Q: I just wrote up an account of an event that happened to me when we first moved to Georgia. I want to know if it qualifies as an essay. It is not a series of musings on a central theme, as in some essays I’ve read. It is the true story of what happened and what I learned from it.

I looked up how to write an essay, and the information told how to write a persuasive essay. Mine isn’t that type of writing, though. If I write a nonfiction piece without attempting to prove a point, is it an essay or an opinion? It would help to get clarification, because I usually don’t write nonfiction.

A: Essays come in many forms, including personal opinion, persuasive, and personal experience. Many humor columnists write in the form of essays that relate personal experiences combined with their personal opinions about what took place.

Personal experience essays concentrate on a specific event or related events, and they often unfold with action and dialogue, which sets them apart from a persuasive essay. If your story is shown through action and dialogue with strong writing, it becomes creative nonfiction. If you already write strong fiction, you should have no problem writing strong personal experience essays, too, and it sounds as if that’s what you have done by writing about your experiences when you moved to a new state.

Q: I read an article in the newspaper that referred to the season of autumn, which we also refer to as fall. In the article, the word “fall” was not capitalized. I have always wondered about this issue, usually capitalizing it, but never feeling sure of what’s right.

A: To answer your question, I'll quote from my own book doctor's desk reference book, Purge Your Prose of Problems. It is available through my website, www.zebraeditor.com.

Autumn, Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter

Seasons of the year are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a headline. Examples: I’ll see you in the spring. Fall weather dries my skin. The headline said Save Now on Winter Coats. Aren’t the autumn leaves beautiful?

Q: What formula do agents and editors use to come up with the word count?

A: The word count is estimation, not exact science, so almost any formula will work, especially once your manuscript is in standard manuscript format. I can’t speak for each agent and editor, for they differ in opinions, but usually any one of the following methods will work well enough to give agents and editors an idea of the length of your manuscript:

The easiest method is to use your word-processing program. Go to Tools and select Word Count.

The next most common method is to rely on standard manuscript format to give you an estimate. Your manuscript should be in standard manuscript format already, which is 12-point Courier type, double-spaced, with margins of about an inch on all sides. In this format, each page averages about 250 words. If your manuscript is 200 standard manuscript pages long, you multiply 200 pages by 250 words to get the estimated word count.

Other methods rely on character count, dividing by an average length, and so forth. You don’t have to go to that much trouble, I assure you. The people you deal with only want to know if your manuscript is too short or too long. A close estimate is good enough. An exact count won’t change that vital piece of information by much.

The Book Doctor, Bobbie Christmas is in:

Q: What are the rules for capitalizing government and military titles? For instance, would I write “Hold him,” the general said, or would this be correct: “Hold him,” the General said.

What about when using the characters name? “Hold him,” General Smith said.

The same would apply for senators, representatives, etc.

Also, what is a good book on Chicago style?

A: Chicago Style, preferred by most book publishers, dictates that a business or military title be capitalized only when it precedes the name, as in General Smith. When using only the title, it is not capitalized. The correct usages are as follows:

“Hold him,” the general said.
“Hold him,” General Smith said.

“Hold him,” the senator said.

“Hold him,” Senator Smith said.

Q: I'm thinking about writing a controversial book about [subject deleted for privacy]. There have probably been a number of books already written on this subject, and there is a ton of information about the subject on the Internet.

I have two concerns. One, could plagiarism be involved if I take information from the Internet? My next concern has to do with the market. I wrote to some of the Web sites for permission to use their material, and a person wrote back and claimed that books of this nature do not sell well, even if you are an experienced writer. Any thoughts?

A: Research statistics and information are available to us all. You plagiarize only when you use the exact sentences and paragraphs someone else has written, but if you take information and rewrite it in your own words, you are not plagiarizing.

As to the issue of marketability, obviously the subject goes against popular thinking, which means one of several things can happen. It could hit a controversial note, catch a publisher’s eye, get published, get a great deal of publicity, and sell many copies. A few controversial books have done so. At the opposite end of the spectrum, it could be too controversial and not unique, and no traditional publisher will want to touch it. How can you guess which it will be?

Here’s the thing to remember: Only one percent of all manuscripts written ever get traditionally published, but people keep writing books, and publishers keep buying them, so people who are passionate about their subjects and diligent about polishing their writing and editing skills are still being successful, even in a tough market. Self-publishing means you take all the risks, but you could reap the benefits if your book becomes a hit.  

