Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance

Sensual western romance. Heartwarming stories. Strong family ties.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance
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  • Tag: editor

    • #MFRWauthor Week 10: Love or Hate ~ Editing!

      Posted at 12:03 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on March 6, 2020

      Week 10: Editing – love it or hate it?

      52-Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop

      If I had to answer this question after having the first round of my first book edited, it would be a toss-up between dread and hate. I’ve come a long way from not knowing how to use Track Changes.

      Editor’s Edits:

      This comes as I am working on EDITS just back from my fantastic editor. Do I love it or hate it? Now that I know what I’m doing, I love editing when it comes back from her. I love to see the suggestions she offers to make the book better. So, this part I do love.

      If there are changes that will take thought or time, I don’t love it so much because I want my book finished, and then there’s the ego thing with an instant… “No, I’m not changing that” mindset. This is when patience and reality come into play. I usually always make the changes and accept her suggestions because she’s the expert.

      Even when it means tossing the complete first four or five paragraphs, and beginning the book in a different place, like with my current book. I loved my beginning as it was, but after giving it a couple of days to think about, I realize she’s right, and I can take some of the original and add it back in elsewhere, per her suggestion.

      Self-Editing: Love or Hate

      What about revising and editing a book after the final draft and before it goes to the editor? It’s frustrating when a story that looks and feels right in a draft, isn’t the same as when getting down to the nitty-gritty and looking at it with a self-editor’s eye. A time when you now know the complete story–where it’s been and where it’s going. It’s amazing to catch mistakes like: the time-frame is out of sync, or I spelled a character’s name incorrectly, or when I have to move something to a better place. Gasp! Or ditch my precious words. I love to see a book come together and watching characters develop more fully. Settings too become more real. This is what I love about revising and self-editing before anyone sees it.

      So there it is, plain and simple. Turns out, I love editing more than I love writing the first draft though I do enjoy writing a draft to see what surprises are revealed.

      What I don’t like is revising and editing blog posts.

      What about you?


      Do other authors love editing? Hate it? We can find out by visiting participating authors at the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog.

      Now it’s time to get back to editing.

       

      Image credit:

      Featured photo/ glasses & keyboard: Pixabay- Slightly_Different

       

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge | 6 Comments | Tagged #AuthorsLife, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, 52-week blog challenge, editing, editor, Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Revisions
    • #AmWriting Celebrating in Stages: Farewell My Lovelies #MFRWauthor

      Posted at 7:30 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on April 13, 2018
      Mary J McCoy-Dressel Western romance, Blog post Celebrating after completing a novel

      Here we are again. Welcome back. It’s Friday and time for another Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge post. It’s a blog hop, baby!

      Week 15: How I celebrate completing my manuscript

      I’m not sure if this means after completing a draft or after it’s been edited and ready to go. Either way, I don’t celebrate like I should, but for now it works for me, and gives me a period of down time after finishing a book.

      Upon completion of a manuscript, I’ll take a few days or a weekend to get away from the stories and relax with Netflix, movies, dinner with friends, or take time to read someone else’s book. To breathe.

      I don’t celebrate outwardly, but I do celebrate internally at different stages. A sense of pride overwhelms me once I:

      • Finish a first draft.
      • Send a manuscript to my editor.
      • Finish the final edits.
      • I RELAX and enjoy the moment after sending it to my formatter.
      • FINALLY I’m thrilled yet celebrating subtly after I upload and hit publish.

       When my work on a book is finished, I’ll smile and tell my hero and his heroine they are ready to go out into the world. I will literally miss them when it’s over. This is why I write a series. I get to see them again.

       

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, Western Romance Blog Post Celebration when completing a novel.

      One thing I do is give myself a silent praise or a pat on the back when I finish the first draft. I mention it on social media, email or text my friends and family, but other writers understand it better than even best friends. However, family and friends are happy for my accomplishment. After publication and while out, I want to scream, “I published another book!”

      Celebration is simple because I feel like I’m on a timeline and need to get the next book started and written as soon as possible. Book sales are my survival. Book writing is my sanity.

