Desert Desserts - Group Editing

All Things Writing Editors and Critics
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DesertDesserts

Desert/Desserts

Group Editing

Welcome to our group editing page. This is a wonderful collective of people who are all looking to help eachother and offer moral support on our stories. It’s free to join and a very laid back writing community. We use google docs to edit each other’s work and no you don’t have to be the worlds best editor just someone who is supportive and looking for support as well. So keep on reading to figure out how you can join in on all of the fun.

How It Works?

The group is pretty simple. All you have to do is post the form (Form located below) and I’ll get you added to the next assignment rotation. Each rotation is a week long. The next assignment post is posted Monday mornings (I’m in Eastern Standard Time). All users will be tagged in this post with the info pertaining to their story and what chapter everyone is supposed to read for the week.

Your job is to read and leave both feedback and any edits on the other author’s document. We ask that this stays nice, constructive, and supportive. Stories are not pre-selected so the genre may not be something you would normally read, but it’s good to branch out our horizons. There are also mature stories with dark themes, so if you are not old enough or comfortable reading that, then this may not be the group for you.

Every week you will add one more chapter to your document (Or send a new chapter document, however you would like to do this) and the other authors will comment on it. If you want to take a week off, just let us know and you can catch up the next week. We are pretty laid back, but if you don’t post or share any stories for a while, we will remove you from the assignment post just to keep things organized. Any questions please either ask, or look at the Q&A section below.

Q&A

1] Does my story have to be completed?

No it can be an ongoing story. :slight_smile:

2] Do I have to read the other authors stories, or can I just share mine?

Yes! This is a trading group. You need to read at least 1 chapter per week of the other authors stories. We work together to improve our stories here. If you need to take a few weeks off, please just let us know and you can catch up when you return. We are laid back, but everyone needs to do their part.

3] How many stories can I share at once?

We reccomend only sharing one story at a time, but will allow two stories to be shared if we don’t have too many people participating.

4] How do I leave the group if I no longer want to share my stories or be a part of it?

You just simply let us know. No questions asked, though we will be sad to see you go.

5] How long are the assignments?

We are on a weekly rotation. New assignments will be posted on Monday Mornings. (Eastern Standard Time.)

6] Do I have to use Google Documents?

Yes! We work through sharing our documents and using the editing features that google provides. Everyone needs to be on the same platform to keep this as smooth as possible.

Any other questions please feel free to ask. There are lots of us here ready and willing to answer them.

The form:

To fill out form please copy the HTML from this link located HERE and enter your answers where it says “TEXT GOES HERE”

I want to join!

Name:
TEXT GOES HERE

Book Title:
TEXT GOES HERE

Email:
TEXT GOES HERE

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I’d be more interested in beta reading rather than editing. But otherwise, I’m interested.

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Editing would be a much greater benefit to me as thats what I need the most help with. But if there’s absolutely no interest in helping eachother edit from other people, I may be interested in switching to beta reading.

As for now if you have a story that fits these guidelines at all, I’d be happy to add it to my list to beta read it. :hugs:

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this sounds like a great idea… if only i had a book ready to go :sneezing_face:

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Doesn’t have to be fully finished, and you could trade books as you pleased. Only need one chapter per week. :slight_smile:

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Of two minds about it.

Like the way I’m handling my ONC stuff, I’ve got that.

Some older things, well, they do need a thorough editing, but some of them are things I need to handle and others can be passed around, but am too damned disorganized to do anything quite yet.

So, you can put me down as interested, but dragging tail. Lol

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No better time than the present to do it. :wink: when I can get on my computer here in a bit ill make a tag list of people that have mentioned they are interested and such.

If there’s ever enough people that want to join later on, there’s no saying there can’t be more than one group. :slight_smile:

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New here!! But participating in the group editing :smiley: with Google Docs, we just comment on the line or section and add our feedback? We just need our emails?

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I’m so glad you made an account! And Yes, through using the google editing features I think that will make it the easiest and then the other person looking at the chapter can also see what you have added so there are no duplicates or working over each other. Just with each other. :slight_smile:

So Just emails and I will make a group chat message so we can keep up with eachother. <3

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Do you want to be added to the interested list? For when you do have a book ready?

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it’s tempting, it could be good motivation to actually work on my 2nd draft story, and yet…

Sure!

I could do a couple trades at the staet since i have a couple of chapters done, but only if that won’t mess up your group

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I don’t think it would mess things up. Essentially it’s a matter of if everyone is willing to commit to editing 2 chapters and beta reading 1. As one of the members doesn’t want edits, just beta reads. I think a week is enough time to do that, but we could also do it every 2 weeks. That being said, I think limiting a group to 4 people is smart so that people don’t get overworked, but it doesn’t have to be the same 4 every time. :slight_smile:

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What happens if someone runs out of chapters to go around while others in the group still have chapters? :thinking:

I tend to write too much. My chapters are way too long. If anything, I probably need someone to go through it, and cross a third of it out. :laughing: I do have a google account already. What’s the difference between beta reading and editing?

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I have multiple books that I need to edit. (Like more than 5 of them XD) So running out of chapters is unlikely for myself personally. :slight_smile:

As I understand, Beta reading is when you go through and read a completed book and give the author feedback, make sure there are no plot holes, all storylines are finished as needed. The book makes sense, the characters don’t change (Unless the story says so) Like the main character’s name doesn’t change halfway through, or their eye color, etc. Just overall feedback of the book as a reader that isn’t fully invested in it like the author is.
Editing is looking for grammar and technical details, while also looking for those details of beta reading.

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Gotcha. My book isn’t completed yet, but it’s almost there. :crossed_fingers: I definitely know I have plot holes. :laughing: I wrote down the ones readers have pointed out so far. I’d be up for editing. I’m no English professor, but I’m not too shabby either. There’s a tool in google docs too that checks for all of that stuff. I used it for my first few chapters, and then got lazy. Though having a real person read through it can be helpful. I’m up for joining.

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@rachelsfloetry @RowanCarver @EKShortstories - do you guys think one week is enough time to edit 2 chapters and beta read 1? We can start tomorrow if you are ready, or pick a day to aim for this week to do our first trade? Let me know what you are thinking. We have enough people to get started.

@copyedit ^ above message applies here as well, but you and I can trade personally until there’s enough to make another group. :slight_smile: depending on if you want to join thus round or not.

@all I realize I can’t make a group chat yet as I don’t have the badge that gives me the ability to do so yet. I may just decorate this thread a bit and make this the official editing/discussing topic. Once I can think of a good name/theme.

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I’m down

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Hmm, it’ll probably take me longer. I can probably edit/beta read 1 chapter a week. If it evens it out, since my chapters are long, people can take two weeks on mine? :thinking:

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can i ask to be kept on the sidelines as a floater in case someone else can’t make a week? for now i only have a couple chapters and not much time to work on them until after the semester is done.

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Today works for me! One week is good, too!! As long as we communicate whether we fall behind or need an extra day, etc, I think it’ll be good.

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