample of their writing which has NOT already been critiqued or edited. The instructor needs to be able to assess the shape of your manuscript as a whole, not the first thirty pages or so which may have been heavily edited for contest submissions. A completed synopsis (even if rough) will also be required to make sure no student’s manuscript is going to require more than a 50% rewrite.
Admittance is at the instructor's discretion, and Ms. Pelletier will be evaluating applications as they are received. Once an application has been approved, the student will have 48 hours to complete the downpayment.
An application will be sent once registration is completed.
Tuition will consist of one non-refundable $200 deposit to be applied to your last month’s tuition and two additional monthly payments of $200 each.
Cancellation Policy: Any student may cancel at any time after the course begins and forfeit the non-refundable deposit.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Winter Track I - FULL
This track will begin on Oct 1st, 2011 in a special area of our Forum and end on January 15th, 2012, with a two-week break during the December holiday season and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time.
Winter Track II - Open
This track will begin on Jan 16, 2012, in a special area of our Forum and end on April 15th, 2012, with a two one-week breaks during the course for students to catch up, and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time.
Spring Track I - Open
This track will begin on April 1, 2012, in a special area of our Forum and end on June 30th, 2012, with a two one-week breaks during the course for students to catch up, and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time.
COURSE FORMAT
This course will be taught using a combination of forums, email, and bi-monthly Webex live teleconferences.
INSTRUCTOR BIO
Publisher and Senior Editor at Entangled Publishing, Liz Pelletier frequently teaches workshops on self-editing and revisions, how to write a selling query, and how to fast draft. Co-founder and managing partner of Savvy Media Services, which owns Savvy Authors, Savvy Readers, and Entangled Publishing, Liz has also held board positions for other writing associations, and served twenty years as the editor for a broadly-circulated, weekly industry newspaper.
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COURSE OUTLINE:
Month One: Overall Construction
The first month will be devoted to analyzing and editing your book as a whole; learning to utilize the three-act plot structure; fixing plot holes; focusing on goal, motivation, conflict, and disaster; examining your worldbuilding; creating likeable and engaging characters, defining strong character arcs, correcting pervasive issues which hinder readability. You will read your entire manuscript, complete a first pass edit letter to yourself, and execute the necessary changes.
Month Two: Scene by Scene
This month you’ll go through your manuscript scene by scene, as well as line by line where appropriate, and apply lessons on POV, scene GMC, emotional sequels, backstory, ending scene hooks, theme, imagery, literary devices, and voice. Be aware that due to the demands of my publishing career, I won’t be able to undertake individual line edits for your manuscripts. Instead, I will teach you how to do line edits for yourself, which will equip you to be an independent writer. I am a very hands-on teacher, preferring to demonstrate through examples where appropriate, however I will only have the time to assess samples of your writing and answering specific questions as needed.
Month Three: The Final Polish
This month you’ll go through your manuscript line by line and apply lessons about cadence, phrasing, dialogue tags, weak words, tightening language, over-writing, and clichés. We’ll also look more closely at metaphors and similes and other literary devices: when to use them to make a scene more powerful and when they simply get in the way. Again, I will not have the time to line edit your entire manuscripts, but I will line edit the first 30 pages of each manuscript to better demonstrate how to identify and correct problem areas.
Month Four: Stragglers and Queries
An optional fourth month is available for those who may need to work at a slower pace or whose edits will require a significant amount of new writing. In addition, we will work on crafting a saleable query letter (or blurb for those planning to self-publish).
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PACE AND WORKLOAD
Be prepared for a quick pace! This course will be offered again in January for those who need longer to revise their manuscripts, but the ability to sign up for another session should not be used as an excuse to not put in the time and effort necessary to edit your book!
Although some authors will have manuscripts that require less time-consuming edits, others may simply be faster editors. In general, there is an expectation of an average of1-2 hours daily spent reading lessons and applying concepts learned.
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