Choosing an editor for French Illusions back in 2013 wasn’t easy. As a matter of fact, it was downright difficult. I searched the web for many months, pouring through blogs and editors guilds until I found three candidates who looked promising. I asked for references, contacted all of them and received good feedback.
Next, I asked each of them to perform an edit on my first chapter. They all agreed, and over the next few weeks, I received their samples. With a critical eye, I spread them out on my office floor and carefully compared their work. Each editor offered something, but none of their edits felt like a perfect fit. Reluctantly, I tossed all of them aside.
I continued to search the web until I stumbled across my first editor. She grew up in the Loire Valley and spoke fluent French. A match made in heaven, I thought. Actually, no. Admittedly, she helped me with translations and corrected several cultural issues, but let’s just say, she identified a little too closely with my antagonist. In the end, I asked her to return my manuscript knowing full well it would need additional line editing.
Disheartened, I took another look at the three candidates who had provided me with sample edits early on. One of them stood out and I chose her as my second editor. She was a pleasure to work with and she ironed out some important kinks in my book. Additionally her positive feedback healed my wounds. Definitely, a match made in heaven. Almost.
After I received my fully edited manuscript, I decided to do a blog tour. I sent them an excerpt from French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair and their representative found a punctuation error in the first few sentences. I found a whole lot more on my own. Arghhh. They referred me to a line editor who corrected the remaining errors in my book.
Years later, in 2015, I hired one last editor, Lizzie Harwood, to look over the French throughout my book. She also helped me iron out a few glitches in both of my books. She was awesome and I wish I would have found her in the very beginning.
As you can see, my editing process was indeed a bumpy ride. I will admit that my book was a highly complicated edit given the foreign setting and French translations. Maybe I was too hard on my first two editors. Maybe it took all four of them to get it right.
If you would like to read more about my experiences in France, you can purchase my eBook or paperback at Amazon by clicking on this link, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley The audiobook version is also available at Audible.com.
Hi Linda,
I loved your books because they brought back great memories when I studied in Tours my junior year at university. I lived with 3 roommates in the basement, froze all winter, and we took a street car into town each day. It was 1966, and they still used street cars!!!! We lived near the Cher River, about a block, so the trip to town and the Institut de Tourraine took at least 25 min. But all the places you mentioned, I had been there, and especially the chateaux. I taught French and returned many times to Tours and took my students to Tours and a visit in the Loire Valley! I have stayed in touch with the youngest daughter who has remained in the house that we stayed at.!!! Thanks for your 2 books and thanks for the memories!!!!
Hi Vera. Thank you so much for you wonderful comments. We definitely share common ground. It’s so interesting that you rode a street car into Tours. There were many days when I would have preferred to ride on a street car, rather than walk to my classes at the institute.
How nice that you’ve stayed in touch with the daughter. Do you correspond in French? I returned to France with my husband and two daughters in summer of 2001. We visited the Loire Valley and Paris. It was a magical trip that I will always treasure.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed my memoirs. If you have a moment, will you click on this link and write a short review? https://t.co/a0whtgphcY?amp=1