You see the thing about writers is this; we are fickle creatures. We have this weird thing about us in that when we choose to place words and whatnot on a page, we like those words to remain faithful to the vision in our heads (or hearts), and that’s the tricky part ain't it? I say that because words are a secret world unto themselves, with incredible power and magic within them, and they have the ability to change things, move things, taint things, and reveal things that were hidden away by the trite and mundane.
Think about it; there are a million different ways to describe an idea or event, but each one is inherently unique in its ability to reach you, given the tone, color, rhythm, and personality of the wordsmith. And that’s the key, the absolute fulcrum of the process, that ability to accurately deliver the writer to your living room and hopefully to your soul. That’s also the part that often gets lost in translation, when the wrong people get a hold of those words, and over polish, or understate, or underwhelm. I say this because I’m a writer, and I’m trying to get to you, trying to get past your defenses. When I want you to cry, I want you to cry in buckets, I want you to sob, and hack, and convulse. But if all you do is whimper a bit, or stifle a light sniffle, I am betrayed, somebody watered me down, somebody took my beautiful slang and corrected it to death and now you feel little to nothing and you cannot recognize my voice, which is the ultimate tragedy.
A great editor, and a great publisher, is very much like a great music producer working with a soon to be discovered musical genius. It’s that editor’s job to find the heart of the artist, discover his or her native tongue, and help them teach it to you which is no easy task. When it’s all said and done, when the book is ready and you’ve been to war together, you’ve both got some scars, and you’ve both got some amazing tales to tell about the journey. I think Alten Ink is the only publisher who could have understood what I was trying to do with my own work, while presenting enough heart and expertise to make me continuously step up to the next level. I became a better writer through that relationship, and I was never alone in the process. Would I do it again? Yes, yes I would, in fact I plan to. So should you.
Steven Urenda
Author of Against My Religion
Think about it; there are a million different ways to describe an idea or event, but each one is inherently unique in its ability to reach you, given the tone, color, rhythm, and personality of the wordsmith. And that’s the key, the absolute fulcrum of the process, that ability to accurately deliver the writer to your living room and hopefully to your soul. That’s also the part that often gets lost in translation, when the wrong people get a hold of those words, and over polish, or understate, or underwhelm. I say this because I’m a writer, and I’m trying to get to you, trying to get past your defenses. When I want you to cry, I want you to cry in buckets, I want you to sob, and hack, and convulse. But if all you do is whimper a bit, or stifle a light sniffle, I am betrayed, somebody watered me down, somebody took my beautiful slang and corrected it to death and now you feel little to nothing and you cannot recognize my voice, which is the ultimate tragedy.
A great editor, and a great publisher, is very much like a great music producer working with a soon to be discovered musical genius. It’s that editor’s job to find the heart of the artist, discover his or her native tongue, and help them teach it to you which is no easy task. When it’s all said and done, when the book is ready and you’ve been to war together, you’ve both got some scars, and you’ve both got some amazing tales to tell about the journey. I think Alten Ink is the only publisher who could have understood what I was trying to do with my own work, while presenting enough heart and expertise to make me continuously step up to the next level. I became a better writer through that relationship, and I was never alone in the process. Would I do it again? Yes, yes I would, in fact I plan to. So should you.
Steven Urenda
Author of Against My Religion
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| http://www.StevenUrenda.com |
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