Greetings, Faoii.
We have just enough time for one more raffle before the end of the Geek and Sundry Contest. And, I’ll be honest, this is the raffle I’m most excited about. Hopefully you’ll feel the same.
Do you have a name you’d like to see honored in our campaign’s history? Or, maybe YOU want to be featured in the tomes that will tell of our battle to publication for all eternity. This is your chance, faoii. On November 1, the day after we finish the contest (hopefully with our banner at the top of the hill, our foes lying defeated at our feet), I will pick 3 random pre-orders and give those faoii the honor of naming one of the men or women that Faoii-Kaiya meets in her journey. Whether it be your name or one you like, I would be honored to chronicle it amongst those of our heroes in their fight.
The other available prize is the only thing I can think of to help give back for everything you’ve all done for me. If you know of my day-to-day life, you know I don’t always lead armies up hills while screaming curse words and battle cries. In fact, most of my days are taken up by one of my several occupations-- not the least of which is beta reading and editing other people’s work.
Now-- I’m not a professional editor. I do have a degree in English, and (after getting rejected by 200 literary agents in the past) I’ve tried to use that knowledge to find out exactly what kinds of changes need to happen before something is publishable. Of the 46 full-length novels I’ve looked over and made suggestions for, 9 have gone on to find an agent or publisher. I specifically look for spelling/grammar, plot continuity, pacing, and (my personal favorite) oft-repeated words or information in a manuscript. Mostly, though, I just love being part of the creation of a world, no matter how small my part in it is.
I wish I could offer a character name and my editorial services to everyone that supports this campaign. But, honestly, there aren’t that many characters in the story, and we’ve already talked about how many jobs I have just to cover rent. Each book I edit takes an additional 20 to 60 hours on top of my regular work hours--there just isn’t enough time in the day. But I can make room for 3 new character names and 3 new manuscripts. Yours could be one of them.
This fight is drawing to a close, faoii. We’ve come so far in so little time--just a little more and we can celebrate our victory with pride. Do not lose hope.
Shields up.
-Faoii-Tahani
