Friendit

Hey guys! Ready to jump into today’s topic? I am :-D

All right. So Monday, we talked about getting your manuscript finished, to the point that it’s considered “final” – or so you thought. There’s another step, before you can really say that your manuscript is done, that you’ve finished what you can do, and that it’s time to send it to a publisher.

Step Two:

The Frienditor

I’m guessing that you have no idea what that means, so let me explain. A frienditor is a friend who’s willing to look at your manuscript and give you some pointers about it, so you’ll be able to go through your manuscript yet another time. Yes, frienditor is a mashup of the words friend and editor.

But! There are a few things you need to look for in a frienditor, which is what I want to talk about today.

Preferably, a writer

This is a helpful attribute in a frienditor, because they’ll have a really good idea of what you’re going through and what sort of advice you’re looking for when it comes to your manuscript. Writers know what it’s like to write, and we know a heck of a lot about story. So, look for a frienditor who writes, even one who’s a poet. They’ll really be able to help point you in the right direction, and get your story where it needs to go. They might even find a plot error or two, that you may have missed.

Preferably, a reader

If your frienditor isn’t a reader, they’re not going to be able to help you, at all. They won’t know what makes a good story, or what to look for by way of errors within a story. So make sure you find someone who reads a lot. In fact, if you can’t find anyone else, just find a reader who reads in the genre in which you write. They’ll have a very good idea of what exists within the genre, and they might even have some good ideas for you to make the story better.

Preferably, an editor

I know these are harder to find, but it is possible. If you have a friend who’s an editor, or who is really good at editing but doesn’t do it for a living, ask them for help! We’re not all that rare, honestly, but we’re not always very loud about liking to edit. It’s culturally weird, to like editing. Trust me. I’m an editor.

Anyway, find a frienditor who’s an editor, who knows what it’s like to find errors in any given work, and who’s good at it. This can honestly be the best type of frienditor to find, when push comes to shove. Harder to find, yes, but well worth the hunt. 

And honestly, if you can find one person in each of those categories, it's even better if you send your manuscript to three people. You'll get more pointers, which only helps. 

Definitely, someone you trust

If you don’t trust your frienditor, you’re in trouble. You need to be working with someone you trust, someone who’s not going to go off the deep end, and someone whose advice you can trust. Don’t go with someone who will just tell you that it’s good or that it’s bad, but someone who will give you real, honest advice. Without that, there’s no point to this step at all.

Once your frienditor has read your manuscript and given you their notes, take the time to go through the work one more time and adjust for their comments.

Now, you just might be ready. Next time, we’ll go through our checklist.

[love]

{Rani D.}