I Finally Found an Expert Who's Helpful

My search for editing videos was a bust. It seems to me that these people mainly wanted a video channel they could monetize, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the constant pleas for subscriptions and "likes" was off-putting. However, if one is going to tout herself as an expert, she really needs to possess some expertise. Every video I watched offered the same useless advice and never got to the "editing" part of the program. These people are big on how to prepare your manuscript for re-reading, such as printing it out and having it bound into a book, but if editing can be achieved simply through reading the story, well, that's quite a magic solution! 

So, I gave up and returned to Google to look for tips. That's when I stumbled upon Nathan Bransford's site. This man is truly an expert and wow, is he comprehensive! He's a former literary agent and a current author and editor, and he offers tips on just about anything related to writing, editing, and even marketing. 

What I like best about his advice is that he provides examples. What I like almost as much is that he's engaging and relatable. One wants to read his advice, because he doesn't talk down to aspiring writers, and he couches his tips in humor. The only downside is that I've learned I do just about everything wrong. That said, he still didn't make me feel like a total loser. He points out the errors of one's ways in a manner that doesn't discourage someone like me. And each article links to a related article, which means one can spend hours perusing his advice, and if you're like me, saying to yourself, "Oh, man. I do this wrong, too!"

Can I incorporate every bit of advice into my manuscript? No. I mean, I could, but that would require a major re-write, and I just can't. I (literally) don't have that much time. I'm not twenty. What I can do, and intend to do, is fold his advice into my editing process. The finished product still won't meet his, or anyone's standards, but it'll be the best I can make it without leaving this world with an unfinished, unpublished book.

I'm planning to delete all those unwatched editing videos from my "watch later" list. I don't have the time to be bored and frustrated. I'm happy, though, that I've finally found someone who can actually help me.