I make mistakes. I’m my own worst editor. I pore over my work, re-reading each line, often wishing I were a better editor of my own pieces. It’s difficult to catch every error, which is why my personal work ethic doesn’t allow me to send a manuscript to my agent or publisher unless I have paid a content editor to be sure there are no holes, misspellings, or punctuation errors.
Yes, I invest dollars in my work, but my school of thought is, the cleaner the manuscript, the more opportunity for publication. For articles, I send them to critique buddies. Can everyone do this? Probably not, but when I start a manuscript, I start saving to pay for this service – it’s my personal standard. I also hate slush piles, and the quickest way to a slush pile (i.e. trashcan) is to send editors work filled with mistakes.
While I have grown into a better editor over the years, I still make mistakes. Who doesn’t? But I do my best now to rid myself of glaring errors.
Here are 5 ways to assure your work will find the slush pile:
Take pride in your work. Put your best foot forward and take the extra time to be assure your work doesn’t go by way of the slush pile.
Photo courtesy of www.morguefile.com &dhester
Integrity - An Authors Valued Trait
1/8/2021 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Homonyms – Did You Sea/See Them Their/There?
1/8/2021 6:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Writer Self-Care - Welcome 2021
1/4/2021 10:22:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Hope in a New Year
1/1/2021 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Silent Night
12/25/2020 9:22:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
One More Christmas Thought - Taken from ChristianDevotions.US blog
12/25/2020 6:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
A Christmas Saga - Joy in the Season
12/24/2020 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
When Writing Grows Hard
12/22/2020 9:02:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Permission to Quit - No Way
12/18/2020 9:55:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Power of the Pen
12/15/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Good, The Bad, and the Memoir
12/11/2020 10:59:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Immeasurable Power in You
12/8/2020 2:37:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Scratch It Till It Bleeds
12/5/2020 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Closing Up Shop - Renting or Selling Our Parent's Home
9/5/2020 8:33:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Humility in Writing
7/7/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Let it Percolate
7/3/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Mentoring - A Wise Choice
6/29/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Divorce My Words?
6/23/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Icy Self-Talk Will Freeze Your Writing
6/19/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Power in You
6/16/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Waiting
6/12/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Who Really Sells Your Books
6/9/2020 3:47:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Social Media When You Aren't Social Media Minded
4/20/2020 6:43:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
What Really Is Important
4/12/2020 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
In the Midst of Chaos
3/17/2020 10:37:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Heart of God
2/14/2020 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Writing in a Pickle
1/30/2020 3:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Adult Day Care Alternative
1/23/2020 5:09:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Social Media Blitz
1/19/2020 11:20:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Joys of Aging
12/30/2019 7:53:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Reality of Who We Are?
12/22/2019 7:53:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Publishing Trends
11/30/2019 8:16:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Be Thankful ANYWAY
11/28/2019 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Writing Your Mission Statement
11/19/2019 7:38:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Perseverance to Write
11/16/2019 12:00:00 PM by: Cindy
Common Sense Tips for When You Write
11/9/2019 10:26:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Battle is Fought
10/15/2019 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy
Twelve Tidbits of Wisdom from Top Christian Writers
10/5/2019 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Pray with Fire
10/3/2019 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
The Easy In
9/24/2019 8:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Art of Self-Editing
9/10/2019 10:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Questions, Questions
9/6/2019 10:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
15-Minute Appointments - Important Networking
9/3/2019 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Don't Close Your Eyes - Bob Hostetler
2/5/2019 by: Cindy Sproles
Love Your Faculty
10/17/2018 3:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Forging Ahead after Rejection
7/17/2018 8:12:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
cindysproles.com Privacy Policy
6/4/2018 8:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Closing Up Shop - Guiding Seniors to Letting Go
4/9/2018 10:56:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Publishing Naysayers
3/16/2018 1:30:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
In Prayer - I Write
3/3/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Keep Them Reading
1/12/2018 11:23:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Encouraged - Even When . . .