The reason traditional publishers want a book proposal for nonfiction books is simple: Proposals make the author research the market and estimate the size of the market as well as the size and toughness of the competition. My suggestion is this: Instead of writing the whole book, write a proposal. Get a book on how to write a book proposal and perform all the research a proposal requires. Study the size of the market. Find other books on that subject and find out how they fared. Don’t listen to one person’s vague comment. Go to the publishers of similar books and ask for sales figures.  

See what, if anything, you can do to make your book unique, better than others on the market, and more appealing to a broader audience. If you can’t come up with a unique selling point, you may decide not to write the book, or you may decide to self-publish a small quantity and test the market yourself, if you have an outlet for your book—that is, if you can find a way to reach into the niche market to which it is geared.

Q: This "book proposal" stuff is a fine kettle of fish. Too much advice, and much of it contradictory. Double-spaced, single-spaced, some of each, etc. When YOU write a proposal, do you use strict Standard Manuscript Format, including a Courier-style font, or do you write more like you’re writing a long letter and using a more Roman-type font? Do you single space ANY PART of the proposal? Do you underline, or do you italicize? And what about bold? And what about these double hyphens? (--) You see what I'm asking. A manuscript is written the way it is because it’s written for a typesetter. A proposal, however, is written for an agent to use to sell a manuscript. Can the proposal be written more like a letter, or is sticking close to the Standard Manuscript Format the best advice?

A: I, too, have seen conflicting guidelines about book proposals, including a recent one, in which a publisher allowed me to submit the whole proposal in the body of an e-mail, and to heck with all the formatting, because e-mail takes most of it out, anyway.  

For the publisher who bought my most successful book, Write In Style, though, I followed the style set forth by Michael Larsen in his book simply titled How to Write a Book Proposal. His suggestion, and I followed it to a T, was that the entire book proposal as well as the sample chapters be in Standard Manuscript Format: double-spaced, 12-point Courier type, no boldface type, and underlines to indicate italics. Double hyphens are used to indicate a dash, and no space goes before or after dashes.  

Yes, manuscripts are written in Standard Manuscript Format because it used to be the style typesetters required. Agents and publishers got used to seeing manuscripts that way, and most still want them that way, even though computers have changed things.

One ghostwriter I know zips together a quickie proposal in single-spaced Times New Roman and still gets many a job, but he has an extensive successful track record, and several of his books have won national awards. Until you feel as confident, you can never go wrong by following the rules, but you can sometimes go wrong by breaking them. I worked with one publisher who said he never even reads the first line of a manuscript that is not in standard manuscript format, because any writer who can’t or won’t follow rules is either uneducated or too much of a prima donna to make a good client.

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.

Q: Can you advise me on submissions to contests, agents, etc., concerning the latest Microsoft Word program? I have the new Word 2007. Any file created in this program ends in docx. Will others using older versions be able to open and read these files? Should I save down to a Microsoft Word 97 version before e-mailing any attachments?

A: I still use Word 2003, myself, and until I installed a program that lets me convert files from docx to doc, I could not open docx files. The program didn’t cost me anything, but it took a bit of searching the Web to find a free, reliable program. Not all users of older Word versions will go to that trouble, so it would be safer to save the files as doc files before sending them out.  

Q: I am editing an article for a periodical and cannot find anything in my grammar books or copyeditor’s guide that addresses this issue. There is a sentence in quotation marks that lists within it the names of several songs. I am confused as to whether to use single quotation marks around the names of the songs or to use double quotes as you would usually do with a song.

A: Single quotation marks are used to indicate quotation marks inside of double quotation marks. Because the sentence is in quotation marks, any items within it that would have quotation marks around them would have single quotation marks.  

Examples: “John, did you say ‘Thank you’ to your teacher?” Mary said, “I loved the Tommy Edwards song called ‘It’s all in the Game.’”

Q: A newspaper reporter in my writing club took me to task for using “whether or not” in fiction dialogue. I see why the corsetry of reporting would not use this phrase, but isn’t fiction dialogue supposed to be somewhat the same as the way people actually talk?

A: First I must comment on the use of corsetry (the making of corsets or other binding garments). It made me smile; I’ve never seen the word used to refer to the limitations of journalism, but it certainly fits.  

You’re completely correct that journalism has its confines, while dialogue in fiction has almost no such restrictions. All bets are off and all rules dropped when it comes to dialogue in fiction. While narrative has its guidelines, dialogue should sound natural.  

People naturally speak in contractions and use expletives, slang, idioms, clichés and wordy phrases, all things that narrative should not use. Human beings repeat themselves and pick the wrong words, sometimes, too, which can add humor to dialogue. I saw much of that tactic used in the dialogue on the TV show The Sopranos. I recall one character kept saying, “I’m having prostrate trouble,” when the correct word is “prostate,” but many people incorrectly use the word “prostrate” in this sense.  