      With my next book, which is the third book in a spin off series, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, I DO PLAN on gathering my friends and celebrating together. Oh, and to get a mani-pedi.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance, guilty pleasures blog post

      Thanks for reading.


      This is the time to hop on over to check out the #MFRWauthor Blog to find other participating authors. See ya next time.

      Photo credits: Pixabay.

      Posted in #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor | 12 Comments | Tagged #AmWriting, #MFRWauthor, #WritersLife, Authors Life, blog hop, Canyon Junction: Hearts in Love Series, Celebrating in Stages: Farewell My Lovelies, editor, First drafts, formatting, Marketing for Romance Writers 52-Week Blog Challenge, publiching, relaxing my way, Romance
    • Timeline Part Two, The Journey of a Book

      Posted at 9:09 pm by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on December 26, 2012

      So sorry it took so long to post Part Two– The Journey– the Howdy, Ma’am Time Line. I couldn’t get it out when I had planned. All the better because I can put a “real” end to it now.

      Part One left off at September 2011 after I sat down to finish writing the book. Part Two covers another fifteen months. Whew! What a journey.

      Onward–

      • October— On October 4th I became a widow instead of a divorcee.
      • October— Somehow I kept at it. A week before NaNoWriMo 2011 began, Howdy, Ma’am was finished. I repeat, Finished! It gave me time to plot out a new story for 2011. I don’t know where the idea came from, or how I could think of creating anything new, but once again writing became my solace.
      • November — My plan was to set it aside until after Nano and that would give me a month away from it before tackling another revision and edit. NaNo came and went as did November.
      • December— I continued with the Nano 2011 novel, wanting to get to a certain point before setting it aside. This will be a great story when finished, and it falls under the women’s fiction category.

      Second Year

      • 2012— Then the unexpected happened—this time positive. I got the rights back to Visions of Enchantment. I was so thrilled I started revising it rightaway, but Howdy, Ma’am pestered me from the inner sanction of my mind. It must be where my muse lives.
      • The next thing I knew, I was trying to work on both books. Lo and behold, within a couple months I acquired the rights back to Enchantment’s Embrace, Book Two. Now what? I had three huge completed books to revise. Working on two at the same time began to drive me nutty and I had to make a decision.
      • That decision was to get busy on Howdy, Ma’am and do nothing else until it was finished. So, I started down the path of editing and revising again. After the first run through I put it aside for a week. But the cowboy called me back in less than a week, and I diligently worked on that book. Don’t ask how many edits and revisions it’s been through because I don’t know, but let’s say many, and we can add a capital “M” to many. The time had come to order a different book cover.
      • By time the story was finished and took shape, I had fallen in love with the characters and the story. My heroine had become such a big part of my life that I had to have a cover with her. My original cover had only a male. UPDATE: Brand-new covers in 2019.
      • 39090_416671119483_527504483_4365797_5296081_sJune— I posted on Facebook that I needed an editor. I think it was fate to find a wonderful cover designer, and then a “super awesome” editor, too.
      • Howdy, Ma’am was about as good as I could make it on my own. I know the editor I chose put her heart and soul into this book to make it shine. What a journey!
      • July— I was never satisfied with chapter one, two, and three, and told my editor I wanted to rework them. She asked if I had considered a prologue. I had, but only with a brief thought. I added a prologue.
      • August— I received the first thirteen chapters back from my editor. Finished649781q0vhzgr6l0_thumb.jpg them. In the last week of August, I received the rest of the edited manuscript back, worked on it, and sent it back for the second round of edits.
      • September— Started writing the second book in the series.
      • October— When the second round of edits came back, I fixed editor suggestions, proofread, proofread, and proofread. I cut almost a thousand words. Oh, wait, I probably wasn’t supposed to do that.
      • October 31st— Sent back the last round of edits. Last?? Oh, look! In time for another NaNoWriMo
      • November 1st— NaNoWriMo 2012—NaNo Rebel here I come! Instead of starting something brand new, I continued working on the sequel.
      • November 23rd — Trip to the ER. (Another story)
      • November 25th (I think) Reached 50 thousand words, and kept writing till the end of the month.
      • November 29th— Received the FINAL edits back from my wonderfully talented editor. Couldn’t open the document for a couple days because I didn’t feel well.

