I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a great group of people at the small press that published my Sam Harper Crime Mysteries. Both my books received great reviews and notable recognition. Although the good certainly outweighs the bad, the one thing I regret most about my debut novel was having been so naïve during the editorial process.

I edited “Silenced Cry” countless times. It was given a rigorous critique by seven other writers prior to my submission in the fall of 2006. After reading about other authors’ experiences with their editors, I expected to face more major rewrites. Instead, my editor’s first reaction was that it was a good story and a clean manuscript. I was thrilled and as he and I worked on it over the course of several of weeks, I was certain if anything was wrong with the book, he’d find it. Since then I’ve learned to not make those assumptions.

In contrast with subsequent manuscripts, we zipped through the edits of that first book. When we were done, I stepped away from the manuscript for a week or so, before it was time to start on the final proofreading. Call it stress, nerves, or just getting hit over the head with a good dose of reality that my book was finally going to be published and people were going to judge me by it. When I read the first few pages, I panicked then wanted to cry.

The proofreading guidelines clearly stated, “No Major Changes.” I had several. The problem was I had relied completely on my editor to find mistakes and make corrections instead of taking on the responsibility myself.  The clock was ticking and there I was, biting my nails and questioning every line I’d written. By the time I finally decided to express my concerns, it was almost too late. My publisher listened with the patience of Job and then said, “We want you to be happy with it.” and let me make the changes.

In spite of my worries, “Silenced Cry” received honorable mention at the 2008 New York Book Fair. It has received great reviews and readers love it, but this author will always feel it could have been better. I walked away from that experience with a bit more confidence in my skills and the realization that the success of my books begin with me.

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 (c) Marta Stephens 2009 all rights reserved