Writers’ Guidelines for Self Publishing
Are your writing abilities sharpened for your attempt at self publishing? About anywhere you look, you are apt to come across writers’ guidelines covering a myriad of topics. A question regarding guidelines is should we write like we talk? Let me answer that right off. not really. Most beginning writers (me included) have declared at one time or another, quite proudly, “I write like I talk.” That is OK if you are talking about how your characters speak. When you position quotes around your characters’ statements, it is suitable to write as they talk. Apply what your character would use when speaking. People say “ain’t” and “gonna” . if not, the writing should be tight, clean English.
I know I have been critical of the grammar and spell checker functions of the computer software I use. The problem is mainly one of obsolescence. Spell/grammar checkers are based on writers’ guidelines that fit what we learned in eighth grade English class. I have oftentimes skipped over the dreaded message “passive voice” because changing it did not read quite right. It sometimes results in a series of choppy sentences, but that only means that you have more work to do on it . something I am still learning to do. Talk about life-long learning! That’s what self publishing brings to the mix.
There are Exceptions
I started reading a book yesterday that had no less than fourteen reviews praising it and the author’s story telling ability. I am into it far enough to announce another finding in my expedition toward furthering my pursuit of becoming a better writer. I might be running out of time.
A friend of mine who used to teach creative writing gave me a series of writers’ guidelines which included a small list of caveats that came from a text citing writing a number of blunders. Among them were:
1. avoid writing in the first person (this book is so written);
2. avoid contractions (this book uses them liberally);
3. avoid passive voice (yup. lots of times);
4. avoid mixing tenses; i.e., using a present tense verb in explaining a past tense event or action; (uh-huh, that, too);
5. avoid words that end in LY. they are not essential (but they work here).
Forget the caveats? Not really.. The distinctive thing I noted here is that if you have a good story and a good story-telling style, all those rigid guidelines have exceptions. Somewhere out there is an agent who can sell your style of writing if it features good characters, a good story and reasonably good English
Just continue writing. Self publishing may be your best route to getting published, but good grammar still works, although it can also give you a headache.
This article was authored by <a href="”> Hank Lajoie who has self published three books and is well versed in <a href="”>self publishing and shares all he has experienced and is still learning. His background includes a military career, and he holds a BA in Public Relations/Journalism from Utica College of Syracuse University, where he also served as director of public relations and assistant professor of public relations. Just before retiring to Florida, he operated a desktop publishing company in Rome, NY where he started exploring <a href="”>self publishing, when it was still known as vanity publishing.
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