      Final Month

      • December 2rd— Okay, I opened the document. Did what I had to do to finalize the changes. Still not feeling well.
      • December 5th— FINISHED! I said FINISHED the edits. Took a break and then started reading from the beginning.
      • December — Tweaked the Front and Back Matter
      • December 9th — Looked into ISBNs and Copyright information.
      • December — Talked to a formatter.
      • December 18 — COMPUTER CRASHED! Ekkk. No! Not now… Weird, but my computer worked after four BSOD. I hate that blue screen!
      • Sent the book to a formatter. Deep Breath. Okay, I need another deep breath, oh, and a couple long exhales, too.
      • December 20th — All three formats came back from the formatter.
      • December 21st — Uploaded to Smashwords first. This took a long time, but it was because of the size of the book cover. Still in review for Premium as we speak. Bravery took over, and I uploaded to Amazon KDP, too!
      • YAY!
      • December 21st PUBLISHED.
      • plan a b cAs tough as it’s been the last year, I have finally found my niche. As Velia Armano, my feisty heroine in Howdy, Ma’am would say, “La vita e bella”. (Life is beautiful.) Honest.

      Now, go get a copy! image_thumb.png

      Author Note Update:

      This book (and series) has been through many more changes and revisions since first published, which includes new book covers in 2019. Plus, two more books have been added to the series, and a three-book boxed set. You may still see old covers in older posts I haven’t gotten to yet. Below are the new ones.

      Mary J McCoy-Dressel, western romance author website page for the series

      As for me? I’m celebrating because I have to do it all over again with the next book. Hey, Cowboy is now Available, too.

      Credit line © Inacio Pires | Dreamstime.com

      Credit line © Inacio Pires | Dreamstime.com

      Posted in #AmWriting | 2 Comments | Tagged celebrate, editor, formatter, Howdy Ma'am bk #1, Published! Amazon, smashwords, time line, upload
    • Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing–Your Choice, My Choice

      Posted at 11:16 am by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel, on July 3, 2012

      If you follow my blog or one of my other social network sites, you know my current work in progress, Howdy, Ma’am, is with an editor. Self-publishing has weighed heavily on my mind, so my book needed to be professionally edited. There is a long list of eBook publishers I’ve considered sending this W.I.P. to, but the decision to self-publish still sits at the top of my list.

      Since I’ve been through the publishing route with a publisher, it’s not something I want to do now since I’m free of a contract. That’s not to say I’d turn down a contract i320px-NYC_wideangle_south_from_Top_of_the_Rockf I opened my email and found an opportunity, but I would have to give it a lot of thought.

      Some of you know I had my first manuscript (MS) with a publisher for two years. Yes, you read that correctly. The manuscript was requested so it’s not like it sat in the slush pile. When I finally contacted them I learned it had been lost. When found, the editor requested some changes, which I did, and then I sent it back per his request. This meant more waiting but happiness and hope empowered me.

      Waiting. More waiting…

      Again, after a long wait I contacted them. My luck had run out because the editor who had requested the manuscript LEFT that publishing company. My MS was sent back with a nice letter mentioning the first editor left, and it wasn’t what the current editor was looking for. I won’t give the name but I can tell you it’s a top publisher in New York who kept my paper baby for two years.

      Another thing—they did not accept *simultaneous submissions which means while my novel sat on someone’s desk for two years, I couldn’t send to another publisher. That doesn’t mean I gave up. In the interim I started the second book in the series. It was a needed distraction, but without publishing book one, there would never be a book two. Those two books eventually got published. Times have changed and most submissions are through email. Many publishers will accept simultaneous submissions. Keep in mind, most big publishers prefer you go through an agent these days.

      There are many reasons for me to become an Indie Author. I’ve weighed the options.

      Submitting to a publisher means:

      (I’m talking about ePublishers, but submitting to a traditional publisher will have about the same steps.)

