Editing a novel

by Katie
(Canada)

I am attempting to write my first novel and have a question about editing a novel, copyright, and agents. I already have 98,000+ words, and have almost finished.

First, should I contact an agent before having my work copyrighted?

Second, what is the best way of having my work edited?

Finally, I am a Canadian. Should I attempt to find a Canadian agent, or would I be better represented by an American one?

Thank you so much for providing such wonderful information. It is a great resource and I appreciate the knowledge I have already received from you.

ANSWER

Hi Katie. I'm so glad that you find the site useful. And congratulations on writing your first novel. When I finished my first novel, I was so relieved I cried!

• Placing the copyright symbol, your name, and the date on the title page of your manuscript shows that copyright belongs to you, just as the copyright information on the bottom of this web page shows that the information here belongs to me.



• Should there ever be any question of ownership (very rare) the files on your computer will prove that you wrote the material before anyone else had access to it. Some agencies provide "copyright registration" to provide reassurance to writers, but their service is unnecessary.



• Before you contact an agent, or think about having your novel edited, I recommend that you get a professional opinion on the readiness of your manuscript. This is important, for all the reasons I address in THIS article.



• I provide an inexpensive service called the Quick Look in which I assess manuscripts of any length for $99 and provide advice about what to do next. You can read about that HERE



• Whether or not you need a Canadian or American agent depends on the genre of your writing. If you've written a literary novel, I recommend that you approach Canadian agents. If you're writing science fiction, or have written a blockbuster thriller, you'll need a New York agent.