And it was hard to find more than two or three typos in her works. Sorry, no more…Sue Grafton told me once she edited all her books in the later years. One of my favorites had eighteen errors in the first two-thirds of the last of his books I read. Self-published authors are dragged over the coals for a couple typos, though, admittedly, it’s usually a couple hundred or more. Just throw it at the walls, see what sticks because they’ll sell, anyway. Seems most successful authors today–meaning the money makers–edit their own works. Good to see someone call a hot-shot author and/or his or her editor on their apparent lack of concern for quality product. Writing a book is a precious experience, and I believe we ought to give the literature we write our best efforts, regardless of pressures from the publishers – hey, we are creating art, here! – we don’t let it go out into the world until we are utterly convinced that it’s ready. You’re a good writer – not great but good, and I’ve enjoyed several of your earlier novels. I’m going to re-read Chandler’s novel, whose title you appropriated.Īnd I would also proffer this advice: don’t rush your craft. Lippman, and if I were you, (1) I would already know it, and (2) I wouldn’t be reading the reviews, because I’m not alone in giving “Lady” a thumbs-down. I found what I call logic bombs in almost every chapter.

IMO, one of the telltale signs is how you jump from scenes and characters each chapter, often without so much as clue as to who’s narrating now, or what’s supposed to be going on, or why you’re giving a chapter to this minor character, or how all these too-many different people and incidents are supposed to fit together.ĭid you have an editor at William Morrow? Or did they just slap your Word file into InDesign and start printing covers? Because if you did in fact have an editor who read this manuscript and let it go to production in this rough shape, you need a new editor.

I have a sneaking suspicion this is what happened with “Lady in the Lake” – it reads like a first draft, written either completely or almost so straight from your head to your fingers.

I know it takes me more time than that, not to just to produce a first draft but to hone and revise it multiple times until I’m convinced it’s good enough for the public.

Laura lippman lady in the lake review