When I wrote my first book, I knew that I would need to have someone go through and do some editing. They would find mistakes that I had missed and be able to tell me where the plot or characters needed some more development. I could have paid for editing services. There are several with varying degrees of thoroughness. Some read just the first chapter, or the first ten pages and others read the whole the book. The problem was those services are expensive and I didn't have much money to invest in publishing my book.
Right before I published my first book, I went to a women's conference where there were a couple of authors speaking. One of them talked about her publishing journey and one of the things she suggested was to surround yourself with people who would be completely honest, but in love. I needed to be able to trust that they would tell me the truth about the book and be able to show me where things needed fixed without crushing me in the process.
I chose three women to be my editors and each of them has this quality first and foremost. They are able to tell me the truth of what they think in a loving way. Another reason I chose them is that all three of them are avid readers. Not only that, but they each like to read romance novels. I figured if they like it, then other readers would, too. Their help was extremely valuable and I've remembered the things that they told me when they read my first book so that I wouldn't make those same mistakes in the second book.
Kim Larsen, Ashley Beaulieu and Meghan James were the women who edited my first book for me and are currently editing my second book! Kim Larsen is my mom and the woman who has introduced me to some of my favorite books and authors. We have similar tastes so we often pass books around. My mom is really good at being able to be honest, but loving. She can give me helpful critiques in a way that's understandable and done in a pleasing manner. I know my mom also has my dad, Pete Larsen, read my first draft as well and any grammatical question she has she refers it to him. So I get two editors for the price of one when I send it to my mom.
Ashley Beaulieu is my younger sister and again is an avid reader. Like mom and I, she shares our tastes in books and often our books make their way between the three of us. I would almost venture to say that Ashley is my biggest fan. I get messages every once in awhile that say things like "Hurry up and finish your book so I can read it!" Whenever someone gives my book a review with a negative comment, my sister is the first to my defense. I know that she would never give me any harsh criticism because she resents it so much when others criticize me. Yet I also know that, like most sisters, she has no problem being honest with me.
Meghan James has been one of my best friends for years. She was my maid of honor at my wedding and she's one of those people that if you just need a shoulder to cry on she'll be there - with a pint of ice cream. Not only is she an avid reader and honest yet loving, but she also edits the children's materials at her church. Meghan is the one who goes through and puts in commas that I've missed or takes out extra commas, finds my spelling errors and does basic grammatical editing for me. While I'm writing I've been known to send a note to Meghan asking her if she knows the grammar rule in a certain situation.
I love all three of these women so much and I've been so thankful for their help and support through my publishing journey. They've each contributed so much to make my books better. Besides that, they're my cheerleaders. I know they want to help my books succeed which is part of why they'll be honest in their critiques. They want it to be the best it can be. Thank you so much, girls! I appreciate it immensely.
Best Laid Plans by Courtney Lyman
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