Errors in Our Books

Susan Reichert    @swmeditor

One thing for sure, having to stay home has given me the time to write. For that I am most grateful.

Normally my schedule is so busy I have little time to write for myself.

As writers you may have experienced the same.

Last year, recuperating from surgery, I told a dear friend who was visiting, that God had laid it on my heart to pull together the prayers I had written over the years and publish them.

When this pandemic hit, obviously, here was my opportunity to do that. So, going through journals and boxes, I found them.

As I reread each one, it brought to my memory the things that were going on at the time of writing the prayers. So, I could see firsthand, again, how God answers our prayers.

I say all of this, to remind everyone who has written things and put them away, maybe now is the time to look for them. Perhaps you will find material for a book or two.

The funny thing about your on writing, is you can be harder on yourself than you would be on someone else.

I have reviewed books, as Editor-in-Chief of Southern Writers Magazine and have written blurbs for author’s books. I have edited stories for others, and critiqued writings at conferences. But when it comes to my own writing, I choose an editor to edit my work and others to critique.

It is important before we publish, or send our work to agents, that we make sure our writings are in the best shape possible.

Many times, when reading books, in the first chapter, errors pop up. I certainly understand how a few errors occur in books. Even with traditional publishers, we still find errors.

The best thing we can do, is to hire someone to edit our work. Will you still find some errors? Possibly. After all, we are human.

The important thing is to do the best you can to make sure your book is as error free as possible. 

Susan Reichert, is the retired Editor-in-Chief of Southern Writers Magazine. President of Southern Writer's Author Services. President of Collierville Christian Writers Group for the past ten years, (CCWriters) Author of Storms in Life, author of 11 short stories published in magazines and anthology books. Currently writing  a prayer book that will release this year.