Where is everyone.
As a new bee to writing and publishing, I joined this group to listen to the chatter among experienced writers, or at least those having more experience than I.
Have written a 510 page book on the Hebrew Roots of Scripture which requires one final editing before sending off the printer.
It is not the most popular subject matter and is for a cliche market, but was a needed book for those caught up in religious groups that mix doctrines of men with Perfect Scripture. That are what religious cults are made from. The basics in Scripture are easy to understand when religion is eliminated from translation and the purity of the Spoken Word is allowed to interpret itself within the Bible.
Have chosen to both self publish and self edit for the above reasons. That makes my job a little more difficult, but after ten years of research and writing, there is no way that it can be turned over to religious thinkers to confuse the issues through editing. Perhaps I do not know exactly what an editor does but have heard horror stories about editors changing content and intent and loosing the author in doing so.
Well I am here to discuss whatever the experienced writers have to offer and pass along to a new bee.
Shalom Friends
Joseph
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Adell on -
Dear Joseph:
I'm responding as both a literature professor, author, and now a new small publisher. Your work seems to be geared to a very small and academic audience-religious scholars. Therefore, unless you have already established yourself as a specialist in your field, I would encourage you not to publish a manuscript that is over 500 pages, mainly because these days publishers, even academic ones, are looking for manuscripts that are in the 3oo-400 page range, including endnotes, an index and bibliography.
What I suggest you do is revise a chapter, proofread and edit very carefully, and then send it to a peer-review journal, that is, a journal that publishes articles and essays on religion and that sends manuscripts out to readers specializing in your field, Hebrew Studies, for an evaluation and a recommendation about whether or not the journal should accept the work. The readers will remain anonymous. This will give you an idea about the quality of your writing and whether or not your work contributes something new to existing knowledge about your topic.
Regarding having an editor working with you, think of the editor as someone who will help you shape your book, flesh out your ideas, and refine your writing. And please, I hope you take my criticism in the spirit that I'm offering it-to help and not to hurt: it's important to always remember that you are a writer, even when you're posting a message on this site, on a blog, or writing a letter or even an e-mail to a friend. Therefore, take time to write carefully, spell carefully, and proofread over and over again.
It's not always easy to find mistakes, typos, and so forth, when writing online, at least not for me, which is why I take my time. In fact, I found a minor error on the cover of my new book, CONFESSIONS OF A SLOT MACHINE QUEEN, too late to correct it; the cover had already been printed by the time I saw it. The book is due out next week and I have lost a lot of sleep over the past few days because of a really tiny error.
I now am working on my media and marketing materials and have hired a proofreader. I just can't afford these kinds of mistakes and there's a point when we as writers are just too close to our work to see mistakes. We need another set of eyes, an editor, proofreader, or copy editor. You can find material online about what each of these people can do to help a writer achieve his or her goals.
I hope this helps.
Sandy
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Czarniowski on -
Thank you Sandy,
I understand every bit of advise you gave here, and am sincerely trying not to offend the reader.
What I have discovered though is, in favor of not offending the reader I would destroy all of the work put into my book. It exposes religion and those who teach it. Now that is a big assessment but it is a true one. That is the reason I cannot allow an editor to mess with it. The words I have chosen to express its content cannot be changed or the message becomes watered down and the reason it was written is lost.
I have been editing for about 8 months, and right now am taking a respite, to then do a last self edit. Have had offers from Internet friends to edit and make things easier to understand but that changes the message to the commonly accepted forms of Theology (Study of Theos). It is the direct opposite of my purpose and the book's content.
When it comes out there will be many offended greatly and I expect a lot of flack. That flack will help sell the book. Two others offered to proofread it. They begin but cannot understand the message and ask or offer advise, the answers to which they become offended.
Religion has a very big hold on people and it is difficult to let go of. I went through that process myself, by reading Scripture without influence from established beliefs, then dropping out altogether and get out of the Greek Humanistic thinking to find out what Scripture really says. That is what the religious finds offensive: to find that their forms of study go against the Scriptures they propose are followed so closely. A Rude Awakening most assuredly.
So I must self publish, self edit, and self sell the book. There is no other way to do it. A publisher will end up owning it and drop the ball when it does not sell to his liking. He will also want to have his editor do their job on it and ruin 10 years of work. It is much to valuable to throw to the dogs, pardon my words.
The audience I geared for is not the religious scholars, they are the ones that have taken away the easy way Scripture defines itself. These are the very ones I go against. My book is for those who are afflicted by their selfish forms of governance over the sheep. The audience I write for are the returning Ephraimite that are coming out of the ancient pagan systems brought forward into today's un-faiths. These are the ones Scripture recognize as the second exodus faithful being called out from under the scholars of religion and collectors of their 10% religion tax. As you can see, I have now, and will create a lot of enemies.
I took my book into another format. Still 8 1/2 x 11 but in two columns with smaller font size and got the text into 250 pages. It must remain in full color though, because there is much Hebrew in the text and color coded to match the English for translation. It is also in a chapter by chapter booklet format. Twelve booklets with all 510 pages, making it a little more affordable.
Your second paragraph is hitting home with me, and I will begin to search out exactly that. I do write bits and pieces on Web-Forums across the Internet that do specialize in Hebrew Torah studies and see the New Testament through the Original writings, the way Scripture teaches us to study it, rather than the other way around that religious leaders tend to search. There are almost no disagreements. The subjects are thorough enough to leave few reasons tor negative comments. It also causes them to think. Really think!
I know about the mistakes and typos. They never go away. Twenty edits and still a few. Hopefully, this last edit will solve them all. There is no other way I can go at this. This work is not established thinking and does stir up study and research, exactly what it was meant to do.
The subject matter goes deeply into the heart of a man, exposing his own self will that usually destroys the basics Scripture warns will come when men take upon themselves to lead instead of following, which is our reasonable service. The Scriptures tell us that we show our Love for Him when we follow Him, not lead. A man's heart will never deceive himself: not today, yesterday or tomorrow. That is what I am trying to bring into his life. A perfect self assessment of himself without outside input. Just a thorough self realization of himself from the inside out, and where to find the beginning of it. It amazes many when they go deeply into the heart because what most find is a different person in many ways. What then comes out of that person usually establishes himself as the person he has been hiding for whatever his past reasons, but coming forth into a realistic assessment and a positive plan for the future to begin with. It causes much self analysis on a different plane than previously given attention.
I consider my book Creator Inspired, or I would not delve so deeply into its content, yet this first book is only a prerequisite for the second and third. The next book will go even deeper into Creation and the purpose that Scripture intended man to follow. Without the first book, the second will read more like fiction. The third, will utterly destroy today's established religious thinking. Big words, but the writings establish themselves to be inspired by the One that religion sets out to destroy.
Have printed out my book here on my Office Jet, had it bound at Office Max and sent many out across the country to those requesting, and the reviews are wonderful. For another set of eyes for spelling that spell-check misses and punctuation varies, I just do not see happening. Perhaps my readers are too polite to point out mistakes, or they are overwhelmed by its content, but it seems that I am the proofreader, editor and author. Hoping for book printer by late spring.
Here's hoping that your book follows its purpose for you.
Your background in literature should be a great asset in getting out your message.
This has been a pleasurable exchange of inner strength from the heart!
Perhaps our paths will cross again soon.
I like your library!
Joseph
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