Book Manuscript
Do You Really Need Peer Reviews of Your Book Manuscript?
Author: Barbara G. McNichol
You’ve noodled through your book concept, created an outline to make your ideas flow, and filled in your outline with detail. You’ve accomplished a lot. Pat yourself on the back and dance the snoopy dance! But don’t rest on your laurels just yet. You won’t be ready to launch your project until you’ve allowed others with a more objective eye to give you the thumbs up.
Put your magnum opus aside for a few days and rest. Then give the manuscript one more critical look. Are you sure you’ve said everything you want to say? Once you’re satisfied, you’re ready for the next crucial step to making your manuscript the best it can be-a peer review.
A Necessary “Evil”?
A peer review involves sending your manuscript to fellow writers, other experts in your field or genre, and readers in your target audience for their feedback. As those who’ve been through the process know, a peer review can be frustrating and nerve-wracking. The reviewers’ role is to help you “see” what you’ve written, and you may get feedback you don’t want to hear. But you also garner valuable information to make your book better.
Reviewers point out what’s working in the text or storyline and what isn’t. They may nitpick on the wrong things and take you on tangents, offering suggestions that don’t advance your ideas. Still, feedback from reviewers is essential because they bring a variety of perspectives to the book-as your buyers will. Be prepared for ideas that could be so far off you wish you could take back your manuscript and say “never mind.” But also be ready for dynamic and brilliant suggestions.
Keep Reviewers on Track
To ensure reviewers’ comments are valuable as opposed to distracting, guide the process the best you can. How? Consider these suggestions:
Be specific about what you want peer reviewers to look for.
Ask them if the content seems complete or if you’ve overlooked something important.
Also ask them to forgive typos, punctuation glitches, and the like, as those issues are addressed in the editing process. You want them to focus on content.
Be Grateful for Valuable Feedback
Resist the temptation to skip the peer review. Reviewers’ questions often reveal muddy spots that need to be cleared up. Thank them! It’s easy to get your nose too pressed to the computer screen to see the overall picture. Peers may notice places where you need to expand on your message or where you haven’t used words correctly. These problems you can fix with a little more thought and a good word or language reference. But don’t rely on reviewers for nitty gritty editorial glitches, or you could receive a confusing patchwork of opinions. Best to let your editor ensure consistency and precision when it comes to details. You can’t expect that from peer reviewers.
When you instigate this review process, you’ll find that people appreciate being asked. What’s more, you’ll have ambassadors out there when your book finally launches.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/do-you-really-need-peer-reviews-of-your-book-manuscript-860117.html
About the Author
Barbara McNichol helps nonfiction authors through expert editing and her searchable e-guide, Word Trippers: The Ultimate Source for Choosing the Perfect Word When It Really Matters, available at http://www.BarbaraMcNichol.com.
Tagged with: book • manuscript • review
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Check on this site that features all children’s book. This will give you an idea about how a picture book manuscript looks like.
Only your publisher knows for sure. 😉
I think you should discuss the addition of photos after your manuscript is accepted.
If the photos absolutely have to be included, make color copies of them if necessary.
The cost of books varies with the number printed – that’s because the setup – the editing, the formatting, the illustrating, etc. is the same for 1 book or 1million books. Once it gets on the press, the cost is pretty minimal – can be as low as $1 per book for a large run. Again, for smaller runs, it’s more because the pressman has to set up just as he would for a large run. Bindery time is probably the most expensive part of getting a book manufactured because much of it is sitll done by hand.
No. The text should be presented in the same style as any other book. If you are self-illustrating, then you can submit a mockup of your drawings and your text. Children’s picture books are not very long so publishers will look at a mockup. In most cases, the text is written by the author and the publishing company hires the illustrator, but some children’s picture books are presented as a package deal. It just makes it a little harder to sell if the illustrations you submit don’t match what the publisher envisions.
When writing a book, how do you include photos in the manuscript?
What format do publishers want to receive photos in? How do you get rights to use other peoples photos? Any info on including photos in a book manuscript for a first time writer would be appreciated. This if for a non-fiction book.
What is the base price for a (book) manuscript these days? How much could I expect to sell mine for?
I am a first-time novelist and an associate of mine has a manuscript, as well. I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the average/base price manuscripts sell for these days. My associate’s book is a fantasy; mine is around the drama/suspense genre. My book is about 535-550 book-formatted pages and surpasses 160,000 words. I plan to study the market more at a later time but for now, what is (or is there) a general base average for manuscripts these days? Any links or misc. info would be appreciated greatly.
Cost to prepare book manuscript for book manufacturer?
What would be the average cost for getting a 60,000 word manuscript converted from Windows/Word to the software language for the book manufacturer?
What does a picture book manuscript look like?
I have a childrens book written and illustrated, now I need to get it published, but I dont know what a picture book manuscript looks like! Help?
Is there a childrens picture book manuscript different than any other novel manuscript?
The question is pretty self-explainatory a there any specific differences in the format of a childrens picture book manuscript and any other fiction or non fiction novel?