Do people say “whether or not” when they speak? You bet they do, and it’s your choice as the author whether to use it in dialogue, but avoid it in narrative.

Q: What is back story?

A: Backstory (or back story) refers to the background of characters, the biographical information that made them what they became. It explains why they do the things they do or want the things they want. It gives readers an understanding of the motivations and goals of a character. In essence, it tells a story that happened before the one they are reading; hence, backstory.

Backstory can be revealed through flashback, thoughts, narrative, or dialogue. Personally I prefer backstory to be revealed through dialogue, which inherently shows, rather than tells, as you’ll see in my examples.  

Let’s say that at age forty, Mary is studying to become a medical researcher, and you want readers to know why. I’ll give a few examples of ways to fill in with backstory. Each of my examples could go on a little longer and give more detail, but backstory is best when it comes out in short bits that do not halt the flow or kill the pace of the story.

Backstory through Narrative:
Mary had an eight-year-old daughter who had died of lung cancer, although the doctors were baffled about how such a young girl could have contracted the disease.

Backstory through Thoughts or Flashback:
Mary lifted the wilted rose, brought it close to her face, and sniffed it. The powdery texture and sweet scent took her back to her daughter’s hospital bed, the dying roses on the bedside table, while the child struggled for breath. What went wrong? How could an eight-year-old die from lung cancer?

Backstory through Dialogue:
“I don’t talk about it much,” Mary told her school administrator, “but I had an eight-year-old daughter who died of lung cancer. We never knew what caused it, how she could get lung cancer at her age. I want to discover something that will keep others from going through what we went through.”

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.

Q: Can you tell me if reviewers ever judge based on editing/style? So many authors/editors do things differently that I guess they just look for consistency. What I was not sure about was use (or overuse) of commas. Can you tell me if commas should be in these sentences?

“That’s what I thought,” Mark said with a smile. (comma before “with”) and “Yeah, such a storm we had..” Mark said sarcastically.

Is it just preference? If so, would it look bad if the author put commas for some, and not for others?

A: Most reviewers consider everything about the book, including the cover, content, editing, writing style, plot, characterization, flow, resolution, and more.

The volume of commas is not important; what is important is that the commas must be used correctly. How can you know where the commas go, when we were taught one style in school, newspapers use another style, and book publishers use yet another style? Book authors (or their editors) should follow Chicago Style, which book publishers follow, because it dictates punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, when to spell out a number and when to use a numeral, etc. Once that style is followed, commas will be in the right places and the volume of them won’t matter.

As for your specific examples, the first example is fine, but the second one has two periods and no comma before the attribution. It should be written this way:

Q: What is the correct punctuation for the following?

“You makin’ fun of my name, or you be callin’ me a buzzard?” Linus asked.
Kendra’s infuriating “Whatever” was followed by “If the buzzard-shoe
fits, lace it up.”

A: The punctuation is fine as is, as long as the sentence beginning “Kendra’s” starts a new paragraph, which didn’t seem to be the case in the e-mail, but that’s a format issue and not a punctuation issue.

Also not a punctuation issue is my concern about the use of dialect (makin’, callin’) which is not recommended, for quite a few reasons. Rarely can an author maintain the dialect throughout, and when one does, dialectical dialogue grows tedious for readers. Dialect is not only difficult to write but also difficult to read, and many publishers shun it. Instead of dropping letters to show dialect, rely on word choice to show the speaking style of characters, as was skillfully done in the last piece of dialogue, “If the buzzard-shoe fits, lace it up.” More on punctuation rules. Visit the Book Doctor for more writer resources.


Q: Where can I find an established writer to write my husband’s story?

A: Let’s first discuss the term “established,” because I want to be sure you are informed about the writing business. Most established authors and ghostwriters will not co-write a book without getting paid up front, because their time is valuable, they know how difficult it is to sell a book to a publisher, and they know that even if a publisher buys the book, the royalties on it can be abysmal. For those reasons, established writers won’t “write on spec,” as we call it, a term that refers to the speculation that the book might sell, and if it does, the writer would participate in the royalties. Unless you have $10,000 to $25,000 to pay an established writer or ghostwriter, look for someone who is not yet established. For a writer willing to work on spec, call around to find a college with an MFA program in creative writing or a Masters in Professional Writing program. Ask the program coordinator how to get your request to students. Perhaps one of the students will take on your husband’s story as a writing project and use it toward getting a degree.

If, however, you have the funds to pay an established ghostwriter for your book, many are registered with writers organizations. Search the Internet, and be sure to get references on the person you choose.