1/2/2018 12:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Christmas Tears
12/18/2017 12:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Holiday Elder Care - Be an Elder Elf
11/12/2017 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Grateful for a Dream I Didn't Know I Had
11/9/2017 6:30:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Keep Them Reading
11/1/2017 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Writer Call Out
10/27/2017 10:05:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Five Ways to Assure Your Work will Find the Slush Pile
10/24/2017 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
23rd Psalm Revisited
10/21/2017 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Contentment in Writing
10/19/2017 9:30:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
5 Common Sense Tips to Better Writing
10/10/2017 7:00:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Overshadowed
8/21/2017 10:05:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Chicken Soup for the Soul Callout - Stories about Love
8/21/2017 7:54:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Five Keys to Overcoming Rejection
8/12/2017 7:00:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Writing Call Out - Chicken Soup for the Soul
8/10/2017 8:47:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
When Words of Encouragement Wane
6/28/2017 10:54:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Writing Truth with Love
1/13/2017 11:05:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Oh To Be A Writer
1/4/2017 11:12:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Why Write?
1/1/2017 11:16:00 AM by: Cindy Sproles
Scammed
6/21/2016 3:48:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Pain of Unsolicited
3/9/2016 3:51:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage
11/21/2015 3:02:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Thankful Despite . . .
11/20/2015 3:04:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Stepping Up to Na-No-Wri-Mo
11/16/2015 3:08:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Gift of No Gifts
11/2/2015 3:11:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Writers Be Encouraged
10/15/2015 3:17:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Keep ‘Em Reading – It’s the Writer’s Responsibility
8/13/2015 3:26:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Saying Goodbye
7/17/2015 3:31:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Overcoming the Fear of Writing Failure
7/8/2015 3:38:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Making the Move – Home to Assisted Living
6/17/2015 3:41:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
I Kid You Not
6/6/2015 3:44:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Hearing the Call to Foster – Renee McCausey
1/13/2015 3:54:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Throw Out the Crutches
1/10/2015 5:02:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
So You Were Asked to Be A Beta Reader?
1/10/2015 3:59:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
REJECTIONS – Aaughhh!
1/5/2015 5:04:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Bachelor – Stephanie Reed
12/14/2014 5:06:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Making of a Servant
11/30/2014 5:10:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Miracle in a Dry Season Review – Yvonne Lehman
8/27/2014 5:12:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Write Anyway
8/26/2014 5:17:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
World Blog Tour – Catching Up with Cindy Sproles
7/22/2014 5:19:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Progression of Life
7/17/2014 5:23:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Instrumental Writing Helps – Aaron Gansky
7/4/2014 5:27:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The Question Saga
6/29/2014 5:28:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Defy the Night – REVIEW
4/28/2014 5:30:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
When the Work is Hard to Do
4/1/2014 5:31:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
My Heart Belongs to Him
2/14/2014 5:32:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Review of The Vicar’s Wife
2/2/2014 5:44:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The In on Self Publishing – Part 2
12/29/2013 3:44:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
The In on Self Publishing – Part 1
12/26/2013 3:47:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
In a Pickle
10/1/2013 3:52:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Bigger and Better
9/27/2013 3:54:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Putting SOCIAL back in Media
8/10/2013 8:08:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
After the Conference Ends…
8/8/2013 8:13:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Here a Tweak, There a Tweak, Everywhere a Tweak, Tweak
8/2/2013 8:15:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Can You Hear Me Now?
7/23/2013 8:18:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Golden Years, Cherished Moments
3/20/2013 7:47:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Broken Heart Syndrome
9/26/2012 7:56:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
What About Our Elders
8/24/2012 7:57:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
A Minute – A Lifetime
8/10/2012 7:58:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles
Water, Water – Who’s Got the Water
7/31/2012 7:59:00 PM by: Cindy Sproles