Editing Without an Editor
with Harold Underdown and Eileen Robinson
 Harold Underdown
Children’s book writers keep hearing today that it’s essential to submit only their best and most polished work to busy editors and agents. More and more, writers are turning to independent editors and writing coaches to help them do that. We do that kind of work ourselves, but we want you to know that many times, you can do that work yourself, and never need editorial help, or only at the very end of the process.
 Eileen Robinson
Based on our “Editing without an Editor” in-person workshop, this webinar series will teach you the basics of editing yourself, on your own or with the help of others, and give you the confidence and knowledge you need to continue to learn and use self-editing methods.
In the first session, to give you a framework, we compare "reader response" theory and the literary criticism approach, and explore how to use reader response with manuscripts. In the second session, we move to getting feedback from other people, using critique groups and beta readers, and discuss methods for making critique groups work better. In the third session we cover and try out “big-picture” revision techniques for use to find and fix problems in plot, characterization, or pacing. In the fourth session, we move on to “tight focus,” detailed editing, working on your own or with a partner as you put the final polish on a manuscript. In a special “Bonus Track” session to be held after Thanksgiving, we will gather to answer questions, share some of the work that participants did, and give practical examples of some techniques in use. There may be some surprises too. Special critique offers: Both Eileen and Harold are offering three different critique options at special rates to workshop participants:
For additional details on these offers, instructions for signing up, and payment links, go to http://www.kidsbookrevisions.com/workshop-critiques.htm Our backgrounds: Eileen Robinson published both fiction and nonfiction, as an Executive Editor at Scholastic, as well as at Harcourt. She got her start in educational publishing in classroom and school and library and moved on to work with magazines, book clubs, book fairs and Scholastic trade, helping to create product that could work across markets. Now an editorial consultant, she works with both published and unpublished authors on picture books through young adult novels, and helps them strengthen their writing and get published. She also consults with publishers on manuscripts before they go to press. Eileen created the site F1rstPages.com to help authors and partnered with Harold Underdown to provide online tutorials at Kids Book Revisions (kidsbookrevisions.com), where you can get the benefit of two professional editors simultaneously. She recently launched Move Books, a children’s book publisher dedicated to moving boys to read. Harold Underdown is an independent editor; he does critiques, helps to develop manuscripts, and provides other editorial and consulting services for individuals and publishers. Harold wrote The Complete Idiot's Guide to Children's Book Publishing, now in its third edition. He founded and runs "The Purple Crayon," a respected web site with information about the children's publishing world at www.underdown.org. He speaks and gives workshops through the Highlights Foundation, SCBWI's national and regional conferences, and Kid’s Book Revisions (offering online and on-site tutorials and workshops in partnership with Eileen Robinson). He also works as a contributing editor to Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market. As an in-house editor, he worked at Macmillan, Orchard, and Charlesbridge, and has experience in trade and educational publishing. |
Four Thursdays starting Oct. 30th
+ a Bonus Session after Thanksgiving (10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20) 7 - 8:30 pm EDT 6 - 7:30 pm CDT 5 - 6:30 pm MDT 4 - 5:30 pm PDT Price $125 Standard Registration $99 for Active Members of SCBWI (Note: You'll be asked for the name of your chapter when you register) |