Q: I’m usually good at creating characters, but I’m having a devil of a hard time with creating the protagonist for my novel. I don’t want him to drink or smoke, so on the face of it he’s picture perfect--too perfect. I’d like to give him vices, perhaps even a schism or an addiction, maybe even be self-destructive; however, drugs, sex, and alcohol just seem too cliché. Nothing really comes to mind or “feels right.” Do you have any suggestions or perhaps a method you can suggest?

A: You are correct that you don’t want any of your characters, even the good guys, to be all good or all bad. We all have our flaws, so your characters should have flaws as well.

Here’s a possible technique for adding flaws to your characters: Read the traits allegedly applied to various signs of the Zodiac. Most listings of traits give the good traits first and then the darker side of those traits, the ones that can go to extremes and become negative. Use one or two of those negative traits for your protagonist, to show his dark side. In this way you won’t use traits that are overused by other authors to make a character less than perfect.

When reading those personality traits, you’ll find realistic things that even good people can do when they allow their dark sides to prevail on occasion. For example, I know a fine, intelligent man who is romantic, loving, generous, helpful, and kind. If someone doesn’t want his help though, or if he thinks his efforts are being rebuffed, he gets defensive and even sometimes shouts, slams down the phone, or says hurtful things.

As another example, I am a Virgo, and most horoscopes say I am organized, diligent, and a good communicator, which is all true; however, on the dark side, when things get disorganized, I can feel frustrated and defeated and get depressed, if I’m not careful.

What’s your question about writing or publishing? Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.

Legitimate operations, end marks, query letters, and the use of “which” versus “that”

Q: With all the scam operations out there, is there anyone I can trust in the book business?

A: Yes. Legitimate competitions, publishers, and agents do exist; otherwise, I'd get out of the business, myself. Use sources such as Writersmarket.com, which supposedly checks out contests, agents, and publishers before listing them. Check with the Better Business Bureau wherever you can. Ask folks like me, too, who have been around and seen it all, and we'll help guide you, too.

Q: What is the most appropriate way to end a piece of creative nonfiction? Should I use "The End" or #####?

A: The point is to show the piece is finished. “The End” is appropriate, as well as one crosshatch or number sign (#). The ends of journalism articles are often marked -30-, which is also appropriate for creative nonfiction.

Ask the Book Doctor: About Ghostwriting, Ellipses, Single-spacing, and Freelance Work

Q: How do I go about getting a contract I can use for ghostwriting?

A: What you need is a work-for-hire contract that can be adjusted a little to fit your needs. Search the Internet for a work-for-hire contract. You can probably find a free one you can use as a guideline.

Q: I use three periods in my dialogue a lot to indicate pauses of speech, interruptions of words, etc., but I haven't seen this in many books. I keep trying to limit myself or use other means of communicating, but I don't know what to substitute them with. Are they okay to use? Can I use them a lot? What are some alternatives? Below are some examples:

Q: What is the difference between a synopsis and a pitch?

A: A pitch is an extremely brief summary of the premise and is intended to intrigue and make people interested in the story. It should be as short as one or two sentences, and has also been called an “elevator speech,” because it could be said on a brief elevator ride. Here’s a sample pitch for The Wizard of Oz. “A tornado sweeps a young girl away to a magical land where unusual friends try to help her and evil enemies try to stop her from finding her way back home.” A synopsis, on the other hand, covers the plot from beginning to end. It’s not a teaser, it’s not creative, and it’s not meant to intrigue, simply tell the story. It’s usually one page long and single-spaced.

Q: For a writer who prefers to write longhand, how much should s/he write over the course of two hours? I write about one tablet page every twelve to twenty minutes. Is that too slow? Should I try to think more quickly?

A: No one ever picked up a book and said with admiration, “Wow, this writer sure wrote (or thought) quickly.”  Successful writers concentrate on content, quality, and precision. The only time that speed may be important is when you are up against a deadline, but even then, it’s more important to be sure all the elements are there: flow, pace, characterization, conflict, tension, etc. After your first handwritten draft you will have to revise the piece several more times before it’s finalized, anyway. Will you want speed requirements imposed on that portion of the project as well? I think not. To enhance profitability, producers of manufactured goods may watch the clock and ensure production speed stays high. A good writer is an artist, though, and our payback comes not from manufacturing, but from crafting a book.

Q: When writing dialogue in a fiction manuscript, would one write O.K. or okay? Does it even matter? I assume that the eventual editor will use his or her personal preference in this regard. Is there a hard-and-fast rule?

A: I'll answer by copying the entry from Purge Your Prose of Problems, my own reference book for editors and those who
want to edit their own manuscripts.