Clowns to the left of me…

Being in the middle is a hard place to be.

Whether it’s politics, a work argument, or dodgeball, having people on either side of you with a ‘if you’re not with us, you’re against us’ attitude, is truly exhausting*, and it is especially exhausting in the writer’s sphere.

On one side stands the traditional publishing crew and on the other you have the Indie community. Both sides have their own views on writing and publishing and if, like me, you have some views from column A and others from column B; you find yourself in an odd position, and often with nowhere to hang your hat.

Let’s start with the Indie community. As an Indie author myself, it seems like a logical place to start. Many in this camp believe some wild things:

· You don’t need beta readers – they’ll dilute your voice.

· You don’t need to read other books – it won’t teach you anything and it’s a waste of time.

· You don’t need perfect grammar – it will make your writing sound generic.

· You don’t need an editor – they’ll also dilute your voice.

· There are no rules – they make your writing sound like everyone else’s.

For me, much of that is nonsense. If you want your work to be the best it can be, then you need all of those things, and there are definitely rules.

The traditional publishing crew believe the opposite, but here’s where I find myself in the middle.

I lean towards quality, both in terms of writing craft and in story. If you expect people to part with their hard-earned cash, you had better be giving them something worth the price tag.

I use beta readers to help me iron out developmental and structural issues, I read widely to learn how other authors do things, I edit to make sure the writing is clean, and I follow the damn rules**

What I don’t do is hire an editor.

Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say writers should never hire an editor. If you want to do that, more power to you, but what follows are my reasons why I don’t.

1) As an indie author, I don’t have a huge publishing machine behind me. All the costs are mine to shoulder, and as such I must approach my writing as a business with overheads. Editors are expensive. Usually in the £800 – 1200 range***, which I simply cannot afford, and even if I could, I would have to sell over a thousand copies of the book to make that money back, it just doesn’t make business sense.

2) I am quite good at editing my own work. I can be ruthless when I need to be and many of my ‘darlings’ find their way to the cutting room floor. You wouldn’t believe the number of gags I write that don’t make it to the second draft.

3) I’m a trained teacher; my knowledge of grammar is actually pretty good****

4) I’m not aiming for Traditionally Published standard. The guy selling his paintings at a car boot doesn’t try to be as good as Picasso. He does the best he can and prices it accordingly.

5) Some editors simply aren’t very good.

To be clear, I would love an editor to elevate my writing to the next level. To make it as good as some of my literary heroes, but it simply isn’t feasible. So, I must do the best I can with the skill I have and hope that it is good enough to pass muster.

It is the best I can hope for until I win the lottery or a distant relative leaves me a previously unknown inheritance and a private island.

It is a shame that many in the indie sphere do not share this mindset.

J

*In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have taken that shortcut through the gym.

**So when I break them, it’s deliberate and done for maximum effect.

***I believe this is a fair price for the work that they do. I just can’t afford it.

****Despite what the state of my first drafts might suggest.