The Christian Communicator - Susan Titus Osborn

Susan Titus Osborn
3133 Puente Street
Fullerton CA 92835
714-990-1532
877-428-7992
susanosb@aol.com

Writing Tips

Writers' Corner
What Editors Are Looking For
by Susan Titus Osborn

One of the main questions I am often asked is: Exactly what is an editor looking for? Following are five things editors have told me that they look for in articles and stories.

1. Sharp Focus. An article should stay on target. In a previous column we talked about developing a good focus sentence. Make sure that your theme is developed throughout the piece and that you don't stray from your focus. If your article rambles or deviates on a tangent, it will be rejected.

2. Clean Copy. An article should contain no errors. Magazine editors are extremely busy and are always working on tight deadlines. They don't have time to rewrite your manuscripts. Make sure you have crafted each article as smoothly as you are capable and that you have checked the spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage for errors.

3. Appropriateness. An article should be appropriate to the readership of the magazine. Study the demographics of each magazine and take-home paper you are considering sending your manuscript to so you can get to know the audience. If you are writing an article on time management, your slant for parents of young children would be different than your slant for teens. Editors say that the number one reason they reject manuscripts is that the subject matter is inappropriate for their publication.

4. Pizzazz. An article should have pizzazz. Write on subjects you feel passionately about, and your emotions will come through in your writing. You must care about your subject for your reader to get enthused. You need to hold the reader's attention for the article to be worthy of publication.

5. Reader Involvement. An article should involve the reader. Editors want to print articles that directly impact their readers. When a person finishes reading your article, will it move him to action or make him want to change his life in some way? Try to find a way to make the reader play an active role in your article.

Susan Titus Osborn has authored 29 books. This column, also published in The Christian Communicator magazine, is taken from Chapter 20 of her book titled JUST WRITE! An Essential Guide to Launching Your Writing Career. To order an autographed copy of this writers' resource, send $12 to: 3133 Puente Street, Fullerton CA 92835 or e-mail: susanosb@aol.com.

Writers’ Corner
Book Process at a Publishing House
by Susan Titus Osborn

Various publishing houses approach the editorial function differently. Yet, the main job of all editors is to find good manuscripts, develop them, and then sell these manuscripts to the in-house departments. With the help of Len Goss, I revised my $5 packet on How to Submit a Book Proposal. In the packet, Len suggested four basic steps that he uses in reaching the publishing decision. He has given me permission to share these here with you.

1. Evaluation: The editor who receives the proposal is going to ask some hard questions about it. Does it fit squarely within the general publishing parameters of the publishing house? Does it fall within the mission statement? Is the topic timely? Is the topic significant? Is the manuscript's readability level about right? Is it well written? Is the structure of the project coherent? Does the manuscript or the book idea stimulate thought and inquiry? Is it generally usable for courses in the typical curriculum? If so, which courses and at what level? Is this an economically viable book? Will it attract a reading audience?

2. Review: What usually happens when an editor's initial response is favorable is that he or she will ask for the opinions of colleagues in the publishing house. In many cases, the material is sent to outside reviewers who are asked to read and evaluate the manuscript. The outside reviewers are chosen for their expertise in the subject matter of the manuscript. Sometimes manuscripts are sent to several reviewers, all in the attempt to determine the strength and weaknesses of the author's position or presentation. When the editor receives all the reviews, he or she must then weigh them and decide whether to reject the project or move it to the next stage, which in most cases means taking it to the publications board at the publishing house.

3. Decision: If things look positive from the editor's perspective, the project then goes to the publications board. This committee usually includes all the editors, the people from marketing, the sales team, various business managers, the publisher, and so on. The editor presents a summary of the manuscript to this group, and also present things like the author's credentials, a summary of the critical reviews, his own evaluation, and a summary of the financial projections. Financial projections are done on all books. They include projected sales figures, an estimated cost for producing the book, and an analysis of projected cost versus projected sales.

4. Contract: If most of the members of the publications board see the project in a positive light, then the standard "rich and famous" contract is offered to the author.

All editors have this in common according to Len: They are paid to process words into communication packages. They achieve this by getting the right idea together with the right author. It may be the author’s idea or the editor’s. But ultimately the rubber meets the road when the right idea gets into the hands of the right author. When this mix is achieved, the publishing house has a winning book.

Susan Titus Osborn is the author of 29 books. Join her six-session e-mail course and work personally with her to obtain valuable instruction and personal mentoring. E-mail: Susanosb@AOL.com. Write: 3133 Puente Street, Fullerton CA 92835.