Italics

[42]

ah, the power of the typesetter.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

The problem, as Ookla presents it, is that there AREN'T rules for fiction. At least, not rules that represent the reality of the situation. So if there's a need for rules, we should at least have realistic ones that address the issues of the field. and there's nothing wrong with revising the rules as necessarily. Esp. when you've seen a rule broken often enough that the breaking of the rule is the new norm.

[Archon]

    Sorry, I haven't dealt enough with editors to really know how reasonable they are. I was assuming that since it was your book they would give you enough room to make it to your satisfaction.

     To your point SE, I suppose as long as whomever created the rules didnt expect them to be concrete then it could and should be done. The problem I would foresee though is getting the writers to even recognize the new system. I would guess that not all, but many enjoy the freedom that they have right now too much to care too much about a new set of rules.

[House of Mustard]

It's my book, but it's their investment.  They give the author a lot of freedom, but ultimately, the decisions are theirs.  It's like the relationship between movie directors and movie producers.  Producers stand back and let the director make most of the decisions, but, if the producer ever puts his/her foot down, the director can change or take a walk.

[stacer]

But there are certain style concerns as an editor is putting a book together that authors really couldn't care less about, as well, or would really like to have taken care of that they didn't take the time for in the manuscript. Period and comma placement, for one--are they all in the right place? Is the punctuation in the right place in relation to quotes? Should that be an en dash or an em dash? What's the kerning on this line so we don't have to break that word, but without making it appear too small in relation to the rest of the paragraph?

Some typesetting concerns are only of interest to the editor and typesetter. And some are more subjective, as in Mustard's example of italicized words.

BTW, HoM, I'd be interested to know what page that's on so I can see if I'd agree with her or you.  

[Archon]

     Oh I know, editors are very important to the finished product because of that, I wasn't questioning that. I was just saying that an author should work with his editor so that the editor knows what is a mistake and what the author purposely put in for their own reasons.

[House of Mustard]

I'll check when I get home.  It was one of the main character's thoughts, so it would normally be italicized, but the book is in first person, so it's not so cut and dried.

The line, as I wrote it, was simply.   "I'm a moron."

It got changed to:  "I'm a moron, I thought."

I really really think I was right, and whatever dumb typesetter or disk changer switched it is on my Bad List.  The way I wrote it, it was not so much something the character thought at the time, but something that he was telling the reader.  

It's a little thing, I know, but it still makes me cringe.

[stacer]

Actually, if that's the situation, I would have agreed with you. I'm of the opinion that you ought avoid dialog/thought tags whenever the context makes it clear who's speaking. Thus, in a first-person narrative, him thinking "I'm a moron" is plenty obvious who's saying it in the narrative (out of dialog).

P.S.--This is why all you writers will one day be coming to me to be published, eh?   If only a trade division would hire me! Oh the injustice!  

[42]

I agree with you HofM. Course, I wonder if your editor jsut went behind your back. I've seen that happen a lot.
Some editors have egos, having the opinion that their way is the only right way. I think they are usually just frustrated writers who wish they had the creativity to write, but don't so they edit. Good editors aren't so caught up in vicarious writing.

[House of Mustard]

Here's the deal, Stacer: when you get hired on editing fiction, I'll actually sit down and write something non-LDS to send you.

[House of Mustard]

I doubt my editor did it.  She and I have a really good relationship, and I doubt that she'd do that.  But I wouldn't be surprised if the irritating, micro-managing Managing Editor demanded the change.  She bugs me.

[stacer]

Here's the deal, Stacer: when you get hired on editing fiction, I'll actually sit down and write something non-LDS to send you.

Deal.

[Brenna]

Well, Stacer, you're welcome to come work at my publishing house once I've managed to get it started.

[stacer]

That's been my plan all along. (Muahahah) I will run the children's division, right?

[Brenna]

But of course!