All this site does is try to sell you stuff money grabbing Bloomsbury
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I am always mindful of "you get what you pay for", as well as... Anyway. I see many aspiring writers falling into the ideal, if I want it badly enough, I shall have it as I like it. In the last year, I've spent about 600USD on services, classes, etc. I like face-time, and I require some sort/form of personal attention. I've recently "hired" a group which accommodates much of my needs for less than 5USD/week. It's mostly validation, but twice in this last month, I've been treated to relevations which have revolutionized my approach to my trashy little works. I'm thrilled beyond compare. I've been more productive in a few days, hours whatever, of focused writing, than I've been for a long time. Best in this bargain is the level of confidence imparted. I feel less want for someone to run my bit through Word to catch an errant run-on, than now discuss how a run-on can yield a measure of style or comment. But, at some point, a full read for 81K runs an average of 800USD, but this won't be to snare poor construction. Thank you, I'm new to this, by the way... And, you know, drive on the wrong side of the roads.
The cost of professional literary services vary according the type of service required by a would-be author. The author has to decided whether a particular literary service is affordable and worthwhile. For example, if a literary service cost under £200, how many hours would you expect an editor to spend on your work?
I have no idea how much an hour a literary editor would expect to earn, but let's say they earn £40 pound an hour. That equates to about 5 hours work. What do you expect from an editor for that amount of time?
So unless money is no object, a cash-strapped would-be author is well advised to thoroughly edit their manuscript at least 3 or 4 times, before considering parting with money for a professional literary service.
The good news is that there is a cheaper option for would-be authors. There are excellent books out there, which cover all aspects of novel writing, and can be bought cheaply on Amazon, or from other retail websites.
Listed below are my favourite guides to creative writing.
Aspects of the Novel - E M Forster. (Passage to India, Howards Way, Room with a View).
The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition) - William Strunk j. and E. B. White (Charlotte's Web).
The Art and Craft of Novel Writing - Oakley Hall.
How Fiction Works - Oakley Hall.
Learning to Write Fiction from the Masters - Barnaby Conrad. (Each year, Barnaby used to organise a weekly creative writing course in Santa Barbara).
The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction - Barnaby Conrad.
Sol Stein on Writing - Sol Stein. (Sol and his friends set up the actors’ studio in New York. Sol was a publisher, editor, best-selling author and award winning lecturer on creative writing at American Universities. Famous authors attended his lectures. Sol was also a friend of Barnaby Conrad).
Solutions for Novelists - The Secrets of a Master Editor - Sol Stein.
Characters Make Your Story - Maren Elwood. (Creative writing teacher).
Write the Short Short - Maren Elwood. (For writers of the Short Story).
I didn't accidently stumble onto my choices. I researched these particular books on creative writing.
‘No such thing as a free lunch’, is an old saying. I have always found it to be true, in the real world you get what you pay for, and in general terms the more you pay the better the service.
A prudent writer will search out what is available, and as I so often say in my replies to requests (on the W&A site), one of the best sources of information is the latest edition of the W&A Year Book. I am not paid by Bloomsbury to say this, it is a simple fact of literary life, and anyone wishing to be a ‘serious writer’ will buy a new copy every year – it is one of the major tools of our trade.
Most professional writers I have come across have always been ready to help the novice – but – it is expected the novice will have equipped themselves with the basic tools of the trade: a very good dictionary, a Fowler, Roget’s Thesaurus, a good guide on grammar, and lots of books of quotations. All these are very basic building blocks for anyone starting in our business, but I still maintain the foundation on which everything stands is the W&A Yearbook.
Bloomsbury no doubt wish to be paid for what they produce (and their staff will certainly want to go home with a pay-cheque), so they make a charge. Professional writers accept this – and make sure they bring the expenditure to the notice of their accountant!
Back to my ‘free lunch’ comment; if a new writer expects to have something for nothing, then writing is not the business they should be in.
I am always mindful of "you get what you pay for", as well as... Anyway. I see many aspiring writers falling into the ideal, if I want it badly enough, I shall have it as I like it. In the last year, I've spent about 600USD on services, classes, etc. I like face-time, and I require some sort/form of personal attention. I've recently "hired" a group which accommodates much of my needs for less than 5USD/week. It's mostly validation, but twice in this last month, I've been treated to relevations which have revolutionized my approach to my trashy little works. I'm thrilled beyond compare. I've been more productive in a few days, hours whatever, of focused writing, than I've been for a long time. Best in this bargain is the level of confidence imparted. I feel less want for someone to run my bit through Word to catch an errant run-on, than now discuss how a run-on can yield a measure of style or comment. But, at some point, a full read for 81K runs an average of 800USD, but this won't be to snare poor construction. Thank you, I'm new to this, by the way... And, you know, drive on the wrong side of the roads.
The cost of professional literary services vary according the type of service required by a would-be author. The author has to decided whether a particular literary service is affordable and worthwhile. For example, if a literary service cost under £200, how many hours would you expect an editor to spend on your work?
I have no idea how much an hour a literary editor would expect to earn, but let's say they earn £40 pound an hour. That equates to about 5 hours work. What do you expect from an editor for that amount of time?
So unless money is no object, a cash-strapped would-be author is well advised to thoroughly edit their manuscript at least 3 or 4 times, before considering parting with money for a professional literary service.
The good news is that there is a cheaper option for would-be authors. There are excellent books out there, which cover all aspects of novel writing, and can be bought cheaply on Amazon, or from other retail websites.
Listed below are my favourite guides to creative writing.
Aspects of the Novel - E M Forster. (Passage to India, Howards Way, Room with a View).
The Elements of Style (Fourth Edition) - William Strunk j. and E. B. White (Charlotte's Web).
The Art and Craft of Novel Writing - Oakley Hall.
How Fiction Works - Oakley Hall.
Learning to Write Fiction from the Masters - Barnaby Conrad. (Each year, Barnaby used to organise a weekly creative writing course in Santa Barbara).
The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction - Barnaby Conrad.
Sol Stein on Writing - Sol Stein. (Sol and his friends set up the actors’ studio in New York. Sol was a publisher, editor, best-selling author and award winning lecturer on creative writing at American Universities. Famous authors attended his lectures. Sol was also a friend of Barnaby Conrad).
Solutions for Novelists - The Secrets of a Master Editor - Sol Stein.
Characters Make Your Story - Maren Elwood. (Creative writing teacher).
Write the Short Short - Maren Elwood. (For writers of the Short Story).
I didn't accidently stumble onto my choices. I researched these particular books on creative writing.
‘No such thing as a free lunch’, is an old saying. I have always found it to be true, in the real world you get what you pay for, and in general terms the more you pay the better the service.
A prudent writer will search out what is available, and as I so often say in my replies to requests (on the W&A site), one of the best sources of information is the latest edition of the W&A Year Book. I am not paid by Bloomsbury to say this, it is a simple fact of literary life, and anyone wishing to be a ‘serious writer’ will buy a new copy every year – it is one of the major tools of our trade.
Most professional writers I have come across have always been ready to help the novice – but – it is expected the novice will have equipped themselves with the basic tools of the trade: a very good dictionary, a Fowler, Roget’s Thesaurus, a good guide on grammar, and lots of books of quotations. All these are very basic building blocks for anyone starting in our business, but I still maintain the foundation on which everything stands is the W&A Yearbook.
Bloomsbury no doubt wish to be paid for what they produce (and their staff will certainly want to go home with a pay-cheque), so they make a charge. Professional writers accept this – and make sure they bring the expenditure to the notice of their accountant!
Back to my ‘free lunch’ comment; if a new writer expects to have something for nothing, then writing is not the business they should be in.