Toni Allen Author

Author Interview with Legendary Writing Part 5

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Legendary Writing blog post Part 5

The fifth and final part of my author interview with LegendaryWriting on Instagram, in which I answer the question: “What lessons did you learn writing this series that you’ll take with you into the rest of your writing career?”

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. – Q: What lessons did you learn writing this series that you'll take with you into the rest of your writing career? . – A: I worked alongside an American editor, who is well versed in British English. What I learnt from her is that not all people speak, or write, English in the same way. I learnt ‘globalisation.’ If you’re lucky enough to have your book published by a huge publishing house, then they’ll create different versions for different countries. If, however, you go the self-publishing route, or get picked up by a small publishing house, then you’ll need to get your head round globalising the language you use. This in no way means that you have to compromise your book’s integrity, or water it down. What it does mean is that you have to think about how people in other English speaking countries will interpret your words. Here’s an example: In Visiting Lilly, Jake Talbot is a policeman, yeah, he’s a cop. In his home he had a pot plant. No! Not allowed. My editor strongly advised me to change it to ‘houseplant,’ otherwise American readers would think that my cop was growing drugs. This was something that had never crossed my mind, but she assured me it’s how most US readers would interpret it. This is what I mean by ‘globalisation.’ . The other lesson I learnt is that your editor is your friend, not some nasty person who’s out to destroy your work. My editor, Cindy Wyckoff, and I had an absolute blast amidst the grind of line editing and rearranging text. Maybe I hit lucky and happenstance connected me with someone who grooves along with a similar sense of humour, yet like me is also a stickler for detail.  Never forget that your editor makes your work the best it can possibly be. #writer #poetsofinstagram #writing #author #reader #amwriting #book #books #bookstagram #bookworm #reading #realtalk #relatable #truth #goals #poems #inspiration #success #quotestoliveby #quoteoftheday #quotes #wisdom #instagood #instalike #instadaily #motivation #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersofinstagram #writerslife

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