Editors Expect Punctuation Perfect

Fiction and non-fiction, presented to an
editor, should be free of spelling errors,
poor sentence structure, and weak writing.
Now, that is not to say, you will never error.
Simply, edit your work.

The important step is creating. There
will be time to go back, review, make
changes.

I have been in the moment of writing,
many times. I stopped, read through it.
Some paragraphs were unreadable, weak
verbs. I had to put it aside for a few days,
and then do the editing. If I found mistakes
immediately after writing, what would I find
when refreshed?

Like I always say, longer writing projects
require more time away.

An editor can spot mistakes in paragraph
one. To be honest, it is a waste of the editor's
time, and your energy when your best work
is not sent out.

"How do you know?" You asked.

I have made similar blunders. Yes, I
speak from experience. It has led to
failures, of course. I gained from the
process, learned to write better. It set
me on the rode to developing an editor's
eye.

The editor's eye took me some years
to grasp. It could happen, sooner or later,
for you. Keep learning, writing. It is the
only sure way, I know of, to reach goals.

It is good form to request writer's
guidelines before submitting, include
a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Sometimes, the guidelines can be read
online. There are publications that offer
issues for sale, online. Reading back
issues of magazines informs you about the
style, flavor of it. You are better able
to give the editor what he/she wants.

The dictionary and thesaurus are
tools that should be kept at your finger-
tips. Spell-check more than once.

The dictionary, as you know, explains
the meaning of words. It, also, helps
with spelling.

The thesaurus provides words with
the same, almost the same meaning,
and opposite meanings of words.

"Why is the thesaurus needed?" You
asked.

Let's look at the word angry.

"What's the point?" You stared at the
word.

Your writing calls for an emotion, anger,
for example. Instead of using angry nine
times, replace it with: annoyed, bitter,
cross, enraged, fuming, irate, vexed,
heated, or offended.

It is boring to read the same words.
Also, it marks you as an amateur.

I will show you.

Henry was angry at Jess. They
fought over the cat. Jess kicked
the chair. I guess, she was angry.
They were so angry until I had to
get my brothers.

Tom and Bill persuaded Henry
to leave. Henry broke the door.

The re-written version follows.

Henry was irate, when he walked
in the door, at Jess. They fought
over the cat. Jess fumed, kicked the
door.

They exchanged heated words, and
I ran to get my brothers.

My brothers, Tom and Bill, urged
Henry to leave.

They offended Henry, and he shattered
the door as he left.

Critique the above two paragraphs.
Leave me some comments about them.

The goal is to pull-out weak, bloated,
and grammatically incorrect sentences.
Once that is done, you are on your way
to success.
Source: http://www.freewebs.com/wr1t3rs/