Genre: Memoir in Poetry and Prose
Author name: ---------------------------Book Title: ----------------------Sub Title:
Manuscript Assessment: Good
Word Count: 5,934
Formatting—okay? (x) yes () no
Comments: Well formatted for evaluation and editing.
Are illustrations, photos, graphs, and other graphics removed from text and available
separately and clearly marked? () yes () no (x) n/a
Editing needed? (x) yes () no
Comments: You write good poetry, use the language to good effect, and have a fine
collection. However, some changes and corrections will improve readability and enhance the
professional presentation of your fine poetry collection.
These changes benefit your readers with improved readability. The combined readability and
formatting changes benefit you as the enhancement of your poetry collection will provide a
positive impression on agents and submission editors at publishers.
Poetry punctuation and general editing guidelines:
NOTE: I advise you to consider punctuating your poetry as you see fit. I base this on
the notion that allowing ‘Poet’s choice’ allows for the art of poetry to be expressed
from the heart of the poet.
Poetry punctuation is debatable. Do poets need to follow the rules of punctuation? Or
is it an art form that leaves rules and compliance up to the poet?
Whatever you decide, being consistent will provide a professional presentation.
Consider using the same approach to punctuation in all your poems. If you are
consistent, agents and submission editors view your poetry as that of a professional.
If you punctuate with a capital letter starting each line or punctuation, such as a
period at the end of every line, treat hyphens and commas the same way. There are
no hard and fast punctuation rules in poetry. Use general guidelines for punctuation.
The same is true of general editing items, such as dialog, spelling, and such.
Following publisher guidelines is best if you want your poetry published, distributed,
and sold. Be consistent in using the publisher’s format, margins, spacing, and other
requirements.
Non-Rhyming Poetry:
There are many different types of poetry. Some poetry, such as sonnets and odes rhyme. I
see non-rhyming poetry as free verse. It started with Walt Whitman who published Leaves
of Grass in the nineteenth century. Free verse is usually organic and unifying. It skips the
rules and standards of traditional poetry. Such poetry is for the general populace and
usually is an unregulated expression of the soul.
Examples of Possible Editing and Format Changes:
Notes:
1. Words highlighted in yellow are new, added or changed. Comments or questions in
brackets {} and highlighted in yellow and made bold are written to the author and require
an answer, a change, or are for you to consider. Words or punctuation with strikethroughs,
such as; this, are to be deleted.
2. These changes are examples only. No two editors will edit precisely the same way, thus
some changes here may differ from the final edited copy returned to you. Our editors do
make changes that comply with The Chicago Manual of Style, 16 th Edition.
On page 2, in Misery, you wrote:
As I’m drowning in my own misery, I struggle to reach the surface of the water.
When I try to swim up to breath in air, external forces pull me deeper into the sea.
I will fight the obstacles of the sea because I want to survive.
When I am able to breath in oxygen, I am going to live a wonderful life.
An edited version may read:
As I’m drowning in my own misery, I struggle to reach the surface of the water.
When I try to swim up to breathe in air, external forces pull me deeper into the sea.
I will fight the obstacles of the sea because I want to survive.
When I am able to breathe in oxygen, I am going to live a wonderful life.
The changes made improve readability and fix formatting by changing passive voice to
active voice and using the correct verb/noun usage.
On page 5, in Paranoid, you wrote:
Sometimes, I become extremely paranoid,
And I think that I become fresh prey for society to kill me.
This horrible thought causes me to have delusions.
When my brain decides to return to reality,
I am as sharp as a knife because I’m an intelligent person who can think logically.
When I am stable, I try to trace the roots of my paranormal thinking,
And I come up with same answer every time.
My paranoid thoughts derive from stress and anger.
In order to stay sane, I must prevent myself from becoming stress-out and angry.
Because I have help from my loving parents and a righteous God,
I know that one day I will live a healthy and productive life.
An edited version may read:
Sometimes, I become extremely paranoid,
And I think that I become fresh prey for society to kill. me
This horrible thought causes me to have delusions.
When my brain decides to returns to reality,
I am as sharp as a knife because I’m an intelligent person who can think logically.
When I am stable, I try to trace the roots of my paranormal thinking,
And I come up with same answer every time.
