Writing a Children's Book
Lesson 8: Polishing and Editing.
More Pro Tips
There are certain things that editors look for in a ms when they're judging professionalism. Writing a good story appropriate for the modern market and suited to the publisher concerned is very important, but it also helps if you don't make glaring mistakes.
In the old days, editors looked at typing skill. If a ms was covered with xxx or with white-out correction fluid, then they assumed the person writing was an amateur until or unless the writing skill or experience taught them otherwise. These days, they look for correctness in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Don't ever think or say: "oh, an editor can fix that". An editor could, but if a ms looks too labour-intensive, an editor will probably pass on it.
Punctuation
Use quote marks to denote dialogue.
Depending on which country you live in, you will use single quotes for normal dialogue and double quotes for quotations within dialogue, or else vice versa.
‘As Shakespeare said, “a rose by any other name would small as sweet”,’ said Jess.
OR
“As Shakespeare said, ‘a rose by any other name would small as sweet’,” said Jess.
Most publishers like commas and full stops at the end of dialogue inside the quote marks.
‘I don’t want to go,’ said Jonathan.
If dialogue is in the form of a question, the question mark should go after the question, not after the speech tag.
‘Are we going?’ Jonathan asked.
NOT
‘Are we going,’ Jonathan asked?
If the question is in reported thought, the question mark should go after the question, not after the thought tag.
What would happen next? wondered Teri.
NOT
What would happen next, wondered Teri?
Unless told otherwise by the publisher, don’t use quote marks around thoughts.
Spelling
Get your spelling right. Don’t rely on a spell checker.
If you have even the slightest doubt, use a dictionary.
Apostrophes.
Don’t use apostrophes in the wrong place. Look at the two examples below. In one case the word “it’s” gets an apostrophe because a letter is missed out. It is short for “it is”.
In the second case, the word “its” does not have an apostrophe.
It’s hot in here.
The cat washed its paws.
A possessive apostrophe appears when something is owned except in the following cases.
Hers His Its Theirs Ours Ones My Yours
Possessive Apostrophes.
A possessive apostrophe is used after the single owner and the “s” added afterwards, except when the single owner ends in a single “s” already.
A cat’s paw
Jane’s cat.
James’ cat.
An apostrophe is used after the s in the case of plural owners.
The three cats’ bowls were empty.
Collective noun owners, such as “crew” and “class” have the apostrophe before the s.
The crew’s tour of duty.
The class’s exercises.
Other Apostrophes.
An apostrophe is used when letters are missing from a word or words.
Don’t
Do n(o)t
couldn’t
could n(o)t
you’re
you (a)re
they’re
they (a)re
Do not use an apostrophe in a normal plural.
Onions
Cups
Cauliflowers
Apostrophes The only cases where an apostrophe might be used in a plural are the following special cases. And mark that I said might!
When adding “s” alone might be confusing. For example, the word “do” is singular. The word “dos” is more than one “do”. As in “dos and don’ts”.
The problem here is that the word “dos” is a computer term, and it’s just possible someone might confuse the two words. You can’t put an “e” in as you normally would with a word ending in a single “o” because that would turn the word into “does”, which means something else.
So, some people accept “do’s and don’t’s.”
The other possibility is when the “word” is actually initials such as CD, TV, PFD. If you write in capital letters and add an “s” some people might say CEE DEE ESS and wonder what you mean.
This can be avoided by using capitals for the CD, TV etc and a lower case “s”.
TVs CDs
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