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Sheila Deeth on Self-Publishing

I really didn't want to self-publish. But I really did want to be published.

When I lost my job and began writing seriously (spending way too much time on it probably), I started researching all the publishers I knew. But they didn't want to publish un-agented authors. So I researched all the agents I could find in the backs of books that I was reading. They didn't want to agent unpublished authors.

I didn't give up. I tried all the publishers and agents I didn't know, studied their interests, submission requirements, and even contacted them. But soon I was becoming an expert in knowing why I'd be rejected before it happened. It was kind of discouraging.

Then there were those "publishers" that require their authors to make an "investment" in their work. I was already spending too much time. Spending too much money as well didn't seem like a good option.

And then there was self-publishing.

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Self-publishing Blues

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CONTACT ME HERE or click here to... ...I promise not to deluge your inbox! ABOUT ME: See my social networking sites, book reviews and books at http://about.me/sheiladeeth Visit my refracted muse at  http://refracted-muse.blogspot.com/ or view my complete profile on  Blogger   ABOUT MY BOOKS: Find my books at www.sheiladeethbooks.com or visit  www.inspiredbyfaithandscience.com   to learn more about What IFS: Inspired by Faith and Science books. EDITING: To find out more about my editing, rates, schedule etc, please Contact me . BOOK REVIEWS: Read my book reviews on Goodreads . I'm seriously overbooked, but please feel free to c ontact me if you have a book you would like me to review. SOCIAL NETWORKING... FACEBOOK: Meet me on Facebook. Visit my  Facebook Fan Page Visit my Face Book Pages: Five Minute Bible Stories , Mathemafiction , or Tails of Mystery TWITTER: Follow me on  Twitter . LINKEDIN: Connect to...

Ethical Editing

Someone told me recently "Ventilators kill people," adding, "70% of people put on ventilators die. They're killing people." So I argued with her. But what if she'd written an article and hired me to edit it? What if her article began exactly as above? What would I do? My first "edit" would complain that "Ventilators kill people" is stated like fact while, since it's not common knowledge and it's not yet supported by facts, it can only be opinion. I'd suggest she change it to read " I think ventilators kill people." Then, if the article contains an argument to prove her statement, she could end with "So, ventilators kill people" as her conclusion. Next I would complain about the 70% statement, arguing that writers should not deliberately mislead their readers. Looking for minimal edits, I'd suggest "70% of victims put on ventilators die" or "70% of people put on ventilators still die,...

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