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I have had the pleasure of editing the last four books in the Marie Jenner Mystery Series by E.C. Bell. Which is probably why, when I asked her if she’d like to borrow my blog to talk about the latest release she decided to write her blog post in the format of a letter to her editor. Me.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.rhondaparrish.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Blog-2-1.png” title_text=”Tying the Knot Blog Tour” admin_label=”Blog tour graphic” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Dear Editor” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n
Dear Rhonda,<\/p>\n
Can you believe it? Book 7 is about to be released. 7 books in an 8 book series, which means there\u2019s just one more book to go! I have this feeling it\u2019s going to be a crazy year, so I thought I\u2019d take a moment now to tell you how much I appreciate all that you do.<\/p>\n
Now, I don\u2019t know if you know this, but I wasn\u2019t always the easiest writer to work with. As a matter of fact, when I first started writing, I hated having anyone touch my work. After all, it was my work, my words. And every one of those words was pure gold. Anyone with eyes could see that.<\/p>\n
(Actually, I was afraid to let people even read my work, for fear that I\u2019d find out I wasn\u2019t a real writer, but simply a bad copy. However, the result was the same. I didn\u2019t let people touch my work.)<\/p>\n
In spite of all that, I wanted to be a published author. Part of the deal when you decide to become a published author is\u2014you have to have stories published. So, I started sending my bits of gold out into the world. And surprise, surprise\u2014 some of them were accepted.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, I thought (foolish me) that selling a story or a book was the end of things for me. That the story or book would be printed, as it was, and that I\u2019d be paid. (That actually happened for the first two stories I sold, so you can see why I had that idea.) But I was wrong.<\/p>\n
Selling that book or story is just the start. That\u2019s when people like you get their hands on the words. A writing friend of mine called editing \u201cspackling.\u201d I called it housework. Never ending cleaning that honestly wasn\u2019t any fun at all. And I really couldn\u2019t see the point, because every word was gold. Right?<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the thing. I started to see real improvement in my work. All those bits of gold? Some of them were pyrite, and needed to go. Working with an editor didn\u2019t expose me as a bad writer. It made my work better, and made me a better writer.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I still overreact to suggestions you make. (Like, for example, rewriting half a book because a character was a \u201cbit too dark for the series.\u201d Oops.) And sometimes you make a suggestion that hits a line I have in the sand. \u201cThis is pyrite,\u201d you say. When I honestly don\u2019t think it is.<\/p>\n
But that doesn\u2019t happen often, thank goodness, because usually, you\u2019re right. You see what needs to be \u201cspackled.\u201d You see what needs to be cleaned. You see the pyrite, and help me pluck it out, so the work is better. Much better.<\/p>\n
So, I count myself lucky to be able to work with you because I know that you are working with me, to make my work the absolute best it can be. And what can be better than that?<\/p>\n
Not much, I say. So thanks, from the bottom of my heart.<\/p>\n
E<\/p>\n
Join my mailing list on my website at http:\/\/www.eileenbell.com\/<\/a> for news about new books, upcoming appearances and, occasionally, recipes.<\/em><\/p>\n Follow me on Facebook at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ecbellmystery\/<\/a> and Twitter at https:\/\/twitter.com\/ECBell6<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.rhondaparrish.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TyingtheKnot-lg-683×1024.jpg” title_text=”TyingtheKnot-lg” url=”https:\/\/amzn.to\/32AKJN2″ admin_label=”Cover” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n Pre-order now Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Kobo<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>(it comes out tomorrow!)<\/p>\n