      · Write a Query Letter

      · Write a Synopsis

      · Wait

      · Sign a contract

      · Assigned an editor

      · More hours of revisions

      · Possible Rejection

      · Convert document for an eReader

      · Possible print book (Some publishers turn your eBook into print after so many sales.)

      · Lose certain rights to your book

      · They provide cover design

      · They do some Marketing but you’ll be expected to promote your book.

      · Prestige of having a publisher If this is important to you, you’ve already made your choice.

      Self-Publishing means:

      · No contracts

      · Hire an editor

      · Still more revisions

      · Purchase a cover (Or take the time to do your own if you know how.)

      · Format document for eBook conversion (Research this thoroughly so you know how.)

      · Could hire someone to convert for you

      · Retain rights to your books

      · Convert document for an eReader (More research)

      · Self-print (Lulu, CreateSpace, etc.)

      · Write your book blurb and author biography

      · Will need to write some kind of synopsis for website and blogs

      · Market and Promote yourself

      · Looked down upon for being an Indie Author (Yes, it does happen)

      **Indie Author seems to be my way to go at the moment. It might not be yours. All of the work falls on the author when it comes to self-publishing/printing. Money will come out of your bank 400px-Kindle_Fire_web_browser_05_2012_1430account instead of a publisher’s account. You don’t really have to pay to be published, other than the usual expenses that go along with marketing, cover, editing, etc. Doing everything yourself steals writing time so that needs to be factored in.

      This doesn’t scare me off. How about you?

      Marketing your book might not be a lot different with any publisher. Many times you must submit a marketing plan when you submit to a publisher, either traditional or online. If you’re thinking you won’t have to market with a publisher, think again. You will unless you hire a PR person to do it for you. Can you afford the cost?

      Coming Soon

      Can you afford to hire someone to design your cover? There are some great designers out there with reasonable prices, and you get the cover you want. I loved working with Dawné Dominque, the designer who designed my cover for Visions of Enchantment and Howdy, Ma’am. So, far I’ve worked with three different designers on different books including Dawné. It’s so much fun to see your idea turn into perfection. Feel free to ask about the other two designers I’ve used for other books.

      Do you want to pay an editor? I’m in the process of doing this as we speak. My decision to hire an editor is because I’m putting a book on the market with my name on it, and I want it to be as flawless as possible.

      You can also use what is called a Beta Reader who will read your finished product and give you feedback. Or, use an Alpha Reader who will read your work as-you-go to give feedback on what you are writing, as you are writing. An Alpha is usually someone you trust like a friend or family member. Remember they are not usually editors.

      Many of m649781q0vhzgr6l0y Facebook friends and Twitter followers use Beta Readers, at least for the first run-through of their finished manuscript.

      Laying out these choices make it easy for me to see why I choose to self-publish. It’s not because I don’t think I’m good enough. I know I’m good enough. The main reasons are because I’m tired of the waiting game, and I want control. With my previous publisher I went around and around over the title for my second book. This took a couple weeks. Then there’s the contract issues I won’t go into.

      From the time I received the rights back to the Enchantment series books, I knew they would be revised and self-published.

      If you have any questions or comments about anything I’ve said here, or have your own experiences you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

      Whatever your choice, make sure you research, ask questions, and feel comfortable with your decision. Always think twice before you hand over money to have a book published, edited, or cover designed. Again, research is the key.

      ~~~~

      *Where you can send to more than one publisher at a time as long as you let each know it has been sent to more than one.

      **Independent author and publisher.

      To update this post, I’d like to say I have, indeed, self-published Howdy, Ma’am, Book #1, and I’m glad for my decision. A lot of work, yes, but I think it’s so worth it. Book two coming 2013.

      IMG_0065

      Paperback Coming Very Soon

      Paperback Coming Very Soon

      ~~~~

      Photos:Creative Commons

      & Glitter-Graphics

      Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments | Tagged contemporary romance, cover design, eBook, editor, enchantment series, eReader, Indie Author, Kindle, mary j mccoy dressel, self-publish
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