My paranoid thoughts derive from stress and anger.
In order to stay sane, I must prevent myself from becoming stress-out stressed out and angry.
Because I have help from my loving parents and a righteous God,
I know that one day I will live a healthy and productive life.
These changes are made to avoid unnecessary words and general editing fixes. The intent is
to enhance the professional image of your poetry collection.
On page 11, in Psychological Disorders, you wrote:
I have been suffering from psychological disorders since childhood,
And that is why I committed a lot of acts which many people misunderstood.
I really wanted this misery to end for years;
Instead, I've shed many tears.
I am impelled to overcome the mental disturbances in my head,
Which is an agonizing pain that I dread.
Through therapy, I have overcome many impediments,
And I'm proud of my accomplishments.
An edited version may read:
I have been suffering suffered from psychological disorders since childhood,
And That is why I committed a lot of acts which that many people misunderstood.
I really wanted this misery to end for years;
Instead, I've shed many tears.
I am impelled to overcome the mental disturbances in my head,
Which is an agonizing pain that I dread.
Through therapy, I have overcome overcame many impediments,
And I'm proud of my accomplishments.
These changes are much like those above for the same reasons.
Prose: The second section of your manuscript is prose. This is a different writing mix, but
one that is very effective in your case and with the story you tell here.
To that end, some editing needed to improve your prose will convert passive voice to active
voice. Active voice reads in the ‘here and now’ and that adds impact to your text. Active
voice is much more compelling and interesting. It draws the reader into the narrative and
makes the unfolding of events more interesting and keeps them reading.
Other general editing and formatting needs are minimal but needed to enhance your
manuscript.
An editor will provide the necessary professional touches that will bring the full impact of
the message in your poetry collection. Editor’s changes will conform to the Chicago Manual
of Style, general editing practice, and to correct formatting for publication.
1. The primary reason for changes is to benefit your readers by improving readability,
word flow, and present your poetry with the impact it deserves.
2. A vital and important second consideration is that the changes present your poetry
collection professionally. This makes a positive impression grabs the attention of
agents who may represent you or submission editors who accept or reject
manuscripts for publishers.
Typographical Errors/Style:
An edit will find and fix any of these that were overlooked.
Grammatical/Spelling Errors:
An edit will find and fix any of these that were overlooked.
Punctuation Errors:
An edit will find and fix any of these that were overlooked.
We know that you do not want to be embarrassed by mechanical errors within your text
(grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.). Imagine a future reader picking up your book and
commenting that there are errors in it! Editing is one of the most essential pieces of
production. It is important to us that your book is error free.
However, the choice for editing is ultimately yours. As you know, you are responsible for the
content within your book. Further along in the production process, you will be required to
sign off that you understand this, and that we are not held responsible for errors. Therefore,
I would like to suggest that you consider having an editor go over your work one final time.
You can choose any editor you wish. We do have editors we have worked with over the
years, who give us great quality, great service and great pricing. We usually have an editor
who is familiar with your genre. We trust them and their quality, implicitly. Let us know if
you would like to work with them, or how you would like to proceed with corrections to your
text. We are happy to advise you, whatever you decide, and will be happy to send you a
quote to help you make your decision. We want the book to be as professional as you do!
The following elements of a book are optional; however, we suggest you use them if
possible:
Dedications? (x) yes () no
Comments: Worth considering.
Acknowledgments? (x) yes () no
Comments: Worth considering.
Table of Contents? (x) yes () no
Comments: You provide a good Table of Contents and that is very desirable for poetry as
readers of poems tend to go back and reread their favorites. A good Table of Contents
promotes sales to readers who are online or bookstore browsers.
Index? () yes (x) no
Comments: Not required for poetry collections.
Introduction? (x) yes () no
Comments: Worth considering, although much of what you write in the second section of
your manuscript provides this function quite well.
Illustrations? () yes (x) no
Comments:
Googled Author Name? (x) yes () no
Comments: Got a number of excellent hits for you as author and co-author. This will help
marketing.
Googled Title? (x) yes () no
Comments: Got a number of direct hits for this title with you as author. This will further
help marketing.
Fact checking required: () extensive () moderate (x) minimal