This is Mr. De Rose and Mikey, his grandson.
Mikey is the apple of his eye,
and Mr. De Rose has three more grandkids he loves just as dearly.
Mikey is turning 5 years old today (May 13).
Happy Birthday, Mikey!
As your editor, Mr. De Rose will not let you down. His work with you will be done only when you feel satisfied with what you have accomplished together. You and Mr. De Rose will become a writing TEAM, working jointly to help each other. And he promises you he will not change or alter anything you have painstakingly written without asking you first. Mr. De Rose knows you are the author and creator of your story, not him.
Mr. De Rose has managed to work for the state of New York as a Corrections Counselor for 35 years, which shows impressive staunchness and resilience. To date, he has edited for a dozen writers, totalling more than 20 books. He has been married to a woman he adores, Carla, for 38 years. And the only news that is important to him is the Good News, which I'm sure is a sentiment many of you share with him.
You can find Mr. DeRose at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=150139and http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=150139&id=292953
I recently had the opportunity to ask Mr. De Rose about his work as an editor, plus a few other things, and here are his answers to my questions:
What genre do you generally prefer to work with?
I prefer editing fiction, primarily Mystery and Adventure stories. I have, however, edited Romances, historical fiction, philosophical fiction, children`s stories, non-fiction and short stories, as well as poetry.
When you’re not busy editing, do you read eBooks or do you prefer “regular” books?
I`m still a tad old-fashioned so I prefer the printed word, at least for now. I have an E-reader but I haven`t touched it yet. But I will one of these days. I may take it on an upcoming vacation to Europe.
Do you have a favorite fictitious character?
The only character that comes to mind in my very recent past is Andy Michael Pilgrim, the main character in Julius Thompson`s “Thrillogy”. Julius has invested so much time and energy in his creation of Andy. I`ve read and edited all three books in the Pilgrim series, and while I was editing them I felt as though I was walking right next to Andy. At other times, it was like being a fly on the wall, observing the action. Julius is, hands down, a fantastic writer.
How important do you think book titles and covers are?
Honestly, I think titles, covers, and back cover blurbs are critical to sales. When I pick up a book, I take 2 minutes to read and digest the back cover blurb. If what I read does not catch my fancy, the book goes back on the shelf to gather dust, hoping that someone else will come along and not be as critical as myself.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, I am editing a fictionalized version of an event that happened in recent history (2005) in the Gaza Strip, penned by a wonderful lady, Aliza. The event is and was traumatizing to a very large number of people. I won`t say more because I don`t want to give it away. All I can say is that it`s very exciting and I never thought I`d have the opportunity to edit something like this. I`m really learning a lot about their culture in that region, it`s a real eye-opener.
What do you enjoy most about editing?
I love to read and I`m very detail oriented so editing, for me, is both work and fun combined. I did not say I get paid to have fun though. I like being able to take something that might be a little rough around the edges and making it a tight, enjoyable, almost mistake-free read for all readers. Yes, I said “almost mistake-free” because no one is perfect, not even me. But I do try my absolute best to make the writer happy.
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Take your time, don`t rush. In this business, THE SLOW TURTLE WINS THE RACE! Have patience and go over your manuscript again and again. Be proud of it, show it off to friends and others, and ask them for an honest read and critique. After that`s done, no matter how long it takes, read your manuscript again, considering everything they`ve mentioned. Then, and only then, should you give your manuscript to a well-chosen editor. Take your time picking your editor also. After all, you will have to pay this person your hard-earned money when all is said and done.
If you could invite anyone from any era for a cup of coffee in your living room, who would you choose?
That`s an easy one but I`m greedy, so here are just a few that come to mind… First, Jesus – I want to give him a big hug and say thank you. I`m sure many of you know just what I mean. I’d also like some time with a few of my relatives and friends who have passed on – my gramzer and my gramp; my aunts and uncles; and my pal, Chuck. I need to ask him what happened. I wrote a poem about him and I`ll show it to you should you care to see it...
Do you have a favorite quote?
The only one that comes to mind, allow me to paraphrase please... “And you shall love the Lord with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul”. Of course, the other one I like I know by heart, and it goes, “We`re not done until you`re happy!”
What do you do when you’re not editing?
I read and we travel around (Carla and I and the kids). I like to go hunting and fishing and camping. Stuff like that. And the good thing is that I can edit while I`m traveling. That`s cool.
What do you think the future holds for you as an editor?
When I retire, this year, I plan to edit more hours of course. I must be doing something right because I have been editing for almost three years now practically nonstop. I`ve also started a “writers” email group and I send the group, now and then, marketing information that I think may be able to help them sell more books. In the near future, perhaps I`ll expand on that in some way. I think it`s important because I believe that one hand washes the other, at least it was true the last time I checked.
