First Monday Mentoring for May, your writing questions answered
It’s baaa-aack, the first Monday of every month (or the first Sunday if you’re in the northern hemisphere) when I invite you to post your writing-related questions and I’ll answer them here. Lots of talented writers read and comment on this blog and you’re also welcome to contribute a question or your thoughts on an answer, or a writing experience that might help others.
First Monday Mentoring has become even more important to me after the 2012 Valerie Parv Award named in my honour by Romance Writers of Australia opened on April 23 and closed in under 24 hours, when all the 80 available places were snapped up. http://www.romanceaustralia.com/vpa.html
With only one award and entries being closed so quickly, you may be interested in another option called MentorXpress, where writers experience working with me as your mentor. Details and cost are on my website http://www.valerieparv.com
If you missed out on entering this year’s VPA, there’s always next year. Until then, First Monday Mentoring is here. Feel free to post writing concerns and questions, and share experiences. Questions can be posted ahead of time if you like and I will answer during Monday May 7. I monitor the blog and post answers throughout the day.
To kick things off, a new writer asked me this week whether grammar and spelling are still important, and will they stop your work from being accepted.
The answer is – yes and no. With print publishing options shrinking before our eyes as epublishing takes off, it pays to make your work as ready for publication as you possibly can. If two submissions are equally compelling but one has grammatical and spelling mistakes and the other is relatively clean, which one will get the nod? Which would you choose? An outstanding manuscript won’t be rejected over a few such mistakes but you don’t want to lose your chance due to errors you can fix with a little extra work.
Valerie
Proud friend of the National Year of Reading 2012
Established Writer in Residence 2012, Katharine Susannah Prichard Centre, Perth WA
On Twitter @valerieparv
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